4/8/2023 0 Comments Facts about flocks of sheepThese dogs also allow for more efficient use of pastures and possible expansion of the flock because of decreased labor and space requirements. The guard dog will bark when predators approach and alert owners to disturbances in the flock, thereby protecting the family and ranch property. The presence of the guard dog reduces sheep losses to predators and reduces labor by lessening the need for night corralling. The color of these breeds is usually white or gray, but some of the breeds are brown with darker markings.įor centuries, guard dogs have provided many benefits to livestock producers world-wide (sheep producers have benefitted most). The guard dogs are large dogs, standing 25 inches or more at the shoulder, weighing 30 to 55 kilograms, with ears that hang down. The guarding dogs include such breeds as the great Pyrenees, komondor, kuvasz and maremma. Donkeys and llamas are very effective guard animals, but when predator pressure is intense, they become prey as well. have become interested in using guard animals for predator control, an economical and environmentally sound alternative to guns, traps and poison. The color of the breeds is often dark with white or brown markings, though some are white or gray with darker spots. Herding dogs are within the 10 to 20 kilogram weight range (22 to 42 pounds) with ears that are often pricked. The physical characteristics and behavior of herding dogs differ from those of guarding dogs. Acoustic signals are used to command the herding dogs, usually in the form of whistles, which can be heard over the distances involved when gathering large flocks of sheep in a vast pasture. These characteristics are desirable and are selected for when breeding. These are not done when herding but under other conditions. There are three known heritable instincts of the border collie: clapping (crouching), eye (staring at the sheep), and barking. This gathering instinct is part of the predatory pattern, but the dog can be taught to go out, circle the livestock, and bring the animals towards the handler. When the handler moves to the left, the dog will move to the right and vice-versa. The dog will instinctively position itself directly opposite the handler on the other side of the livestock. Gathering dogs, such as the border collie, circle the livestock and work the flight zone of the animal, moving the lead animals with their presence and eye. The herding dogs have been selected to display the eye, stalk and chase, but to mature before the deadly crush-bite-kill patterns of the predator develop. Herding dogs are selected to show hunting characteristics that include eye (staring at livestock), stalk, and grip or heel (chase). Through centuries of breeding, herding dogs have been developed by selection of particular behavioral characteristics. The cattle dogs include the Welsh corgi, bouviers of Flanders, and the Queensland blue heeler or Australian heeler. Some examples of gathering dogs include the collie, border collie and Australian shepherd. There are breeds that are better with sheep, others better with cattle, and some work many species of herd animals. The specific purpose of herding dogs is to move large numbers of livestock effectively and efficiently at the command of the owner or livestock producer. Obviously, herding and guarding dogs need special training and care. With the development of working farm dogs, these two characteristics - the social and predator behavior patterns - have been channeled into a working relationship between dog and livestock. As the pups mature to adults, they gain predatory patterns which include the stalking and lethal crush-bite-kill patterns of the true predator. As pups, wolves and coyotes display sequences of mixed social, submissive, play and investigative patterns. These two groups of dogs were developed through centuries of selective breeding, which modifies instinctive canine behavior. The herding dogs were bred to assist with the movement of livestock, and livestock guardian dogs were developed to protect domestic animals from predators. There are two broad categories of working farm dogs that are differentiated on the basis of their interactions with livestock. These dogs are integral members of every farm, regardless of their shape and size, because they all have a purpose: to provide companionship or protection, or to assist with livestock movement. When I visit a farm for the first time, it is always the farm dogs that greet me first, barking to alert their owners of the arrival of a stranger. Unlike the herding dog, this guard dog is a full-time member of the flock.
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