Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre Guardian Dogs Best Practice Manual for the use of Livestock Guardian Dogs Linda van Bommel Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre Guardian Dogs Best Practice Manual for the use of Livestock Guardian Dogs Linda van Bommel Guardian Dogs: Best Practice Manual for the use of Livestock Guardian Dogs. Document prepared for the Invasive Animals CRC Terrestrial Products and Strategies Program project 1.T.5. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this report reflect those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre. The material presented in this report is based on sources that are believed to be reliable. Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of the report, the author gives no warranty that the said sources are correct and accepts no responsibility for any resultant errors contained herein, any damages or loss whatsoever caused or suffered by any individual or corporation. Published by: Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre. Postal address: University of Canberra, ACT 2601. Office Location: University of Canberra, Kirinari Street, Bruce ACT 2617. Telephone: (02) 6201 2887 Facsimile: (02) 6201 2532 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.invasiveanimals.com ISBN: 978-1-921777-00-4 © Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre 2010 This work is copyright. The Copyright Act 1968 permits fair dealing for study, research, information or educational purposes. Selected passages, tables or diagrams may be reproduced for such purposes provided acknowledgement of the source is included. Major extracts of the entire document may not be reproduced by any process. Cover images courtesy of: Ann and Ninian Stewart-Moore (top background image); Stoneybrook Maremmas USA (left and middle central images); Shepherds Rest Anatolians USA (right central image); Linda van Bommel (bottom background image). Manual images: Images in this manual are photographed by, and provided courtesy of, Linda van Bommel unless specified in the caption. Case study maps were generated with the assistance of datasets provided courtesy of Sandy Berry, ANU. Design and Layout: Graphic Ark — www.graphicark.com.au This document should be cited as: van Bommel, L (2010) Guardian Dogs: Best Practisce Manual for the use of Livestock Guardian Dogs. Invasive Animals CRC, Canberra. Foreword The impacts of introduced predators including wild predation rather that reacting to attacks. The use dogs, the European Red Fox and the feral cat cost of guardian dogs has been proven to be a cost the Australian community in excess of 60 million effective means of managing predation when applied dollars annually through stock losses and control properly. However producers are hesitant about programmes. These figures however don’t take using livestock guardian dogs due to hearing stories into account the emotional and social impacts of regarding poorly managed or trained dogs that have predation by introduced predators on landholders caused problems for neighbours or have run off and graziers across the country. Wild dog and fox never to be seen again. Poor training is responsible predation in some instances has become so great for wrecking many working dogs regardless of breed that landholders are being forced out of sheep or the dogs potential and a decision to use guardian and goat enterprises because they are no longer dogs shouldn’t be made based on the poor examples financially viable due to impacts. illustrated by these horror stories. Participation in coordinated wild dog and fox control The information contained in this manual has programs is varied across the country. A range of been collated from a range of producers, breeders factors influence these participation rates including and owners of livestock guardian dogs and should the type of livestock being produced, loss of labour provide the basis to successfully employ these in rural communities, greater ownership of rural animals in a range of environments and grazing land by large companies who can absorb the cost situations. It should also make prospective owners of of predation, an increase in conservation estate livestock guardian dogs aware that there is a level of across the country where management outcomes commitment required for training and management differ from production outcomes and changes in to make them work effectively as part of your property ownership from farming enterprises to business just as is the case with any other working lifestyle blocks. dog, and I hope it reduces the negative impacts of poorly managed guardian dogs and ill-fated attempts The National Wild Dog Facilitator, Greg Mifsud, met a to use these animals in the future. large number of graziers and producers who showed great interest in using guardian dogs to protect This manual provides landholders with another livestock from predation, through implementing option to assist them to protect their livestock from the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre predation, however I must stress that participation project “Facilitating the Strategic Management of and continued support for community based wild Wild Dog throughout Australia”. These producers dog and fox management programs is still required were concerned about the lack of information to to reduce the impact of wild dogs and foxes on effectively apply livestock guardian dogs to their producers and landholders at a regional and production practices. This sentiment was also landscape level. highlighted in a series of predator control field days that discussed the use of livestock guardian dogs conducted by the Leading Sheep, Agforce Queensland and Biosecurity Queensland across western Queensland in September 2008. The development of a best practice manual for Brent Finlay, the use of guardian dogs to protect livestock will Chair of the National Wild Dog Advisory Group allow land holders to be proactive by preventing iii Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre Contents Foreword ...............................................................................................................................iii Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................1 What are livestock guardian dogs? .............................................................................................2 How do they work? ......................................................................................................................3 Breeds available in Australia .......................................................................................................5 Which breed is best? ..................................................................................................................................6 The Maremma Sheepdog ...........................................................................................................................7 The Pyrenean Mountain Dog ......................................................................................................................8 Anatolian Shepherd and Kangal ................................................................................................................9 Central Asian Ovcharka ............................................................................................................................11 Other livestock guardian dog breeds in Australia ...................................................................................12 Chapter 2: Obtaining, bonding and training dogs..........................................................17 How many dogs do you need? ...................................................................................................18 Pup or pre-trained mature dog? ................................................................................................19 Bonding and training dogs ........................................................................................................19 Starting with a pup .....................................................................................................................19 Buying a pup ..............................................................................................................................................19 Bonding a pup to livestock .......................................................................................................................21 Birth – 8 weeks ..................................................................................................................................21 8 weeks – 16 weeks ..........................................................................................................................21 4 months – 6 months ...................................................................................................................26 6 months – 12 months ......................................................................................................................26 12 months and older ........................................................................................................................28 Different bonding strategies .....................................................................................................................29 Socialisation of the pup with humans .....................................................................................................30 Socialisation