by Taryn Riemer
An injured or dead animal in the pasture is one of the worst things livestock producers can find.
The culprit — a coyote, wolf or bear — is long gone and the damage is done.
However, there is help in the form of another animal with lots of fur and an aggressive bark.
Guard dogs have been used for centuries to protect livestock, but there are several considerations with their use.
Talking with other producers is the best way to find a reputable breeder and costs for dogs range from $200 to $900.
In Saskatchewan, a program through crop insurance can offset up to $100 of that cost.
Manitoba is revising a program specific to the Riding Mountain area, which is designed to prevent transmission of bovine tuberculosis between cattle and wildlife. It offsets some costs, depending on risk and herd size.
Alberta has no program for guard dogs.
Arlette Seib, owner of Dog Tale Ranch near Watrous, Sask., runs 400 ewes with multiple guard dogs.
Seib said it’s important to know what purpose a dog is intended to serve before selection.
The terrain involved and trainability of the dog are important factors.
“They are effective, but at the same time they can be frustrating sometimes,” said Seib.
Darlene Stein of Oxbow Ranch near Barrhead, Alta., runs 500 ewes with multiple dogs.
She said the dog must be suited to the type of livestock that it will protect, whether it is cattle, sheep, horses, goats or poultry.
There are many guard dog breeds, but prairie producers tend to favour Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherd, Maremma, Akbash and Sarplaninac.
Stein recommended a Sarplaninac if large, aggressive predators such as wolves and cougars are a concern. If there is a high population of predators in the region, Maremmas may be best because they stay closer to the flock.
Great Pyrennes tend to work best with larger areas to guard because they have a large roam area.
Seib said each breed has its own strengths and weaknesses, and everyone has a different opinion on which is best.
Training is also an important consideration.
“There’s more than one way to raise a guardian pup, but the most important aspect is that puppy has to bond to the livestock you wish for it to protect,” said Seib.
She recommended putting the puppy in a paddock or pen with the livestock so that the dog and stock can become familiar with each other. Failing that, start the puppy in a pen beside the livestock.
Seib said some human contact with the dog is needed during this bonding process, but not so much that the dog bonds with people instead of livestock.
“If we interfere too much, then we can negate that bonding process, but at the same time you don’t want to be completely hands off because you want to be able to handle your dogs. So, there’s kind of a real balance to find.”
Training around fences is important so that the dogs don’t climb, dig under or go through them.
Guard dog owners estimate it takes about 18 months to two years to train a dog for pasture duty with livestock. If there is already an experienced dog in the pasture, the puppy can go out at six to seven months. Livestock accustomed to guard dogs may help the dogs adapt.
Seib recommended having at least two dogs protecting the herd, if not more.
“We expanded our flock and did not have enough dogs to handle the predator load that was in our area,” Seib said.
“Predators were killing our sheep regularly, and that’s the whole reason we ended up getting multiple dogs.”
Stein and Seib believe in daily maintenance, which means daily contact and feeding and some socialization so that it’s easier if future veterinary care is required.
Shelter is another requirement.
“Just asking them to sit on a hillside in the Saskatchewan winter is just pretty cruel,” said Seib.
A guard dog will nestle with the livestock or in the livestock shelter if they are bonded well enough.