Advantages and Challenges
The renewed use of livestock guardian dogs presents a wide range of advantages at various levels, namely in increasing livestock production, preserving native breeds, reducing conflicts with large carnivores and, consequently, conserving nature and maintaining biodiversity.
Advantages for livestock production
- To reduce the number of losses (in some cases by up to 100%) with the consequent increase in the economic return of the operation;
- To make the shepherd's job easier, since the dog alerts them to the presence of predators or any strange situations, giving them greater security;
- To improve the use of pastures that, due to their location or characteristics, present a higher risk of predation;
- To increase the productivity of farms raising native sheep and goat breeds, mostly adapted to traditional extensive grazing systems, where the risk of predation is a reality and to which the use of livestock guardian dogs is very well suited.
Advantages for the conservation of native breeds
- To contribute to the conservation of native sheep and goat breeds, an important genetic heritage, by increasing farm productivity;
- To contribute to the recovery of national livestock dog breeds, many of which are endangered, by increasing the number of quality specimens;
- To promote the functional use of our livestock guardian dog breeds, mostly used as guard and companion animals, avoiding the loss of behavioral characteristics typical of the breeds and which formed the basis of their original selection.
Advantages for nature conservation
- To increase human tolerance, particularly among livestock farmers, towards the presence of large predators, namely the Iberian Wolf in Portugal;
- To reduce the persecution of the Iberian Wolf by humans, which is one of the main causes of mortality for this predator in our country;
- To facilitate the implementation of conservation measures for the Iberian Wolf, which is threatened with extinction in Portugal, allowing for its recovery and maintenance for future generations;
- To contribute to the maintenance of biodiversity.