Livestock guardian dog: Livestock guardian dog training

By Roland Berger

Are you interested in the breeds of guard dogs? You have made a good choice. Herd protection dogs are something very special and that in every respect.

They impress not only with their imposing size, but also by their external appearance. This can be very striking depending on the breed. While some come up with a beautiful long and white coat, others have shaggy hair that looks like dreadlocks.

Many of these guard dogs have in common that they are descended from Asian dogs, which came to Europe many thousands of years ago through the migrations. These dogs already possessed the important qualities of natural protection and guarding instincts, and also the gift of acting independently and making decisions without human interference.

The contents of the book are:
- Difference guard dog and herding dog
- A portrait of guard dogs
- Which breeds are there?
- Education of the dogs
- Herding dogs at home
- FCI Standards
- Summary

Even the diet of the guard dogs, which is still unusual today, can be traced back to this time. They are not fed like conventional domestic dogs, but much lower in protein. Furthermore, these dogs are also able to digest dairy products, which is not the case with normal dogs and can lead to digestive disorders.

Now the future owner of such a dog should be aware, however, that likewise the attitude and education can lead to considerable problems. Such a large dog needs a lot of space and it is not enough to have a small garden. The demands of a guard dog are somewhat higher and you must be able to fulfill them, so that your companion can lead a species-appropriate life.

As you can see from these few lines, a guard dog is not a dog for everyone. It belongs in absolutely experienced hands. If you belong to these experienced hands, inform yourself in this guide about the different breeds of guard dogs. Learn what belongs to their strengths and weaknesses and whether such a special dog is also suitable as a family dog.

Have fun reading and learn

• Language: English
• Publisher: XinXii
• Release date: Apr 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9783986469054

Book preview

Introductory

E

in shepherd or herding dog is probably familiar to you. The term already tells what kind of dog we are talking about. But have you ever heard the term guard dog? Again, the term actually tells you what such a dog does: protect a herd of farm animals. But what is this herd being protected from and why is this necessary? What are the tasks of this dog and can every dog be a guard dog? Furthermore, the question is also addressed whether a guard dog can be kept as a family dog.

If you are interested in the different breeds of guard dogs, whether as a private person or as a commercial livestock owner, you should inform yourself in detail about these dogs. This guidebook on guard dogs will introduce and explain this information to you. You will learn a lot of background knowledge and get an insight into the most common dog breeds that belong to the guard dogs.

Immerse yourself in the unique world of these extraordinary dogs.

Difference guard dog and herding dog

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n herding dog is quite different from a herding dog, a shepherd dog or a drover dog. This important difference shall be explained to you informatively in the following chapters, by getting to know the different tasks of the individual dogs. In addition, it is already important to know the differences, so that also a species-appropriate attitude of the respective dog is possible. In any case, what they all have in common is that they are all working dogs. These are bred with special characteristics and also still enjoy an individual training, so that they can do justice to their tasks.

Shepherd dog

The term herding dog is generally used for all dogs involved in any work with a herd of farm animals. However, it is also said that the shepherd dog refers to the actual guard dog. For example, the German Shepherd and the Belgian Shepherd are called herding dogs. However, these rather ensure that the herd stays together and therefore do not perform a protective function.

You are probably thinking of the Border Collie, because it is known to many dog lovers. He is excellent at rounding up a flock of stubborn sheep and also taking them wherever the shepherd wants them to go. But even in this work the flock is not protected from predators.

That is what the pure guard dogs are for. These have neither the task to drive the herd somewhere, nor to get individual animals out of the herd. The only purpose of these dogs is to ward off predators or animal thieves.

Now learn about the individual tasks of the different shepherd dogs.

Herding dog

A guard dog protects a shepherd's livestock herd. This herd can consist of cows, goats, sheep or even geese. The shepherd moves around with his herd to let them graze in different places.

But also on very large pastures in nature reserves graze such livestock herds and the shepherd is not uninterruptedly on site and can guard his animals. This can therefore be associated with great dangers for the herd, because it is not an unknown fact that there are also more and more wolves in Germany, and for them the sheep, goats or geese are a welcome dinner.

This is where the guard dog comes into play. This is responsible for ensuring that no one other than the shepherd even approaches the herd to cause it harm. This applies to both humans and animals.

By the way, all kinds of shepherd dogs have existed for thousands of years. Dogs were domesticated a very long time ago and since then they have accompanied people as guard dogs. Over time, the tasks were divided among different dogs, because it turned out that one dog was better at keeping the herd together and the other at defending it. Thus, different breeds were gradually bred. The guard dog, for example, has a very well developed protective instinct, which is not so strong in herding or driving dogs.

Just a few years ago, guard dogs were very much in disrepute. Many people assumed that a guard dog was a particularly aggressive animal and would also have a very low threshold of irritation. He was said to attack immediately and without warning anyone who approached the herd or his family.

In fact, in the past it was common that these dogs were trained to be so aggressive with drill and force. Fortunately, today it is different. Guard dogs get a very good training without violence. They are prepared for their future tasks with love, a lot of patience and consistency. A guard dog knows when danger is imminent and he has to intervene. Otherwise he will be a reliable, calm and obedient companion of his owner.

Which breeds are particularly suitable as guard dogs and to which group they belong in the FCI, you will learn in a later chapter.

Herding dog

A herding dog herds the flock together with the shepherd. He makes sure that all the animals stay together. If one of the herd animals strays from the others, the herding dog makes sure that it returns safely to its conspecifics. And so that the rest of the herd is not left unprotected during this time, there are usually several herding dogs on duty. In addition, a herding dog works mainly with the shepherd and pays attention to the signals given to him. However, if necessary, a herding dog can also decide on its own what to do.

Today, of course, such herding dogs are still in use, because there are still shepherds who move with your animals, but the population has declined significantly. Specific breeds called herding dogs, nowadays more and more often find a place in normal family life.

However, the attitude is not always easy, because the innate instinct to want to guard a herd is still there. Therefore, it must be ensured that such a dog is not bored, because he always wants to have something to do. That is why these animals can be found more and more often in dog clubs and in dog sports, because here they are given the tasks they love and perform with heart and soul. For example, mantrailing or dog dancing can be considered for these breeds. Dog agility is also great for these dogs. They are very eager to run and move and are also nimble and agile. You may also be able to get such a breed interested in playing with Frisbees or the sport of Treibball. Here there are very many methods of employment, in order to load the dog.

Popular breeds that belong to the category of herding dogs are, for example, the Border Collie, the Australian Shepherd, the short-haired Collie, the long-haired Collie, the German Shepherd, the Belgian Shepherd, the Bearded Collie and many more.

In the FCI the herding dogs are listed in the group 1, herding dogs and driving dogs. In section 1 all shepherd dogs are listed and in section 2 all herding dogs.

Cattle dog

A herding dog assists the shepherd in driving his cattle. A possible place of use of such a dog would be, for example, the Almauftrieb in the Alps. But also the daily driving of the herd from the pasture to the stable or vice versa belongs to the tasks of a herding dog.

The working areas for these dogs can be quite different. In the Alps, mostly Appenzeller or Bernese Mountain Dogs are used for this work, in Australia rather an Australian Cattle Dog is used, because here the requirements are much more difficult.

Dogs that have to perform these tasks are specifically bred for them. Breeds are used here that already have the genetic requirements. In the past, they were used to drive farm animals, such as oxen, mutton or bulls to another place. Here, large and strong dogs were necessary, which also knew how to defend themselves against the large herd animals, and could assert themselves. They were able (and still are today) to dodge kicks and drive the animals forward by barking or deliberately biting their fetlocks, without causing stress within the herd.

Mostly small to medium breeds are used as driving dogs, because they are fast and agile.

Mountain dogs were also used as guard dogs in the past, but these breeds are less suitable for this task, because they do not necessarily have the necessary qualities, such as a high degree of independence or territoriality.

This field of application has also become very scarce in this country, so