Good Homes and LGD

 

Good homes
©Louise Liebenberg (2023)
Written for The Shepherds Magazine.

When I read through many of the social media livestock guardian dog (LGD) pages, I am absolutely shocked at the number of dogs looking for a new, good home. It is not just the odd one here and there but instead a continuous stream of failed LGD looking for a great non-working home, someone looking for a placement of their dog on a bigger ranch, or with a more experienced trainer. Friends of mine who work with rescues are overwhelmed with the shear number of LGD and mixes of LGD entering the shelter/ foster system, and within that system, there simply are not enough good homes for all these unwanted LGD.  In many cases, it is not even just LGD mutts that end up in rescues, a lot of purebred dogs can be found there too. The number of “rehomes” is excessive, however the number of litters from LGD breeds being advertised is staggering, many of which, are not even from working dogs. In all honesty, there is little to no market for most of these pups. Recently, a breeder has struggled to give away, for free, a litter of a rare breed LGD pups. Ultimately, these pups are 4 or 5 months old, become a handful to handle and are expensive to feed, these pups ended up in a variety of homes, whether suitable or not, simply to “get rid of them”, the leftovers ended up in a shelter. Many of the people who drop off these pups in a shelter hope they will find that illusive “good home”. For many of these pups, the good home ends up being euthanasia.

The myth of the good home needs to be addressed.  Those folks looking for a new placement for their roaming, sheep worrying or chicken killing dogs have this idea that these dogs would be better suited to a bigger ranch. What many people forget is on larger, commercial operations, the sheep or cattle are the main source of income and the people who live this lifestyle, are often very busy. It takes time to graze animals, check fences, doctor sick animals, haymaking. Few shepherds are willing to take on an uncontrolled, problematic dog, often with questionable genetics and poor raising. These dogs can be a threat to their own livestock (and livelihood) and few have the time to invest in someone else’s failed dog. It is not simple to rehabilitate a failed LGD.   The person wanting to find the “good home” does not understand the risk, stress, time and cost it would take to make this type of dog into a functional dog.   I know, I would not risk my own sheep’s lives or risk the chance of my own dogs getting injured in such a situation.

If the “good home” is not a large sheep operation, perhaps it is with small acreages or homesteads? Sadly, these places are often not suitable for failed LGD either. Most homesteads or micro farms have neighbours who may not appreciate a LGD barking all night. Most smaller homesteads do not have the work for the dog or the ability to fence to contain a roaming LGD. Few people are willing to risk having a large breed dog, who has perhaps shown some killing behaviour around livestock, be in contact with their own and neighbors’ children.  Added to this, there is not only the threat of a bite incident with an unknown adult LGD, but the liability of a dog roaming and potentially causing a vehicle accident is just too overwhelming for most people to contemplate. Few homesteaders have the experience to work with a problematic dog.  
Finally, the in-town, pet home is an even less likely option. Their natural guarding behaviour, their canine aggressiveness, their stranger wariness, the strength, and size simply do not lend themselves to town or pet living situations. There simply is no demand or not enough good homes for unwanted LGD.

The “good home” for the failed LGD rarely exists. People who start with LGD need to be aware of this. Few people are wanting a wool pulling, lamb eating, chicken killing, calf chasing large breed dog. The moment you take that cute pup or multiple pups’ home, your options for an alternative home “if they don’t work out” is almost non-existent. The responsibility of breeding and placement is with the breeder. However, it is the first owner’s responsibility to give this pup the best chance of success and to commit to owning this dog for its life span. It is very important that new owners are supported in making the best decisions they can to ensure the pup has a lifelong home.

Sometimes the best decision is for the person enquiring about LGD, is to choose to not get an LGD.  As hard as it maybe to hear, not every situation warrants an LGD. Many of the rehomes are coming from smaller homesteads who only have a few poultry or maybe a handful of other livestock. Many people are unprepared for the work it takes to get a dog to be reliable with poultry and other small stock. Few are prepared for the sheer determination a LGD can have to escape from its pen, or the aggression it can display towards strangers or animals unfamiliar to it. The time, cost and work it takes to get a poultry safe dog is vastly underestimated.

It is time for the LGD community to say no to selling pups into situations where the chance of failure is high. We need to be vocal about how most LGD were never bred to be guardians of poultry or rabbits, and that most immature LGD will harm them, given the opportunity. They were bred to cover large distances moving with the shepherds and their flocks and are mostly not suited to small acreages. They are strong and independent thinkers which makes them hard to train, obedience is not a top priority for these breeds. They are physically strong dogs who do best in serious working situations. We need to talk about how not all LGD work out, many do harm stock while growing up, it is a challenge to keep them fenced in on smaller places, they bark a lot, they are not always the friendliest dogs, they might even kill the beloved cat. Many people need a large dose of realism and people new to LGD need to hear this.

Part of the problem also lies in the volume of LGD and LGD crosses being bred. It is hard to manage intact animals. Perhaps, the continual pushing of later spay and neutering is contributing to the excessive number of pups being born. Of course, in a perfect world, it is better to hold off on spaying and neutering until the dog is over two years of age, but the reality is heat-cycles in females are easily missed and before you know it, the LGD is bred by the collie. Few people are even capable of recognizing when their female is in heat, and many do not have a place to lock her up in for a three-week stint. There is a risk in everything, our dogs live a risky lifestyle. Early spaying and neutering might have some health risks, but so does pregnancy and unwanted litters.  Spaying and neutering makes for more manageable working dogs, and I am a firm believer that owners should make the decision when to spay and neuter based on what works best for their operation.

Finally, we need to call out bad management and raising practices that contribute to failure in LGD. Quite frankly, we need to keep the “pet dog” mentality out of the working dog world. Many LGD fail due to misconceptions that pups can only bond to their owners and families while living in a house.  Or, the notion that the pup must bond first to its human family before it gets placed with the livestock.  The sad thing is, this LGD shelter and unwanted pups’ problem reflects on our industry. The ranchers and shepherds who need working LGD are viewed as the cause of the problem. We need to be cognizant of this.  As a livestock and LGD owning community, we need to do our best to help curb the enormous influx of these breeds into shelters and the number of LGD being bred. We can do our part by educating and mentoring suitable owners and dissuading the acquisition of a LGD into situations with a high chance of failure.  We need to talk about the realities of owning these dogs, and taking responsibility for the dogs we bring onto operations. The mythical good home does not exist and often the outcome for the failed LGD is death.

Unsung Hero

 

Unsung hero
Louise Liebenberg
Written for The Shepherds Magazine

This past week all my social media feeds were about a young livestock guardian dog (LGD) that battled some coyotes to save his sheep. The story was shared far and wide and it made me realise that for many of us full time shepherds this is “normal” for our dogs, we keep these dogs with our flocks to do this exact job. Many of our dogs, although very much appreciated and loved, never will get the media attention that this dog did. We all have “unsung hero’s” in our back pastures, in this article I am going to share the story of one of mine.

I lost one of my most favorite livestock guardian dogs (LGD) last week to old age, normally I am not one to really express publicly, the sadness I feel when one of the team passes on. This time it is a little different and I would like to share some of the lessons I have learnt from this dog. His name was Vuk, which is the Serbian word for wolf. Vuk, has challenged many of my previously held ideas on what LGD should be and do. He forced me to reassess my thoughts on how LGD work, and to not limit their working ability because of how I expected them to be.
Vuk came to me as a 12-week-old puppy from his breeder in Pennsylvania. The first year with him was a struggle.  He was high energy and was rather difficult to form a relationship with as he was fiercely independent and although being friendly enough, simply had no time for anyone.  As a pup he was always on the go, I used to joke that he should have been a sled dog rather than an LGD. He could not relax and seemed “hyper” all the time. With the sheep, his energy and activity level was certainly not something the sheep were used to. The found him disruptive and I was irritated by him. I always felt the energy level of the LGD should match that of the sheep. I liked the slow and steady types. This young dog was so energetic, that I sincerely questioned if he would make the grade as an LGD.  Whenever he moved, the sheep became startled. When he was about a year old, I mentioned to his breeder, that I may consider rehoming him, he was just not "my kind" of dog.

He was everything I thought was wrong with a LGD, he was high energy and did not really want to be a “close” type of guardian dog. I questioned if he was bonded with the sheep as he never really “snuggled” with the sheep.  He was never far away, but never chose to be close to the sheep, or huddle up against the sheep during the frigid winters here in Canada. However, as he was never inappropriate toward the livestock, and he never set a foot wrong towards the sheep. He never showed any predatory behaviour towards them; never played with them, was not rough, he never pulled wool, nipped, or chased them, and it was this, that made me decide to keep working with him.   I learnt not to try and shape Vuk into being the dog I wanted, instead to learn to work with him and his unique character.

Once I had that mind shift, things changed. When he was old enough to go and work on the larger bush pastures where the predator pressure was high, he settled into his job. He would patrol hundreds of acres of bush and pasture, and his energy level became an asset. He was tireless in checking out regular predator trails and chasing off predators. He would come and check in with the sheep and be off actively patrolling again. By the time he was three years old he was had fully settled into his job, he was calm and controlled around the sheep as he had enough work to keep his mind and body busy. He was always checking in with the flock, laying in an area he could watch over them, and was highly protective of them. I have seen him battle coyotes, tree bears and be on the watch for cougars. I have even seen Vuk fearlessly chase away a large bison bull from our cows. Wolves are part of our environment, and I am sure his presence and determination helped keep wolves away from the livestock. We could see tracks in the snow where confrontations have taken place and we would find dead coyotes in the pastures, He was powerful, fast, and smart and never backed down from a confrontation.

Vuk understood his job and that was evident in all his interactions with the livestock. He was the guardian of the livestock and left the mothering of lambs to the ewes themselves. He was adamant about chasing ravens and eagles out of the pastures and would guard a dead sheep’s body from scavengers until I removed it.  He was more a warrior than the nursemaid type.  Although he was never the type of dog that would allow lambs to jump up on him, or lay down close to him, he was super reliable with lambs.  He valued his personal space and when a lamb or calf would come and lay near him, he would get up and move to another spot. In many ways he was like this with us too. He would come for some petting but would after a few minutes, trot off back to the livestock. He would watch over lambs and calves with vigilance and dedication.

He could often be found watching over a bunch of calves, while the cows went to eat or drink. He read the body language of any animal perfectly. If he got to close to a cow with a newborn calf and she gave him “the look”, he would quietly move further away and gave her space, enough so, that the cow did not feel the need to run him off. He was very in tune with the reactions of the livestock, he would back away from an ewe that might feel nervous around him yet would stand his ground around the big bulls.  He was probably the dog with the best ability to “read” the livestock I have ever worked with. The sheep and cows soon grew a bond with this dog and trusted him.

He was a true leader when it came to the other dogs, he was respectful of the older females and would work well within the team. Most of the other dogs really liked to work with him. He was an excellent mentor to other young dogs. He was fair when it came to young males, he did not go looking for a fight, but if the fight came to him, he would deal with it. He was adaptable and could be moved around with other dogs and situations where he was needed, from the calving corrals one day to large, forested sheep grazing pastures the next.

He taught me that patrolling or perimeter type dogs are as valuable at their job of protecting the sheep as close guardians. He proved to me that high energy is not a bad trait to have. Having a strong lupine build, that could move,  was more advantageous than big slow cumbersome dogs when dealing with predators. Despite not being a dog that liked to be physically close to the sheep, it did not mean he was not bonded to them.  Having the space to work, the challenges of his job and ability to utilise his energy made him into a fine working dog. His ability to read the livestock become so finely tuned, that it really took my breath away to watch him work around an ornery cow, or a young ewe.

As he grew older, I made some attempts at retiring him, fearing he might be killed by predators. He wanted nothing to do with that and would take every opportunity to escape back to the livestock. During the harsh winter months, I would put him in the heated shop and then back in the pastures when the weather was milder, this is where he was happiest. This winter his health declined, and a few weeks back he passed away.

I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to work with such a fine dog, and that I had the right environment for him to be the best he could. I grew to admire and respect this dog deeply, and as he aged, he was more accepting of me cuddling him and I think he actually started to enjoy it!  He changed my perceptions of what a good working dog could be.  Over the years we bonded to each other, and I adored this dog, and he will forever be one of the great ones in my life, perhaps the greatest.

Vuk, no sheep or calves were ever lost under your watch! Thank you.

 

 

Trends in Raising Livestock Guardian Dogs

 

This is where the magic happens, where pups can learn to find comfort and companionship with the sheep. 

Trends in Raising Livestock Guardian Dogs
©Louise Liebenberg (2021)
Written for The Shepherd's Magazine

This year I celebrate 30 years of working and being around livestock guardian dogs (LGD), I have seen and experienced a lot in those years. I have lived and worked with sheepdogs on three different continents, working with dogs who were amazing at their job requiring very little correction or guidance, to dogs that have harmed livestock. I have tried to rehabilitate “lost causes”, some of which were successful, and others that were not.   I have seen dogs who were not bonded to the livestock and this manifests itself in various ways; uninterest toward the sheep, some become aggressive, and others can live with the livestock without being protective of them. I have always utilized sheepdogs in a professional capacity, my income has always been dependent on my ranching practices. As much as I like dogs, they are first and foremost here to protect the livestock. In the past 30 years, I have seen many trends come and go regarding LGD. Some good, others bad and some questionable. This article is going to look at one of these trends regarding raising LGD puppies.

Lately, the popularity of LGD has increased exponentially and along with this rise also comes a large variety of opinions, on how to raise them and how to work with them. I accept that different folks have livestock in a variety of settings, and this influences how the dogs are worked.  However, I see certain approaches to raising LGD that I really question the validity of.

Back in the 80’s the use of LGD was relatively new in North America. In the 70’s the U.S. Sheep. Experiment Station (USSES) at Dubois, Idaho studied the use of LGD, followed by the Coppinger husband and wife team working on the Livestock Dog Project (Amherst, MA) and finally a study was conducted at Colorado State University (Ft. Collins). These research projects were the basis from which LGD were studied and evaluated in North America. All the research emphasized the importance of the bonding period of the LGD to the livestock. Without this development of this bond, the LGD were simply not “invested” enough in the sheep to want to stay with them and guard them. Everyone emphasized this time as being critical to the development of the LGD puppy. Some of this was taken to the extreme where a total hands-off method of raising was promoted. This continued for the next few decades, and it was common to see completely feral LGD, that could not be handled or touched. At that time, most people using LGD had range sheep and were larger outfits. The dogs, rarely, if ever, mingled with public and as the sheep were grazing bigger areas of land, neighbors were also not a real concern for them. The dogs interacted with the shepherds for daily care. If a dog roamed away, it would often end up at another band of sheep which was not usually a big problem.

In the 90’s and 2000’s, a shift took place in how LGD were being used. They were being used on smaller, more stationary operations, where the sheep were contained by fences and grazed rotationally. At this time, I was promoting a more hands-on way of working with LGD, I spoke at a conference and the topic was “No feral livestock guardian dogs for me, or my livestock”. At this time, it was frowned upon to pet and handle LGD. Many believed that petting them would ruin them. I remember explaining that puppies still needed to be bonded to the livestock but petting, vet care and some regular handling was okay and even beneficial. Some people were skeptical about this approach as they feared that the LGD would end up on the porch rather than out in the field with the sheep. I realized that some people struggled to find that balance, how to have a friendly, sociable dog that was bonded to the livestock.

Moving along, again LGD use has shifted, many people on small homesteads, hobby farms and backyard chicken keepers are looking at keeping LGD for a handful of livestock. The expectation is that the dogs do not bark much, are friendly to all visitors to the ranch, do not roam and are good with the livestock. Talking to many of these homestead people, I feel that what they are wanting is more in line with a general farm dog than a specialist such as the LGD. In this regard I think semantics’ matters and these people need to clearly define what they are wanting and looking for in a dog. This will help them find a dog that is suitable for their situation. Having the work for the dog clearly defined (LGD, farm dog, pet, or guard dog), will also define how the pup should be raised so that it can be successful in the role the owner requires of the dog. I have noticed more of a push from certain groups to promote keeping LGD in the house, to bond first with the family and then over the next few years transition the dog outside to the livestock. I cannot help but feel that this is such a missed opportunity for the pup to truly form an attachment to the sheep. I know, I want my LGD not to feel conflicted about where they need to be, I want them to be happy and comfortable with the livestock. I want my LGD to be protective of the sheep, not just territorial guarding (which most dogs do). I question how fair it is to first raise the pup in the house and then expect it to transition living outside with the livestock?

Too often, I see people saying that a 12-week-old pup is too young to be with the livestock; it is too cold, too hot, a pup could be a target for predators and many such arguments. All these points are moot, as any good owner will know, that a pup requires adequate housing and protection from the elements, no rancher is going to drop his young pup off in some far away pasture just for a predator to come along and kill it. Having a pup grow up with the livestock, does not mean it will not have adequate protection, care, and shelter. That is basic animal husbandry!

This 12-week-old pup is content to be with the sheep and enjoys lots of human interaction while it is living full time with the sheep.

The people that promote this form of raising LGD say that the dog is capable of bonding to both the people and the livestock (I agree with this), and they want to establish this human/LGD bond first, to ensure that the dog is well socialized and attached to the owner. I have very well socialized dogs, they can all be handled, well behaved, and super attached to me despite them living full time with the sheep. Once again, there is nothing stopping an owner going to the pasture and spend valuable time with the LGD. Where they sleep, does not determine how socialized and bonded, they are to the owner. I would argue that it is easier to form a bond with the dog that lives with the sheep, than it is for the dog to form a bond with the sheep that is living in the house!

The same people explain that this is how traditional shepherds, and their dogs live, in my opinion, it is a rather romanticized image of traditional shepherds. I have never seen a true working LGD (in Europe) that lives in the house. Most times the dogs, when not working are chained up outside by the barn. The shepherds appreciate their dogs, some are very attached to their dogs but none of them are raised in the house. The dogs are tied up when the shepherds bring the sheep back to the villages or are locked up in a building, barn, or kennel. Kids do play with pups, but this happens outside. Pups are often left to free range around the yards, while the mother is chained close by. Once the pups are a little older they are chained.

A shepherd’s dog in Macedonia. The sheep are in the village for the winter, the dog is chained to an old truck cab as a shelter. No LGD are raised in the house.

There is a big difference in needing a LGD or wanting an LGD. This need or want, is often reflected in how they are raised as pups.  The folks who “want” will more likely raise the pup in the house, with the family and treat it more like a pet dog than those that “need” an LGD. The people who truly “need” a LGD will want their pup to form a bond with the livestock. These owners will ensure that the dog has every opportunity to learn about sheep, facilitate bonding and provide the right environment for the pup to be successful in its future job. I know, I want my LGD to have a certain level of maturity and seriousness regarding their job as soon as possible, and that only comes with lots of exposure to the livestock.

I am all for people raising their dogs however they want, but I also hate to see LGD fail due to people errors. It saddens me when someone raised their LGD in the house for two years and now it does not want to stay with the sheep, or the dog is so wild when outside with the livestock that it harasses them. It is very concerning that some people feel that this is the way LGD pups should be raised, it sets a trend for animal welfare people to change legislation, similarly, to the “bring-them-inside-when-its-cold” crowd. I feel that the pendulum is now swinging too far to the side of raising LGD as pets, and it feels like I am struggling to convince people how valuable that initial bonding time is to the livestock, how you can have a great relationship with your working dogs and that it is simply not cruel to raise it with the sheep.

My kids can always spend as much time with the pups that they want, provided it is with the sheep in the barn or pasture. This helps to make pups sociable to people and still allows them to bond to the livestock.

What LGD breed is best for my situation?

 

A shorted coated Estrella working in Portugal. The Estrella also comes in a long-coated version.

What LGD breed is best for my situation?
©Louise Liebenberg (2021)
Written for The Shepherds Magazine


 With over forty different breeds of Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD) breeds, a common question is what breed would work well for a specific situation. Often, the responses are as simple as “I love my … (breed name)”. Rarely do people explain what makes “their” breed unique or why they chose them.  Over the past four decades, several researchers have tried to establish which breed is the best. Coppinger and his colleagues compared Anatolian, Maremma, Sarplaninac and, crosses between these breeds. More recently, Daniel Kinka and Julie Young compared Kangals, Karakachan, Transmontanos and White Dogs (a generic name for a cross of white LGD often found in the USA).  The conclusion from their study was that most of the breeds are more like each other, than different (in regard to working style). This should not be a huge surprise as all LGD have the same job to do and it makes sense that these breeds would be similar in how they respond to predators.

The athletic and reliable Turkish Akbash working on a sheep ranch in Northern British Columbia, Canada.

It is also hard to compare breeds as every working situation is unique, the predators that the dog is expected to protect from, can range from raccoons and weasels to bears and wolves. Even the pressure that certain predators place on the flock varies, in some region’s wolves are thick and in other regions there may be none. How flocks are managed can affect how the work of the dogs is perceived. Owner bias makes comparing breeds difficult as each person will value different traits, temperaments, and abilities all within their own reference point. Sometimes, the lack of good statistical data can get in the way of fair comparisons, if you are studying a population of thousands of dogs, the data will generally be more accurate than if you are studying just a handful of dogs. An example of this is the Great Pyrenees (GP). The GP is often associated with roaming, however there are probably more GP and GP crosses than any other LGD in North America. Yes, these might roam more, simply because there are so many more GP around.

A white Sarplaninac working in Northern Alberta, Canada on a sheep and cattle ranch.

Gross generalizations about breeds are of course, not really the “right” thing to do, for every generalization, hundreds of exceptions will be found. In some instances, there might be more variance between individuals within a breed than between different breeds. However, most people still like to know some of these generalizations, to be able to narrow down which breed might suit their situation best. I know making such a comparison is “treading on thin ice” as some people might feel their breed is being misrepresented. My advice to people looking for LGD is to meet breeders, talk to fellow livestock owners and visit with various dogs. The breeder might ultimately, be more important than the breed itself, as it is the breeder who can help and mentor you while learning to work with LGD.

I do believe, it is primarily, the wolf, that has shaped the behavior and temperament of our LGD, and this can be reflected in the reactivity and aggression level in LGD. The first gross generalization I will make is; if you look at the map of Europe and move from west to east, the breeds tend to get harder the further East you go.  Why would this be? Perhaps it has to do with the number of years that the wolf has been extirpated in certain countries. Wolves were officially declared extinct in France in the 1930s. It is only since the 1990’s that wolves have really started drifting from Italy back into the French Pyrenean Mountains.  Before this, few Great Pyrenees dogs had seen or faced a wolf for many generations in their home country.  With no need for the GP to be aggressive toward wolves for close to 60 years, perhaps this led to selection of milder natured dogs who display high nurturing traits as opposed to high aggression traits. Italy has been a stronghold for wolves in Europe when many other countries had extirpated them. Regions where wolves have always existed, shepherds have always worked with their Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdogs. The “Maremma” would rate higher for protectiveness simply due to the ongoing selection for dogs to be able to work in wolf territory. Russia and central Asia has a large population of wolves (wolves were never extirpated here) and is home of the Ovcharkas. Breeds that are large, powerful, and regarded as high aggression breeds. Predator density plays a big role in the selection of aggression and ferocity in LGD.

People asking which breed would work best for them, often have a list of criteria for the future LGD, these can include no roaming, barking or must be super friendly to visitors and tolerant of dogs. It really does need to be mentioned that all LGD like to roam and expand their territory. All LGD bark, that is part of their working strategy. Incessant barking is often found in immature dogs. Friendliness to strangers can be encouraged through more intensive socialization, however some breeds are naturally more standoffish. As for tolerance towards visitors’ dogs, it is unfair to expect the LGD to be tolerant to strange dogs and yet protect again canine predators.

A pair of working Sarplaninac dogs guarding goats in the mountains of Macedonia.

I am going to make some broad comparisons, as this may help people narrow down certain criteria that people starting with LGD might find handy. I will also include the common abbreviations for the breed names as I go along. I think ideal LGD to start with, are those breeds that have been used for many years in North America. I have selected the more common breeds for this overview and breeds I have some experience with.

Good breeds for the inexperienced homes or ones looking for an easier going temperament may include Great Pyrenees (GP), Maremma, Akbash, Anatolian Shepherd Dog (ASD) and Spanish Mastiff (SM). Breeds that are sharper in nature and possibly better suited to high predator areas would include:
Kangal, Central Asian Shepherd (CAS), Sarplaninac (Sar or Shar), Karakachan, or Kommondor (Kom).  This does not rule out the easier breeds cannot work in high predator areas, I know many that function well; however their temperaments are perhaps a bit easier to get along with.

Breeds better suited for warmer climates: most LGD breeds are double coated however some have a shorter length coat. These would include Akbash, short-coated Estrela Mountain Dog (Estrela), Kangal, ASD and CAS.  Longer coated breeds include the Maremma, GP, Sarplaninac, Karakachan. Corded coat is the Komondor and will require a lot of coat maintenance.

Athleticism or breeds that need to cover larger areas. These breeds are often found in Europe and Asia on the more steppe type landscapes include the Akbash, Kangal, ASD some Maremma and CAS. The mountain types are often heavier coated breeds and more stout body types. These would include the Great Pyrenees, Sarplaninac, some Maremma and Karakachan.
Depending on lines the Spanish Mastiff can vary from big and heavy, to sleek working types. Some breeds have such variance a lot will depend on what each breeder selects for. Some are described as “show type” vs working type.

Coppinger in his studies talked about trustworthiness and compared some breeds for this trait. I think some breeds may require more supervision and guidance as young dogs.  Breeds that may be easier to start and that have a high trustworthiness can include the GP, Maremma, ASD and Akbash. Breeds that may require more supervision may include the Sarplaninac, the Kangal, CAS and some Maremma, as they are late maturing and this may lead to some more extended play periods,

Certain breeds are more driven to run down and chase predators while others are content to bark and warn predators away. The more driven breeds would include the Kangal, CAS, Sarplaninac, while the ones possibly more content to stay around closer to the flock would include the GP, Maremma, Karakachan, the Estrella, SM and Akbash.

Size, many people feel that to be an effective guardian dog working with apex predators, they must be large. Size is not so much an issue, I believe character, determination and a certain degree of aggressiveness is what makes the difference. Some breeds are just more willing to fight and are naturally more aggressive than others. Large sized breeds are SM, Caucasian Ovcharka and CAS.
Medium sized breeds include Maremma, Estrella, Karakachan, Sarplaninac and Great Pyrenees. Tall breeds include Kangal, ASD and Akbash.

Some people only want white LGD, this will limit the breeds to chose from to Kuvasz, Polish Tatra Kommondor, GP and Maremma. Many LGD are coloured.

Availability is often an issue. The CO is regarded as a high aggression breed, but it is virtually impossible to find good, working CO. Most are bred for show or as guard dogs for pet homes and very few are bred in North America as LGD. Similarly, with the Sarplaninac. Most Sarplaninac imported to the USA are from show breeders and for many generations have not been used as LGD. The Sarplaninac and many of the other breeds, have also been used for dog fighting in their home country, breeding selection has been based on dog fighting. Many of these dogs fail as working LGDs, simply because they do not posses the traits of nurturing, calmness, and attentiveness towards the livestock.

Each breed brings a unique balance of “skills” to the proverbial table, and to the discerning buyer, the right breed for their situation is “out there”. Some ranchers like to use a combination of breeds, the feel this maximizes effectiveness whereas I feel each breed has the capabilities to fulfill  all the roles required to protect the flock.

What matters more breed or breeder?

This young guardian dog is being raised with and bonded to some heifers, his job in the future will involve working with cattle.

What matters more breed or breeder?

©Louise Liebenberg 2019

Written for: The Shepherds Magazine

By the time you receive this issue of The Shepherds Magazine the new year will be underway. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a healthy and prosperous new year! 

The USDA, under the guidance of Julie Young and Daniel Kinka recently did a study to compare livestock guardian dog (LGD) breeds, they found that all the LGD breeds were more similar, than different in how they respond to threats. This is a logical conclusion, bearing in mind that all livestock guardian dogs have the same job, and that is to protect the livestock from predators. This job description remains the same throughout all the different countries and all the different breeds. With well over 30 different livestock guardian dog breeds who are all bred to protect livestock from large predators, the expectation would be, that these breeds should exhibit similar traits despite differences in looks and type.

 Livestock guardian dogs do not only share similar working traits (high nurturing qualities that allows them to bond to the livestock, high protectiveness, vigilant, independent, discerning, loyal, canine aggressive) but also many phenotypical traits which are directly related to their effectiveness to do their job. LGD are large dogs, most are double coated (a few exceptions), many have thick loose skin, all have hanging ears, most have “normal” proportions and angulation, strong, large teeth in a correct configuration even head proportions are similar. Coat types (corded, rough and shorter coated) and colours do vary among the breeds.  

These traits are what you can generally expect when looking for a livestock guardian dog breed. When bred for this job, these traits become hardwired into the DNA of the dogs. You can count on a certain amount of predictability of these traits. Predictability is what differentiates a mutt from a purebred (not, a registered dog) dog. Careful breeding and selection (culling) is what the shepherds did to have a breed suitable and capable of doing its job. Predictability in traits reduces the risk, and the time required for a dog to learn to do a specific job.  An example would be that a greyhound, they have been bred and selected for speed, when you breed a greyhound to another greyhound, you know how it will look and it will have speed. That is predictability in traits. It is similar for all the various groups of dogs, herding dogs’ herd, hounds have good noses and scenting abilities. If you need a herding dog, your success will greatly improve if you select a herding breed to start with. 

Therefore, the advice is given to new people looking for an LGD pup to stay within the LGD breeds or crosses only between LGD breeds. Once you add in breeds such as border collie or Labrador, the genetic waters get muddied, certain traits can conflict with others resulting in unpredictable behaviour. Imagine buying a Border Collie x Great Pyrenees, you hope to have a livestock guardian dog, but instead you get a very large, stubborn, white herding dog that could not care at all about the coyotes but wants to spend its entire life herding the livestock around. 

Alternatively, you could win the lottery and maybe that cross will be what you want, but we all know that the chance of winning the lottery is slim! Having a cross like this is like playing Russian Roulette with your livestock, you could be lucky, but most of the time you are not.

So, this brings me to the most common question asked regarding LGD: “What breed of LGD should I get?” (This question is often followed with parameters such as no roaming, little barking, preferably really friendly with other dogs, good with strangers).

Personally,  I do not think that the breed itself is what will determine the most success on your operation, I think it has more to do with the breeder and their ability to help and guide you.

A good breeder will be able to tell you about their operation and help you decide if what they breed and select for, will be suited for your operation. They will guide you in your decision making and be willing to answer your questions. The right breeder will be able to tell you about the working ability of their dogs, will share the challenges of raising their dogs and can outline what you can expect from a dog bred by them. They will have information on possible genetic health issues and the health status of their dogs and can explain what they value in their breeding dogs. The breeder should be willing to offer mentor-ship and support to you, to ensure the pup they bred will be successful on your operation. The breeder should be your first go to for questions regarding raising and training your LGD. The breeder will inform you about vaccinations and de-worming your pup will have, as well as advise you what future veterinary care may be needed.  The breeder should be able to give you important information regarding the temperament of the parents and perhaps other siblings and family members, which could make your decision easier.

It really amazes me when people contact me to ask some basic questions regarding their pup, questions I feel, should be answered by their breeder. In many cases these people do not even know the name of their breeder. When you are willing to pay good money for dog that is supposed to protect your livelihood, you should invest that money into a breeder who will provide you with support. 

I regard using LGDs as an investment in your ranch and security for your livestock, it is in your own best interests to get the best you can.

Even though each breed is unique, their basic traits are similar, finding the right breed for your operation should certainly include finding the right breeder too. Personal preferences and some parameters will narrow down the options. 

Some ranchers do not like dealing with long coated breeds, so breed selection might be narrowed down to the shorter coated breeds such as the Kangal, Akbash, Anatolian or Central Asian Ovcharka. Some, people prefer the white dogs, this will also narrow down your breed choice.  People who are dealing with larger predators might want breeds who are perhaps a little higher on the protectiveness/aggressive side, so breeds such as the Sarplaninac, Kangals or Ovcharkas might be what you need. If you run a large range operation, then dogs who are more athletic in their conformation might be a good criterion to select for. 

All LGD bark, all LGD like to expand their territory so those might not be reliable parameters to select an LGD on.

For many people, availability is an issue, you might decide the perfect breed for you is Koochi, but finding a reliable breeder, who has working dogs that fit your operation might be a bigger challenge than anticipated. Importing brings its own risks; breeder support becomes more complicated, costs generally skyrocket, and then of course you have scammers, peddlers and false advertising to navigate in a foreign language. Plenty of breeders in foreign countries who advertise “working” LGD, but working can be relative, for some it may be dog fighting, or shows, or the fact that the breed itself is classified as a LGD breed, but over the past 5 generations none of the breeding dogs have actually seen a sheep.

My advice would be for finding the right LGD for your operation is to review some of these questions:

What do I need? An LGD in with stock to protect from predators or a general farm dog?

How big is the threat of predators and what predators am I dealing with?

What breeds am I attracted to and why?  (read about the breeds, do some research, ask people their opinions, speak to breed clubs, speak to producers who have these breeds)

Are their neighbors who have similar operations to mine and how are their dogs? Go for a visit and talk dogs and livestock.

Speak to breeders and ask questions that are important to your operation and what you want in a dog.

Is health testing important to you, then ask about that.

Ask about temperament, problems, good things, predator losses, how they would describe their dogs working abilities?

Pay attention to “red flags”; if a breeder cannot spell the breed name correctly, beware. No livestock, but a good story, probably not what you want. More dogs than livestock? Accidental litter, are you sure the daddy is who they say it is? When the breed standard says a breed can only be a certain colour and you see a litter with odd colours or markings, or a questionable size, or erect ears then take a deep breath and think hard if this is what you think it is. It is amazing how many “throwback” or rare pups are out there,  when breeders start spinning the throwback story to a long lost line and colours that normally are not found in a certain breed, then it is time to pause.

My advise would be look for the breeder who operates a livestock operation similar to yours, see the dogs working, ask about mentorship and chose the breeder who has your best interests at heart. I think the breeder is perhaps more important than the breed, in being successful in raising your LGD.

A good breeder will be able to give you information on the parents of a pup and also assist a new LGD owner with raising and training the pup.

Thoughts and Concerns

I have been wanting to write this post for a long time, but it is always hard to gather my thoughts on this topic. Generally, I do not write much about people, I like to keep my stuff focused on the dogs and their behavior. However, lately some things have started to concern me, and I felt more and more the need to write some of this down. In part, as a cautionary tale, in part to share some of my concerns with you and of course to reflect on all things Sarplaninac.

As a breeder and a long time lover of the Sarplaninac breed, I have seen a trend over time that rather concerns me. When we moved to Alberta from Europe 11 years ago, we brought our Sarplaninac dogs with us. We raised sheep in Europe and used our dogs for livestock guardian dog work. It was back then, in 1992 very hard to find registered, working Sarplaninac dogs. Even then, despite breeders claims that they would work out because it is “in their blood”, in their line and simply because the breed standard says they are an LGD breed.  It was very hit and miss, we had some great dogs and others who were totally unreliable.

It became very apparent to me that not all Sarplaninac are created equally regarding LGD work. Looking at the history of the breed one can see how the breed evolved from a mountain working dog, tending to the flocks to the modern urban dog.  It did not have the fancy name “Sarplaninac” back then and was simply called a "sheepdog". The breed underwent multiple name changes and splits after recognition in the FCI.   The breed, and breeding, diverged and this split divided the breed (informally) into different jobs; the livestock guardian dog, the military dog and the urban/show/pet dog.

The Serbian army and their Sarplaninac dogs became quite famous. Breeding was controlled in the military kennels. The selection criteria were stringent, the military wanted one and the same type of dog, specific weight, size and colour. All peas in a pod.  Rumor has it, that to create a more biddable dog some other breeds were added into the original mountain dogs, including German Shepherd and Caucasian Ovcharka. Looking through these military pedigrees it is clear to see that line breeding and inbreeding was rife. It is also apparent that accuracy in registration was not always a high priority. Sometimes a male with a certain number would later appear as a female (with the same number) in another pedigree. Breeding litter mates was common, and the genetic diversity was low (high COI). The selection for the ideal military dog was based primarily on its suitability to do its job as a patrol dog, protection of structures and installations and a willingness to be human aggressive. A far cry of what was needed as an LGD. Personally, I have no issues with this type of dog been bred, IMO it is a different dog/breed to the mountain working sheepdog, however they do share a common name, and that is part of the problem in finding the dogs that can do their original LGD job. 

After the FCI recognised the breed and it went through multiple name changes, dog showing was the next best thing. Here selection was focussed solely on phenotypical properties. The dog had to match the breed standard in order to win ribbons. The standard is of course open to interpretation and an ideal vision is not always shared. It is like fashion; it is ever changing. Where, many years ago the steel gray dogs were regarded as the ideal, any other colour (despite the breed standard being quite diverse regarding colour) was dismissed.   In some of the breed standards “bigger is better”, in others very specific size parameters are laid out. Sadly, what we are seeing is a shift from the moderate working dog to oversized, “soggy” type of dogs. When people are proud that their dogs are larger than a Caucasian Ovcharka or heavier than 160lbs, then that is a reason to be concerned for the well being of the breed.

Breed Standards are subject to change, misinterpretation and, sometimes silly ideals. Some points slip into these standards that have no bearing on functionality and can be detrimental to a working breed.  That Sarplaninac should be double coated is a given, but to then state; “At the withers the hair should measure between 10 and12 cm; it should not be shorter than 7 cm” gives show breeders a singular focal point. Instead of the coat being efficient, waterproof, matt proof, protective, breeders selected for length only, it became too long, soft and flowy. Totally impractical and certainly not ideal for a working dog.  Similarly, the small white marking on the chest and toes, becomes a focal point for many breeders. They are proud that their dog has no white on its toes, but these same breeders do not mind if that same dog is cow hocked or has an unstable temperament! Instead of looking for a functional build that would suit the original LGD job, extremes become the focus, particularly in the show world.

More recently, we see more variation in colour in the show ring, which is good to keep the diversity within the breed. The latest trend now seems to be the focus on the “almond shaped eyes” and the lack of stop (supposedly wolf like) in show dogs. To the point, where some dogs look like they have malformed heads.

In the show ring the men parade around, and hopefully their dog will try to attack the other dog in the ring, thus showing “character”. These aggressive stand offs, the agitating of the dogs and sometimes even the dog fighting is proudly displayed on Facebook pages!  Once again, the selection is based on non-working sheepdog traits. 

I understand why the shepherds do not even want to call their dogs “Sarplaninac”, it is an insult to their working dogs. In their opinion, Sarplaninac are the ribbon chasing dogs and not the original working dogs. The shepherds want no part of FCI registration as they know it will ruin their dogs.  

Breeding and importing

When I brought our original dogs with us to Canada, most people here had not even heard about the breed.  Those they did, took the time to learn about them and to understand their nature. Sadly, the same as what has happened to the good working great Pyrenees, is now happening to the Sarplaninac breed. Weekly, one can find crosses of “sarplanic” dogs (these breeders do not even know how to spell the breed they are selling puppies of) with German Shepherd, maremma, Great Pyrenees, Anatolian and a variety of other breeds. Of course, the owners of these dogs want to cash in on the rare breed, so the “sarplanic” are advertised and often the other part of the cross is rarely mentioned. Some are sold as purebred, despite them being crossed.  More and more they start popping up in shelters and with greater regularity I am called to ask if I can help rehome one. One breeder pumps out litter after litter and any pups not sold are headed to the shelter. Many are sold into inappropriate homes, in towns and apartments.  The breed is getting watered down with poor breeding, no selection and unscrupulous breeders wanting a cash cow. Sadly, buyers are fooled into believing they have something special, and many even think they are getting a purebred. They pay upwards of $800 for these crosses. Many of these breeders advertise them as LGD, but they themselves do not own livestock. It makes my toes curl. The same breeders will also happily refer their buyers to me to help them out when these dogs have issues.

It disheartens me to hear how many people want to buy a pup from a good breeder just to want to cross breed it again. I know I will simply not sell a pup into such a situation. I love the breed, it is perfect as it is, is does not need to be crossbred. It is bad for the breed and will ultimately be the demise of the breed.  I will decline to sell to people who intend to cross breed, I do this out of respect for my own breeding program, the careful selection I do and for the breed itself.

This of course leaves some people angry. So angry, that I am unwilling to sell them a pup that they then set out to try and ruin me. I have had people threaten to ruin my reputation, put me out of business( the dogs is not my business) and one person even went so far as to send me a handwritten letter threatening me and our ranch.  I am not sure why people feel the need to threaten me, it just highlights to me even more that it is a good thing I never sold them a pup. If they have this kind of mentality, then I am happy to have made the decision to not sell to them.

For some people, the next step they undertake is to then import. It is easy to find willing breeders who tout championship lineage and who will tell you exactly what you want to hear. These Balkan breeders can be easily found on the internet and post on all the Sarplaninac and livestock guardian dog pages. They have discovered that they can easily sell to “rich Americans”. They are adept at smooth talking and they will happily sell you an LGD pup, despite their lines not been selected for LGD work.

They will often show photos of their dog with a sheep just to pretend to you that they are working. The go on about their amazing Championship dogs, best in Macedonia, top quality and will make an easy sell this way. They will arrange shipping and you think you have hit the jackpot in breeders and dogs.

Sadly, these breeders are often nothing more than glorified puppy mills. The bitches are bred back to back, whelp on concrete and absolutely no care is given where these pups end up as long as a sale is made.  I have known multiple people who have imported dogs from these breeders who have ended up with dead and maimed stock, dogs who have unreliable temperaments and some with some glaring faults. These breeders are unable to provide any support for when things go wrong with the livestock as they live in the middle of a city and do not have any livestock. Quite frankly they do not even care, they have your money and now it is your problem.

The often lie about things such as health testing and do not guarantee anything, so when you your pup has a problem, there is no recourse. In some instances, these breeders will use the buyer to promote their dog dealing business. If you post a nice picture of your dog and someone comments, these breeders then go and stalk that person and try to sell them a dog. I have even had one, post his pups on a post of my pups. This is plain rude. 

Good breeders support and help other good breeders provided they share a similar vision on the dogs. I will happily refer people looking for a pup to a good breeder. If their buyers need help, I will try to assist them. These Balkan breeders do not do this, they will try and sell their pups through you.  They manipulate and use you for their advantage.

Sadly, many of the dogs imported come from the same few breeders so, when these new buyers are all excited about introducing new genetics into Northern America, often, there are plenty of dogs with these lines already. 

When people ask me my opinion on a certain breeder, and I gently recommend looking elsewhere for a pup, then I am labelled as being jealous, or angry that I did not make a sale. I am not sure why they ask my opinion because ultimately, they will still buy a pup from that breeder. I am however always very sad when I see someone importing a pup from such a breeder and then a few years later you hear of the dogs mauling the livestock or the person been taken advantage of. 

I am not the Sarplaninac police and people can do what ever they want. Ultimately, it is a transaction between that buyer and that breeder. However, it is very much a buyer beware situation.

 Another thing that totally rubs me the wrong way is the secretive, underhand dealings. A lady on the East side (New England Region) of the USA, advertises her purebred Sarplaninac pups (they are crosses, depending on which advertisement you see), she “steals” photos of other people to make her own adverts. She uses a false name and false Facebook page. All very shady. 

Then, you have the puppy dealers, the ones who wholesale import 3 or 4 pups from a litter, get a little “cut” on the side for their business. It is plain and simple dog dealing. This of course leaves the future buyer in no-mans land. When they have problems or issues, who is responsible, the dealer, the seller?

Another category of dog breeders are the covert mis-truth tellers and "embellishers", the ones that make up stories, create a almost “new name” for the breed, the stories are so believable that the mis-truths are hidden in plain sight.

And, then some days I am just gobsmacked at the Facebook responses I sometimes get:

Luckily for me, I can handle it, I am not concerned whether they think I know how to raise a LGD or not. But, what does concern me is when this person has had to re-home a Anatolian because they could not handle it and, that they intend to cross breed their Great Pyrenees and Anatolian females to a sarplaninac male,

I run a Canadian Sarplaninac page, to be able to join some questions need to be answered first. This page is specific for purebred and registered Sarplaninac dogs, so one of the questions is who is the breeder of your dog? The number of people who either do not reply or cannot remember is astounding. How can you not know the breeders name? Surely, the breeder gave you the registration certificate, a vet document, you paid them so there must be a name somewhere.  Once again, if you are paying good money for a pup ($800 for a cross to $1500) then surely it is in the buyers’ best interest to know the name of the breeder? How can you ask for advise, or get more information about that line, or if your dog has health issues how will you contact them? Why the secretiveness? Surely, you should be proud to know your breeder and have a pup from that line. 

It is all very disheartening and I often wonder where this will go?

 One thing I know for sure, is that I will do what I feel is right. I will look for working dogs, select my breeding dogs on multiple criteria, I will screen the owners as best I can and will provide support to those people. Most importantly, I will do my best to help protect this breed that is so dear to my heart.  I cannot control what others do, and I do not want to either, I can only control what I do. I am not the perfect breeder, I have had an accidental breeding, my dogs are not perfect either and I know some owners have had issues with their dogs, I do however offer as much help, support, guidance and mentor-ship for these people. 

What I do know, is that I will always support and focus on the LGD working sarplaninac. That is “my” thing. If ribbon chasing is yours, then great. If you love the military type dog, also great.  However, please do not delude the LGD folks whose livelihood, and their livestock’s lives depend on good working dogs that your show champion or military bred sarplaninac is an LGD.  I know my dogs might not conform to the ideal breed standard when it comes to non-working qualities; a bit more white, a brindle colour, hair that is shorter than 8 cm etc. What I do care about is; coat quality, correct conformation, correct weight, agility, strength in bone and muscle structure, movement and the properties that allow the dog to do the job it was bred to do. Working temperament is important, the Sarplaninac should not be described as a sweet, soft, gentle, docile dog. His job is to ward off bears and wolves, he should be strong, bold, stubborn, determined, fearless, loyal and to be good in his job he is alert, active and a go getter! They should be aloof to strangers and loyal to their owner. They need to have a strong ability to discern threat from something benign.  I care for dogs who can do their job, that their working abilities are not watered down with cross breeding. That have been selected for this one job. 

I sincerely hope that the Sarplaninac will not go the way many other breeds have, but I think it might have started down that slippery slope, and that breaks my heart.

When things are not as they appear.

Wolf collar, protects the dog, but looks unwieldy and the perception for some people is that it is a cruel device.

When things are not as they appear.

©Louise Liebenberg (2019)

Written for The Shepherds Magazine

I some times feel that we are conforming to this image that dogs are helpless fur babies, that only live a good life when they are obese, live inside a house and sleep in bed with the owner. Anything less, is regarded as abusive, neglectful or even cruel. Where is the respect and admiration for healthy working dogs, who are fit, strong and capable?

This “fur-baby” rhetoric is propagated by “rescue organizations” who refuse to place working dogs on ranch’s, or place pet dogs if there is not at least one “stay at home pet parent”, or the vigilante do-gooders who go around smashing car windows in order to feel good about rescuing an animal. Animal activist organizations play on people’s emotions to suck out as much money as they can to use to pay for advertisements to make even more money. Some, of these organizations go as far as to lobby for new legislation, persuade lawmakers and fund lawsuits all with the goal to stop animal ownership. Owners, who need working animals, are not organised into large (financial) lobbying groups and tend to lightheartedly dismiss the activist’s rhetoric as nonsense. When campaigns such as “bring them inside during the winter” morph into laws, and owners of working dogs are suddenly hit with the reality of this, it is often too late.

Animal abuse includes both deliberate harm done to an animal (overt or intentional acts of violence) as well as, failure to provide adequate care for the animal (neglect).  The term “animal abuse” gets used in a variety of situations and the definition is very subjective; an activist’s definition for animal abuse will vary from that of a hunter, a rancher or even that of a pet owner. 

The accusation of abuse is easily tossed around by anyone, and often is used to help turn others against an industry (Peta and their anti-wool campaign, carriage horses in New York, greyhound racing in Florida). The word abuse and the reporting of abuse can be used in cases of personal vendetta’s, angry neighbors, do-gooders, rescuers and some activist groups as a form of retaliation. In many cases laws are changed to ensure that welfare standards are upheld, and new laws are often legislated without consideration for working dogs, the “bring them inside in winter” campaigns have resulted in certain States making it illegal to have dogs outside in certain winter temperatures. These laws are often blanket laws, covering all dogs from the fat, couch potato pug to our working livestock guardian dogs (LGD) living with their livestock. It is a very fine line to negotiate and many people fear the vigilante actions of animal activist groups, the neighbor with a grudge and the 

do-gooder crusader. No one wants to be labelled an animal abuser, which often results in owners who are fearful of allowing their working dogs to work or even correcting an unruly pup. We often build elaborate shelters for the benefit of the neighbors, as we all know that most LGD will not use these structures preferring to sleep with the livestock, under a big shady tree or even nestled into a large round straw bale. We do this, so that others feel appeased, and that we are not labelled an abuser.

People driving by on a wintery day may see our LGD sitting out in the pasture watching over his sheep. The passer-by see’s a dog sitting alone out in the cold and immediately feels that this dog is neglected. We see a dog choosing to be in that spot at that given moment, watching over his sheep, doing his job, revelling in the wintery weather which he is well equipped to deal with. We see a dog fulfilling his purpose in life. The passer-by does not see a shelter, or that the dog has a choice where it wants to sit, sleep or go. The passerby calls animal control and the problems start.

Not everything that is perceived as abuse is abuse, and often, all that is needed is education to understand the situation or the reason why things are done a certain way. Regarding the anti wool campaign (Peta), the onus is on sheep keepers to educate the public that shearing is beneficial for the sheep, that it is done in a humane manner and certainly does not constitute abuse. We need to campaign as hard as Peta does, to educate the public, show videos of our newly shorn sheep and even explain that sometimes nicks and cuts do happen. We need to be active in disputing what is being told to the pubic by organizations that want to discredit our industry with misleading information. The same applies to our LGD. We need to educate people, explain what LGD do, the importance of their job and we must counter bad information. In all aspects of farming there will always be the “bad apples” who do abuse and neglect animals, and we need to distance ourselves from those folks. We need to be active in countering misinformation, share the truth and good stories on social media and campaign for the preservation and the right to work and own working dogs.

Some people seeing a large LGD wearing a spiked collar,  will immediately think that something cruel is happening to that dog, as many wolf collars are scary weapons. There was recently a case in Canada, where folks had placed a spiked collar on their LGD after it had been previously injured by a wolf. The people felt they were doing the right thing for their dog by giving it some added protection in the form of a spiked collar. They were reported to the SPCA, and had charges laid against them for animal cruelty. Fortunately, the case was dropped after the people’s veterinarian intervened and wrote the SPCA how the collar was not cruel, and it was a tool to help keep the dog safe.  If people do not understand the role of a wolf collar, they will immediately think the worst. People need to understand that wolf collars are designed to help protect the dog and are often life savers for the dog. We need to inform, educate and explain.

For many people tethering a dog is synonymous with a neglected dog living its life at the end of a heavy chain in some back yard. Images of fighting pit bulls come to mind, tethered out on heavy duty chains, a far cry to temporarily tethering of an LGD.

What many do not realise that tethering is not only a temporary constraint, but is also a training tool. Most LGD cannot work while being tethered so it is in the best interests of the owner to not have the dog tethered for a long time. Times that tethering may be used are when a new adult dog is brought to a new flock, tethering will ensure that the dog does not escape and run off, he may need to be introduced to new family members and other livestock and having the dog temporarily tethered can help with this transition. If a female comes into heat, she may be tethered in the barn or in another pasture to ensure she does not get bred, a dog who is injured may require to be tethered or kennelled while recuperating. Tethering keeps the dog and the livestock safe in times of need. If a fence is down due to a tree or other reason, an LGD might be tethered to ensure it does not get on the road and be killed by a vehicle. Not all tethering is bad.

Yokes are another lightweight training tool. The yoke in no way injures the dog, it may look uncomfortable, but it is not inconvenient nor harmful for the dog. He can run, play, move, sleep, scratch his ears, and eat.  The only thing he cannot do is squeeze his head through a hole under the fence. This training tool is temporary and designed to help teach the dog to stay within its fences in order to prevent roaming and possible death due to collisions.  Made from pvc pipes, it is light weight and flexible and can rotate so that he can lay with his head flat on the ground. It can be a life saver for the dog. The dog that cannot be contained in the fence is a liability for the owner. If a yoke can be used to help teach an LGD not to dig under the fences, and in doing so saves its life, then that little inconvenience of having to watch a dog with a pvc pipe triangle on his neck for a few weeks may be worth it.

The choice for this LGD is to sleep away from the livestock in a hard-bottomed shelter filled with straw or bury herself in a haybale close to her animals. Abuse or not?

In many areas it is mandatory to provide a shelter for the dog, and I do agree that on some very small acreages that it is a must. If the dog is only living in a confined yard, or small area, then he does not have the ability to choose the spot where he wants to sleep. Our dogs work on hundreds of acres, and they have bush, trees, natural shelters, they have ponds and open land, they have lookout areas, they have multiple places they can chose as a shelter.  In some cases, our dogs dig their own dens to sleep in. They have options and choices and are more than capable to choose where they want to sleep.  Invariably, the shelter we provide is not their preferred spot to sleep. Our dogs prefer sleeping in a thick pile of straw by a large round bale close to their stock.  Is it abusive to allow them to chose to sleep where they want? 

I think there is a role within the sheep industry to not only protect and regulate the sheep industry, but I feel they have a secondary responsibility to help ensure that our LGD remain working dogs and that they are not legislated out of a job through laws that make the use of them impossible. In Alberta, our sheep organizations have created animal welfare rules and regulations pertaining to all aspects of the sheep industry, including welfare rules for tagging, tail docking, transportation and care. What is missing, is a chapter on welfare and care of LGD and herding dogs. Having the backing of a Statewide sheep organization, with clearly laid out protocols on the work and welfare of our LGD, will provide a good educational tool for lawmakers and welfare organizations, as to what is good practices when it comes to using LGD to protect our livestock.