Livestock Guardian Dog

Livestock guardian dogs have been used by shepherds for hundreds of years and are part of the traditional herding system used in Portugal and other Mediterranean and Asian countries. As a method of protection, the livestock guardian dog stands out for its ancestral use and ability to adapt to different herding situations and traditional livestock management, making it a widely used method.

Throughout Mediterranean Europe, where livestock production acquired great economic importance, livestock guardian dogs could be found accompanying herds during their daily grazing journeys or during summer transhumant migrations in search of better pastures. These seasonal migrations, which could cover hundreds of kilometers and last several months, involved the movement of thousands of animals along established routes that crossed countries from North to South, even crossing borders.

Livestock dogs possess a characteristic morphology and behavior that makes them very efficient in protecting domestic animals from predator attacks. These characteristics resulted from behavioral selection carried out by humans over thousands of years.

Origin

Livestock dogs are probably the most numerous type of dog and are likely among the first working dogs selected by humans (Coppinger & Coppinger, 2001). The vast majority of archaeological dog remains have been found in the Middle East, where the domestication of all major livestock species occurred, and they are frequently associated with agricultural human communities (Clutton‑Brock, 1999). These dogs would later have accompanied human migrations, spreading throughout Europe (Coppinger & Coppinger, 2001).

Function

Livestock dogs work independently of the shepherd, accompanying the livestock as they move around and remaining in their vicinity at all times, but without disturbing their activity.

Unlike livestock dogs, herding dogs, also known as driving dogs or shepherd dogs, obey the shepherd's commands, helping to regroup and drive the livestock from one place to another, chasing or barking at the animals. Herding dogs work according to the shepherd's instructions and are generally not left alone with the livestock. They are usually small to medium‑sized dogs and therefore very agile. The two types of dogs have very different functions and can be used together in the same flock.

Due to a decline in interest in herding, the use of livestock guardian dogs has decreased over the last few decades, leading to the near extinction of many breeds. More recently, there has been an increase in interest in national dog breeds, resulting in greater demand for these dogs as companions.

However, this situation can bring some problems, since the selection exercised on animals destined for herd protection is different from that imposed on animals destined for companionship. These are selected based on morphological and behavioral patterns generally different from those required for working animals, with the risk of losing important behavioral patterns that were at the origin of livestock guardian dog breeds (Willis, 1995).

Behavior

The efficiency of a livestock dog depends on its adult behavior, which in turn depends on the emergence of certain behavioral patterns. These behavioral patterns are dependent on the establishment of social relationships with the animals in the herd, which occurs during the Socialization Period.

Morphology

Despite the large number of existing livestock dog breeds, they share a great deal of morphological similarity. They are generally large dogs, with massive, rounded heads and flat ears (falling close to the head). The coat seems to be the main factor that allows the distinction between the various breeds, being either short or long, and presenting a whole range of colors, varying from white to black, a result of the regional preferences of the shepherds.