I got to know the Wolf …

[Moobli]

Interesting article on the use of livestock guardian dogs to protect sheep and cattle in Spain.

‘I got to know the wolf’: how Spain’s shepherds are learning to live with their old enemy | Spain | The Guardian

As wolf numbers surge, herders in the north of the country are relearning old ways to keep the apex predators at bay

amp.theguardian.com

 

[twiggy2]

Will get a look when I have a moment, interesting topic.

 

[alibali]

Great article thanks.

 

[twiggy2]

I wonder how many head of stock each shepherd or cattle man is responsible for?
I love the idea of the old time shepherd's lifestyle, I can't see it be viable over here.

 

[Dobiegirl]

https://www.nempnettpastures.co.uk/about-our-turkeys

This is very near to me, these dogs are becoming more and more popular with farmers. I think its a great idea and hope sheep farmers keep them too, I just hope stupid people dont see them and think what great pets they would make.

 

[Caol Ila]

Livestock guardians can be a bit terrifying. One of my scariest hiking moments (having done many hairy, exposed ridges, been benighted, etc.) was in the French Alps, when about four bloody Maremmas or Great Pyrenees chased us as we were trying to skirt as far as we sensibly could -- given the geography -- around their flock of sheep. We couldn't simply turn back because it was late in the day, at the end of a long, circular hike, and we were about two miles from the car in that direction, but 17 miles + God-knows-how-many-feet-of-ascent in the other direction, with some exciting mountain terrain en route. There are little signs at the trailheads advising hikers to turn around when they encounter sheep and LGDs, but under those circumstances, that's not a sane option.

I then Googled LGDs and attacks on hikers in the Alps. Bad idea. It doesn't fill you with confidence.

You can socialize your LGDs with enough people as pups, so they don't go for hikers. They're protecting your sheep from wolves, not mountaineers. However, I don't think that many French farmers bother.

 

[SaharaS]

..sadly there are already an influx of lgds over here and many getting turfed from rescue to rescue & worse -coming over as big cuddly bears and placed in the wrong homes.some of the rescue businesses that ship foreign dogs over are bringing lgd breeds that haven't been well bred on the mountains or show strains or poor stock dogs due to greedy people cross breeding for fluff value - Anatolian-Pyrs for eg which is so sad. They aren't everyones breed or type and so so many in rescue. I've been extremely lucky to have 3 now, current two are amazing working the new farm & house as a pair, admittedly I wouldn't have the guts to leave them out with stock if the stock weren't at home..and my two are very much house dogs, very much loved pets but so hard wired to do their jobs but I just don't trust people over here not to steal them/or worse..

Both are still very rustic and primitive which is fabulous to watch esp when they are working, my boy has just hit 2 and calmed a bit but his work ethic has increased, or fine tuned rather than the Scooby doo phase as he grew. What I struggle with most is general people not accepting that they are what they are when they approach or if they have been allowed in, getting funny with me if I tell them not to approach the stock and no I'm absolutely not going to shut the dogs away or tie them up, even if I call out not to come closer, and that they are in fact deflectors not aggressors and that they shouldn't be disciplined or corrected by strangers/idiots for doing their job(well meaning trainers and dog lovers!)..people don't seem to back off either, even when I tell them to, and seem to look affronted that I dare ask, even if they are on part of the property they shouldn't be. They aren't out of control, or naughty, they are in fact very well trained(in several spheres) and just doing their jobs. I think we are far off the general public over here understanding them enough to respect them and that worries me deeply. LGDs are formidable and will escalate if pushed or if they deem a threat...and you simply cannot educate pork, particularly the 2 legged kind!

A good friend has LGDs in Canada, if anyone is interested, she writes the most fabulous blogs about not only her beautiful LGDs - Sarplaninac, but also life with predators. She has the most fabulous photos of fox/wolf cubs living peacefully in her surroundings. Look up the blog "Predator Friendly Ranching" I just wish more people understood this way of life..it really could work over here, especially reducing the number of dog attacks, sadly I'm not so sure all our farmers would be quite so committed to the training it takes to get them from pups to a trustable good working 2-3yr old dog...our society is not as rural and I fear many working dogs would end up shot either by farmers who haven't set them up for success, or by the authorities for being deemed out of control because of stupid people....we seem to breed them here!