Support communities and nature comeback
Together, we can enable communities to live alongside – and benefit from – the wildlife on their doorstep.
Livestock Guardian Dogs
Pilot project
We are trialling the breeding, distribution and monitoring of livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) as a proactive solution to reduce potential conflicts between wildlife and livestock farming communities.
GIVE NOW to support wildlife comeback and farming communities
Your donation will go directly towards the care of the maremma livestock guardian dogs that are being used to protect livestock from potential disturbance or predation. These working dogs are also ambassadors for their breed, by helping to raise awareness about the benefits of using LGDs and the practicalities of owning them.
By giving a gift today, you are helping to support Scottish farmers and crofters live alongside recovering wildlife populations.
You might be wondering…
Is keeping a working LGD legal in the UK?
Yes, it is legal to own a working LGD in the UK.
Who will be responsible for the LGDs involved in the WCS project?
WCS is a breeder of Maremma sheepdogs and is responsible for the welfare of all breeding adult dogs in our care, as well as any puppies they produce. Once a weaned puppy is placed on a farm or croft as part of the trial, the LGD will be signed over to the participating farmer or crofter, who will become their new owner. The new owner is then legally responsible for the LGD.
HLG will continue to support the new owners as they care for their LGD throughout the course of the trial. Additionally, should an individual no longer want to participate in the trial, or is unable to care for their LGD for any reason, WCS will provide assistance in finding a suitable new home for the LGD.
Will the LGDs be well cared for, even though they live outside?
Maremma sheepdogs are working dogs with a thick coat and sturdy build. They have been selectively bred to live outdoors with their livestock. Puppies are born in heated outdoor shelters at WCS and raised with their mother outside until they are weaned.
Once the LGDs are placed with participating crofts and farms, their new owners will oversee their care on a daily basis. All LGDs involved in the trial will continue to have access to a warm shelter throughout the year. WCS will provide support and monitor welfare, whilst ensuring the dogs are given a healthy, balanced diet. All puppies are vaccinated, wormed and health-checked prior to being placed with their livestock. WCS will advise regular interaction between the owners and their dogs as part of ensuring the LGDs continue to be well-socialised.
How will the dogs interact with wildlife that is not considered to be a potential threat to livestock?
It is not yet known how the dogs will interact with other wildlife in the UK, and this will be one of the focuses of the trial.
LGDs will instinctively bark at potential threats that come too close to their livestock, which may initially include species that are not conventionally regarded as “threatening”. However, LGDs are not considered to have a prey drive, as this has been selectively bred out to ensure the safety of the livestock they are intended to guard. The LGDs will also only be trialled in enclosed areas on a working farm or croft, and are unable to worry or disturb species that do not enter their paddock.
The LGDs at WCS have already shown indifference to species, such as small birds, that they have come to learn pose no threat to their sheep. WCS will continue to monitor interactions between the LGDs and wildlife throughout the trial.
Will LGDs be successful at guarding free-ranging sheep, such as the hill sheep in Scotland?
Originally, LGDs were bred to work alongside shepherds. In mainland Europe, LGDs would act as another set of eyes to watch over the herd as the shepherd moves them around to graze in complex landscapes. The presence of an LGD acts as a deterrent and also provides more protection should a predator appear.
As we no longer have large predators in the UK, sheep may be given free-range access to vast areas unattended. In these cases, the sheep generally don’t herd closely together and a single flock may be spread over huge distances. Unfortunately, an LGD would find it very difficult to monitor each individual in their herd at any given time. It is not known how effective an LGD would be as a method of livestock protection in that situation.
However, in the UK, it is not currently possible to allow a LGD to roam “free” with sheep to explore this further. Therefore, we will only be trialling the dogs with livestock in enclosed areas.
Will the livestock accept the LGDs?
LGDs have been reared with livestock for centuries. Maremma sheepdogs begin their lives with a flock as eight-week-old puppies, when the sheep are much bigger and able to assert themselves if necessary. The sheep quickly become accustomed to having the puppy with them. Once fully grown, the young LGD will have been living with the sheep for more than a year and is as much a part of the flock as the sheep themselves. Maremmas, and other LGD breeds, have been successfully integrated with other livestock species, such as turkeys, chickens and goats.
Will the LGDs chase the livestock they’re placed with?
Maremma sheepdogs have been selectively bred to protect livestock, not to herd or chase them. They are reared with the animals they are intended to protect and instinctively guard those animals from potential threats or disturbance.
Although some puppies and young dogs may exhibit playful behaviour towards their livestock, this can be addressed through positive training methods. It is advised that working LGDs are closely observed during the first two years that they’re integrated with their animals, until they reach maturity. WCS will support farmers and crofters with this.
Will the LGDs affect the public’s right of access?
The LGDs involved in the WCS project will only be used in enclosed, fenced areas with their livestock. The right of public access through these areas will be in keeping with each country’s current legislation. Wherever possible, alternate routes around the fenced area will be provided or advised.
Where there would usually be public access, particularly in Scotland where there is the ‘Right to Responsible Access’, there will be clear signage around the fenced areas. The signage will inform members of public of the presence of LGDs, how to behave around them and offer information about the WCS project.
How will the LGDs interact with members of the public and their dogs?
The LGDs will only be trialled on working farms or crofts, in enclosed areas with clear signage. It is important that members of the public keep their dogs under close control around all livestock and, therefore, the LGDs as well.
LGD breeds have been selectively bred to instinctively protect their livestock and, in the case of Maremma sheepdogs, bark loudly at potential threats to their wards. So, it is likely that the LGDs involved in the WCS project will bark if approached by strangers and their dogs. For the participating farmers and crofters, having a large, loud LGD integrated with their animals will act a deterrent for potential dog attacks on their livestock, which has been an increasing issue in the UK.
All that said, WCS chose to trial Maremma sheepdogs because, despite their loud voice and large size, they are typically gentle in nature. Equally, as part of their training, WCS will ensure the LGD puppies are well socialised with people and other dogs, and advise participating owners to continue this socialisation through to adulthood. It is a key focus of this trial project to monitor public response to the use of working LGDs.
Have you considered LGDs as an option for livestock protection should the lynx be reintroduced?
LGDs have been used successfully throughout Europe to protect animals from potential predation by lynx and other larger predators. That said, WCS is focused solely on trialling LGDs in the UK as an option for farmers and crofters to protect their livestock from potential threats or disturbance, without identifying possible conflicts with individual species.
If you have a question that hasn’t been answered here,
please don’t hesitate to get in touch.