This Forum dedicated to livestock guardian dogs, organised by the Portuguese Association of the Serra da Estrela Dog, took place at the Castelo Branco School of Agriculture from 2 to 3 November. On the first day, an open class was held for students and teachers of the Agricultural School. The history of livestock guardian dogs, their traditional use and current importance in the conservation of threatened predators such as the Iberian wolf in Portugal, as well as the main results of the Livestock Guardian Dog Programme, with emphasis on those obtained in the LIFE MedWolf Project, were the subject of one of the invited lectures. The following day, a meeting was organised with producers involved in the Livestock Guardian Dog Programme who use Serra da Estrela Dogs, and breeders of this breed, aimed at promoting the exchange of experiences and knowledge about the use and maintenance of these dogs in different contexts. Around 20 participants were present, including livestock farmers, dog breeders and veterinarians.
