Livestock Guardian Dogs have been hugely effective in protecting both the stock they are employed to safeguard, and predators tempted to munch on them from being shot by ranchers. There are times, however, when a single dog can’t hope to fend off several larger animals working in concert. No rancher or farmer wants to put their dog in situations they can’t win, and as popular as some LGD breeds have been, some ranchers have had to look for breed alternatives. Enter the Cão de Gado Transmontano, a mastiff bred to deter wolves in the mountains of northern Portugal. The breed was one of three breeds explored in a Wildlife Services study in 2015 (the other two were the Karakachan and the Kangal), the thinking being that larger, bolder breeds will fend off wolves and bears more effectively. These breeds have a more assertive behavior, and if attacked, continue to guard. Publishable data is still a year away, but anecdotally, the dogs have received high praise. Not a single Transmontano, Kangal or Karakachan has been injured by a predator in the line of duty, and some have already rebuffed carnivores.
An interesting read on the subject is the The Predator Paradox: Ending the War with Wolves, Bears, Cougars, and Coyotes
Image of Cão de Gado Transmontano from Pinterest and happily credited upon receipt of information.
I read an article, “Study pits imported sheepdogs against American predators” by Keith Ridler the Associated Press in the Orange County Register, OCREGISTER.com, (California) about dogs used in experiment to protect live stock from predators on Sunday March 11, 2018 listing this as one of the dog breeds.
How interesting, Pam! We’ll have to look for this article, thanks for the mention of it.