The continued work developed by Grupo Lobo within its applied conservation action line — the livestock guardian dog project — has made it possible to maintain uninterrupted support since its beginning in 1996 to the livestock farmers involved, in various regions of northern and central Portugal. This support consists of technical guidance on the education, selection, breeding and maintenance of the dogs, with particular attention to issues related to their welfare and effectiveness, as well as essential veterinary and nutritional support, especially in the first months/years of the dogs' lives, the period when the risks they face are highest. As the project expands and the quality of the integrated dogs becomes known, the number of requests for dogs from livestock farmers increases, with the total now exceeding 200 livestock guardian dogs integrated into goat and/or sheep flocks and cattle herds. Currently, the project team's area of intervention covers around 30 municipalities in the districts of Bragança, Braga, Vila Real, Aveiro, Viseu, Guarda and Castelo Branco, within or on the limits of the Iberian wolf's distribution area. However, its work is not limited to delivering the puppies, but also involves their regular monitoring, with essential evaluation of their effectiveness when they reach adulthood. Indeed, only in this way can it be ensured that the delivered puppies will reach adulthood and be effective in protecting flocks, allowing all the effort expended to be maximised and the defined objectives to be achieved.
