Predator Friendly Farming 

Predator friendly farming/ranching depends upon the use of livestock guardian dogs. 

Moving with the flocks and herds, the dogs provide FULL TIME protection for the 

poultry and other stock on the farm. LGD give predators and other wildlife a choice

and predators ALWAYS know where our dogs are better than we do...and usually 

avoid those areas on the farm. This is predator friendly because areas where the dogs

are NOT, are completely available to the wildlife. This way we are able to co-exist with

wildlife, promoting whole habitat health and foster a stable, balanced ecosystem. 

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Livestock Guardian Dogs, or LGD, are a group of breeds that have been selectively

bred for 1000s of years to excel at bonding with livestock, and protecting that stock

against predators such as wolves, bears, big cats, and any other predator they perceive

to pose a threat to their flocks and herds (including raptors/birds of prey,  strange

domestic dogs and strange/unknown humans).

 

Breeds originated in Europe and Asia where they are still used today as shepherds leave villages with large flocks and herds of sheep and goats and go out into the mountainous countryside for summer grazing. A pack of LGD will accompany the group into areas where apex predators await. 

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LGD breeds have a very low prey drive and a very high protective drive. To clarify, prey drive is exemplified by the activity one sees in a Border Collie or cattle dog that is moving stock. LGD should NEVER be moving stock, rather LGD should be putting themselves between the stock and whatever threat is present, and neutralizing that threat. LGD is not a job that can be trained into any other breed. It is the result of genetic hard wiring. Just because a dog doesn't harm the stock and defends a territory (eg a farm dog role), doesn't mean it is bonded to that stock and protective of it. 

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There are a various breeds of LGD, the most familiar being The Big White Dog...this includes the prolific Great Pyrenees that is most populous across North America and can be found on couches in suburban homes as often as it is found guarding stock. Pyrs tend to be the softest of the LGD breeds, meaning they are not as reactive and quick to engage directly with threats. All LGD will bark at a threat as their first line of defense, working to send the predator away. Deterrence begins with barking and ends with lethal measures if the predator/threat does not go away. How quickly an LGD arrives at lethal measures depends on the breed. Breeds such as the Sarplaninac, Central Asian Shepherd, and Ovcharka, are much more reactive than the Pyrenees. They are very reactive to threats and will not hesitate to engage and neutralize. On the spectrum of reactivity, there are more than a few other breeds of LGD, none of which are very common in North America.

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meet our team

Providence Farm is staffed by a team of 4 livestock guardian dogs representing 3 different breeds. Structuring our team with the traits of the various breeds gives us the ability to most effectively address a variety of predator issues. Our pack is staggered by age and gender, the younger dogs learning from the older, experienced dogs.

 

The youngest member of our team is Sam, a Karakachan.  Sam 

is our youngest but most reactive guardian dog. He is wicked smart

and intuitive about everything with an independence and decisive-

ness that is well beyond the independence and decisiveness of the

other dogs. He is completely intolerant of strange dogs as well as

anything else he determines to be a threat. As he continues to

mature, these traits will intensify. 

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Our most well known team member is probably Hazel,

a Great Pyrenees. She is an outstanding guardian and very 

versatile, guarding just about anything we give her. Hazel was

an apartment pet for the first 7 months of her life but has fully

transitioned to working dog. And she EXCELS at it. She is kind

and benevolent and LOVES children, but is highly reactive

towards ALL predators. Hazel also guards UP (against birds

of prey) with extreme prejudice and intensity. 

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The matriarch of our pack is an Anatolian Shepherd Dog, 

Petra. She is the brains behind the whole team with the

wisdom and experience of many years. She is versatile, 

guarding whatever needs to be watched but absolutely

prefers the lambs and ewes. Petra mentored both Hazel 

and Sam for when they were younger. She prefers to

work with Big Joe. 

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Big Joe...Petra's main man and the muscle behind the brains

of the Petra-Big Joe team. Joe arrived here as the runt of 

the litter, a tiny little guy. No one ever expected much

from him but boy did he prove everyone so very wrong.

Joe just kept growing and growing and developed into an

outstanding guardian that's very versatile, intensely guarding

any of the livestock or poultry on the farm (even the pigs,

of whom he is not a fan). A sharper dog, he is quick to react

to whatever threat presents itself, including birds of prey. He is

especially intolerant of strange people. 

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