Post on 11-May-2020
The Secret Lives of Livestock Guardian Dogs What LGDs do when we’re not watching… and even when we are! Dan Macon, Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor University of California Cooperative Extension – Placer-Nevada-Sutter-Yuba October 26, 2019
Overview Context:
Where do I ranch and
work?
Breeds and Behaviors:
What makes a good dog?
Economics: How do we
know if LGDs are worth it?
Research: Where do we
go from here?
Correcting Inappropriate
Behaviors
Context: Where I ranch and work…
UCCE Livestock and Natural Resources Advsior
Flying Mule Sheep Company (Auburn, CA)
Previous Experience Manager, McCormack Sheep
and Grain (Rio Vista) – 1500 ewes
N. Calif. Project Manager, Prescriptive Livestock Services – 2500 sheep and goats
President, California Wool Growers Association
Flying Mule Sheep Company
Small-scale (150 head)
Range/pasture based
Market lambs and wool
Provide fuel load reduction in exchange for winter forage
99% leased or free land
Lamb on pasture in late February through March
Our Environment…
Fragmented rangeland and irrigated pasture
Winter range – oak woodland (700-900’ elevation)
Spring/summer irrigated pasture (1400’ elevation)
No permanent fences No permanent structures Primary predators
Neighbor dogs Coyotes Mountain Lions Black Bears Raptors Wolves?
Our Dogs…
Currently using mixed-breed dogs (variations on American Big White Dogs).
We want to have just enough dogs to protect each bunch (3 during breeding) – but no more!
1-2 dogs are with the ewes at lambing.
After much trial and error, I prefer puppies that I start rather than adult dogs started by someone else.
LGD Breeds and Behaviors What makes a good dog?
A good dog… Stays with our sheep even if the
fence goes down or sheep break out.
Respects electric fence.
Doesn’t chase, chew on, OR KILL our sheep!
Is respectful of lambing ewes (e.g., gives them space).
Is reasonably friendly with people but would prefer the company of sheep.
Prevents predator losses!
LGD Behavior
Protectiveness
Trustworthiness Attentiveness
• Protectiveness (measured through observation and remote sensing)
• How does the dog act around people it doesn’t know?
• How does the dog act around other dogs it doesn’t know?
• What does the dog do when predators are in proximity to the sheep?
• Attentiveness (measured through observation and remote sensing)
• Does the dog respond to environmental stimuli?
• Trustworthiness (measured through observation)
• Can we trust the dog with sheep? • Can we trust the dog with our herding
dogs? • Can we trust the dog with people? • Can we trust the dog to stay with
livestock?
Sources of Dogs
Pups vs. working-age dogs (e.g., should we outsource the training?)
I prefer pups from other producers I trust (and where I can see the parents working).
I will only purchase pups that were whelped where they could hear/smell sheep before their eyes are open.
Training a Pup Selecting a pup Bonding (a progressive process)
Should begin at 8-10 weeks Dry ewes
Rams
Breeding group (ewes and rams, with no lambs) or feeder lambs
Lambing ewes (with an experienced dog) – not before 18 months of age
Managing human interactions Feeding Vet care
Tie out and lead training (which implies we’re able to catch them!)
Infrastructure Electric fence
Stock trailer Truck
Care and Feeding
Once-a-day feeding vs. automatic feeders
Dog food vs raw mutton Parasite control (internal and
external) Vaccinations Foot care We typically do not clip in the
summer Thermo-regulation is better with
natural hair coat
Behavior and Predator Interactions
Barking Marking territory Patrolling Submissive behavior towards
sheep Behavior during lambing Activity level depends on time of
day Proximity and response to
predators Variation based on age, sex, etc.
Interactions with Herding Dogs
Our LGDs seem to accept our herding dogs as part of our overall system. Partly due to how our herding
dogs behave around the sheep.
In my experience, this acceptance doesn’t extend to non-herding dogs or to herding dogs used by people our LGDs don’t know.
Correcting inappropriate behaviors
Appropriate bonding is critical: Don’t put a young dog in a position
where mistreating sheep is a comfortable (or fun) option.
“Dog-like” corrections: Timing is critical!
Correction vs. punishment.
Devices Dangle sticks.
Have not used shock collars.
A solid older dog is VERY helpful at key points in the bonding process!
Other Potential Problems
Other inappropriate behaviors with livestock
Fighting Biting (liability) Harassing non-target wildlife Endangered species act issues Loss and/or death loss Recreation conflicts Public misunderstanding Right to farm issues (nuisance)
Costs vs. Benefits: How do we know if LGDs are worth the money?!
Costs Acquisition
Cost of puppy
Transportation and time
Development Time
Dog Food
Veterinary Costs
Maintenance Time
Dog Food
Veterinary Costs
Depreciation
Capital Costs
Operating Costs
Acquisition and Development Costs
Pup (Dillon): $500
Transport/time: $200
1.5 yrs of feed/vet costs: $450
Success rate: 67%
TOTAL INVESTMENT FOR WORKING LGD $1716
How do we measure success?
Easy to determine costs; difficult to measure benefits!
Operating Costs Dog Food $200/dog
Vet Costs $100/dog
Depreciation $300/dog
Management (Time) $350/dog
Total Cost/Dog/Year $950
How many livestock deaths must a dog prevent to justify its annual operating cost?
Research Efficacy is a difficult question to answer with research – who
wants to be in the control (e.g., unprotected) group?! Mechanisms of protection (disruption vs. displacement)
might be a more appropriate line of questioning: Do LGD disrupt predator behavior? Or, do LGD fill the niche typically filled by canine predators
(displacing these predators to adjacent lands)?
Behavior and Setting Are specific behavioral traits important for particular environmental
settings or predators? Do wolves require bigger, more aggressive dogs?
Are there behavioral traits better suited to high recreation areas?
Are some behavioral differences related to sex, age, or breed?
LGD Behavior Study
Using self-built GPS technology, trail cameras, and geographic information science, we are:
• Analyzing LGD behavior relative to wildlife, livestock, humans, etc.
• Identifying variables that affect LGD effectiveness.
• Analyzing livestock behavior in response to LGD activity.
Pilot tested technology in Sierra foothills (fenced rangeland and irrigated pasture) and Sierra Nevada (open range).
How can we know what the dogs are doing when we’re not there?!
Self-built tracking collars using cell technology can provide real-time tracking of dogs.
Virtual fences can provide alerts when dogs have moved beyond property or pasture boundaries.
Cost: $90-100 per collar.
The Importance of Context
A dog that works in one environment might not work in another.
A dog that is effective at protecting rams or dry ewes might be in appropriate with lambing ewes.
Terrain, habitat type, predator species, predator population, etc., all influence the success (or failure) of a particular dog (or combination of dogs), as well as the number of dogs needed.
What’s your paradigm?
Using LGD is similar to using electric fencing or low-stress stockmanship… If you believe that LGD will
work, you’ll find ways to change your approach when they don’t!
If you don’t believe they’ll work, you’ll likely abandon them when they cause a problem.
How many dogs?
Depends on time of year, environment, predator pressure, etc.
Dogs are not the best option in every setting: Backyard operations (<10 sheep) – there may be
better and more cost effective livestock protection tools Night penning
FoxLights
Electric fence
Dogs without enough to do will get in trouble (and will cause trouble for larger scale operations that need dogs).
Farm-stead vs. protection dogs
Further Reading…
Bruno, E.M. and T.L. Saitone. 2019. Livestock guardian dogs: Do the benefits outweigh the costs for sheep producers. ARE Update 22(6):9-11.
Coppinger, R., et al. 1988. A decade of using livestock-guarding dogs. In R. Timm, ed., Proceedings of the 13th Vertebrate Pest Conference. Davis: University of California, Davis. 209-2014.
Kinka, D., and J.K. Young. 2018. A livestock guardian dog by any other name: Similar response to wolves across livestock guardian dog breeds. Rangeland Ecology & Management. 71(4):509-517.
Urbigkit, C., 2017. Brave and loyal: an illustrated celebration of livestock guardian dogs. Skyhorse Publishing.
VanBommel, L., and C. Johnson. 2012. Good dog! Using livestock guardian dogs to protect livestock from predators in Australia’s extensive grazing systems. Wildlife Research 39:220-229.
Webber, B., et al. 2015. Movements of domestic sheep in the presence of livestock guardian dogs. Sheep and Goat Research Journal 30:18-23.
Questions?
Blogs • Foothill Agrarian – www.flyingmule.blogspot.com
• Ranching in the Sierra Foothills – https://ucanr.edu/blogs/RanchingintheFoothills