Perimeter Livestock Guardian Dogs Versus Pair Bonding Breeds

How effective are your Livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) at keeping your animals safe. For many ranchers, farmers and homesteaders, LGDs are one of the most effective means of keeping your vulnerable animals alive. Most LGDs can be split into two basic types— perimeter LGDs, dogs that patrol a geographical perimeter and animal bonded LGDs, dogs that bone with the animals they protect. As many Livestock Guardian Dog owners can attest, there can be a fine line between dogs patrolling an area and dogs that roam. Understanding the distinction between how these dogs go about their business of protecting your animals can be a great help in coming to a better understanding on which dogs might be better suited to your specific context. The aim of this article is to help LGD owners better understand how these different dogs get the job of guarding done, and how choosing the right breed for your context can greatly reduce predation loss. For those of you looking for livestock guardian dog puppies for sale, hop on over to our available puppies page to see what we have available at this time.

Perimeter Oriented Livestock Guardian Dogs

Perimeter fence LGDs patrol the borders of the livestock’s grazing area; in so doing, these dogs establish a clear boundary against potential predators (Gehring et al., 2010). These kinds of LGDs typically cover large distances. They mark their territory as they patrol. This marking alerts predators to their presence. This method can be effective in areas with high predation activity when their are multiple dogs protecting larger than average acreages.

Perimeter oriented LGDs create a buffer zone between livestock and predators. Their presence alone will often deter predators, as they continuously patrol boundaries, vocalizing warnings, and by their active visible presence reduce the likelihood of predator intrusion (Green & Woodruff, 1990). And, according to Smith, because these dogs are not constantly in close proximity to the livestock, they are less likely to stress the animals, which is particularly important for animals inclined towards easily being stressed or startled (Smith et al., 2000). Smith’s argumentation ought to be read closely. How many homesteaders and ranchers have animals that fit into this category? Very, very, few sheep, goats or chickens fit this description. Virtually all these animals will bond and be relaxed around the LGDs that guard them. In fact, most animals will be very much at ease with their protectors. As we will see, for most contexts, perimeter LGDs will often not be the best choice.

One of the challenges associated with perimeter fence LGDs is how far they can travel. Because they are often patrolling the border perimeter, there can often be a delay in response when (not if) a predator manages to get close to the animals (Van Bommel & Johnson, 2012). This doesn’t even get into the challenges of dogs that think your neighbor’s property is also part of “their” land to protect; this is why your dogs are roaming, it can be more than boredom (Gehring et al., 2010).

Animal Bonded Livestock Guardian Dogs

Breeds that bond with the livestock they protect— breeds like the Maremma Sheepdog— protect the animals under their care if a very different way than perimeter oriented LGDs. Animal bonded LGDs integrate into/with the flock or herd. As they bond, they form deep bonds with the animals they are protecting (Coppinger & Coppinger, 2001). These LGDs are highly attentive. They are highly protective. In contrast to dogs more geared towards patrolling perimeters. The close proximity of these dogs to the livestock they protect allows them to rapidly respond to predation threats. For smaller acreages, anything less than several hundred acres, animal bonded breeds will typically reduce predation loss by a large measure. Predators simply cannot get close enough to the animals to kill them. Many sheep and goat ranchers with hundreds of animals have historically just accepted significant predation loss as just part of doing business. Here at Livestock Guardian Dogs, many of our peers were losing ten to twenty young animals every year. This would have been out of flocks/herds of 300 to 600 animals. But, this was while their animals were being protected by perimeter oriented livestock. Upon switching to Maremma Sheepdog, moving away from perimeter oriented LGDs, their loss was often significantly reduced. Why. On these smaller acreages, several hundred acres or less in size, the close proximity of the guard dogs to the animals they were protecting prevented coyote and mountain lion from getting close enough to kill the animals.

One of the main advantages of this “animal bonded” guarding style is the quick response this closeness permits. When predators approach, these dogs are already in position to get between these would be predators (Landry et al., 2020). And, according to Gehring, many sheep and goats will actually be calmer and less stressed knowing their protectors are close by (Gehring et al., 2010).

For ranchers and homesteaders where dogs are not protecting thousands of acres, most people will likely find animal bonded LGDs far more effective. This is one of the big reasons why our family here at Livestock Guardian Dogs switched to ONLY using Maremma Sheepdogs. Even though these dogs physically look like Great Pyrenees, how they get the job done can be very different. This is. not to say Pyrenees can’t be great LGDs. They can. With my family having raised and produced some of the top winning Pyrenees in North America. Not just a few, but many top ranked dogs, it was a big deal for us to make the switch to the Maremma Sheepdogs. But, the benefits of this great breed and their unparalleled ability to stick with the animals they protect just made it a no brainer. Further, our dogs all come from true working lines. And this is true for every litter of Maremma Sheepdog puppies for sale you see here on our website. Our dogs have been carefully selected from generations of proven “animal bonded” lines.

Behavioral Differences and Training Requirements

The training requirements for perimeter fence guardians and breeds that stay with livestock differ significantly. Perimeter fence LGDs must be trained to patrol and monitor a defined territory, which requires consistent reinforcement to ensure they remain within the boundaries (Van Bommel & Johnson, 2012). Early training helps establish these boundaries and prevents the dog from roaming excessively.

On the other hand, LGDs that stay with livestock require training that emphasizes bonding with the animals they protect. This process involves early socialization with the livestock, enabling the dog to recognize and accept the flock or herd as part of its “pack” (Coppinger & Coppinger, 2001). Training is typically more intensive in the early stages but becomes easier as the dog matures and settles into its role.

Choosing the Right LGD for Your Operation

When selecting an LGD, it’s essential to consider your specific context. One the one hand, larger farms with expansive grazing areas may be benefit from perimeter fence guardians (think Anatolian Shepherd, Akbash, or Great Pyrenees).  For smaller farms or those with livestock that require constant protection, breeds that stay with animals (Maremma Sheepdog). These “animal bonded” guard dogs can be helpful in many contexts with high predation loss (Coppinger & Coppinger, 2001). Knowing your unique context will be the first step in choosing which breed makes the most sense for you. Assess your situation. Talk with neighbors. What dogs are working well for them. Choose a LGD breed based on what makes the most sense for your specific context.

Conclusion

Both perimeter fence LGDs and breeds that bone with the livestock they protect have unique advantages and challenges. Perimeter fence guardians are ideal for larger operations with a larger number of LGDs in use. These dogs offer a proactive approach to protection by patrolling boundaries. In contrast, breeds that stick close to the livestock provide rapid response, close-quarters protection. These dogs make a lot of sense in operations of hundreds as opposed to thousands of acres. These animal bonding LGDS also make sense in contexts where predation loss is just too high. By understanding the differences between how these two kinds of LGDs go about their job of protecting, livestock owners can make better decisions as to the best fit for their animals. For our family here at Livestock Guardian Dogs, we have found the Maremma Sheepdog by far and away the best fit for our context. With a quarter section of land, our half mile square and our sheep mean we need guard dogs that stick to our sheep like glue. With both mountain lion (not common, but they are here…) and a ton of coyote. We can’t have dogs high tailing it  from half mile away. They might kill the coyote. But often, only after a lamb or even adult has been killed. We are plagued with coyote. As a result, our Maremma that stay close to our sheep make a lot more sense. For our family, perimeter oriented dogs just result in losing too many sheep. If you have been having problems with your dogs roaming, like us, it might make sense to switch to another breed. And, to get something from true working lines. We’d love to hear from you. Every litter of livestock guardian dogs for sale we offer are from true working lines. If this is where you find yourself, and if you would be interested in learning more about our  Maremma Sheepdog puppies for sale, give us a call.

Bibliography

• Coppinger, R., & Coppinger, L. (2001). Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior & Evolution. Scribner.
• Gehring, T. M., VerCauteren, K. C., & Landry, J.-M. (2010). Livestock Protection Dogs in the 21st Century: Is an Ancient Tool Relevant to Modern Conservation Challenges? Bioscience, 60(4), 299–308.
• Green, J. S., & Woodruff, R. A. (1990). Livestock Guarding Dogs: Protecting Sheep from Predators. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report RM-213.
• Green, J. S., Woodruff, R. A., & Andelt, W. F. (1984). Livestock-guarding dogs for predator control: costs, benefits, and practicality. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 12(1), 44-50.
• Landry, J.-M., Gehring, T. M., & Rigg, R. (2020). Livestock Guarding Dogs: Current Status, Biological Considerations, and Implications for Conservation and Animal Welfare. Conservation Biology, 34(2), 291-300.
• Smith, M. E., Linnell, J. D., Odden, J., & Swenson, J. E. (2000). Review of Methods to Reduce Livestock Depredation: II. Aversive Conditioning, Diversionary Feeding, and Guarding Dogs. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A – Animal Science, 50(4), 304-315.
• Van Bommel, L., & Johnson, C. N. (2012). Good Dog! Using livestock guardian dogs to protect livestock from predators in Australia’s extensive grazing systems. Wildlife Research, 39(3), 220-229.