When would it make sense to get a livestock guardian dog?

[DogsAndTheMob]

Too often, I see people on social media telling other people to get livestock guardian dogs to protect a dozen hens or half a dozen sheep on their small acreage. I bite my tongue and scroll on, but I find it intensely frustrating. I foresee sad outcomes for the guardian dogs and possibly for the livestock, particularly if people think they can buy a guardian breed puppy “off the shelf”, put it with their animals and expect it to do its job without any training or an appropriate introduction to livestock. What will they do if the puppy starts playing with the animals it should be guarding, if the neighbours complain about its barking or if they decide they no longer want to keep livestock or even live on a farm? Are those people prepared to care for a large, vociferous dog throughout its lifespan? Also, it doesn’t make sense, in financial or lifestyle terms, to take on a 15 year responsibility for a large dog to protect a few animals that might be protected with far less cost and a similar investment of time by better fencing, enclosures and management.

 

I had always assumed that livestock guardian dogs were a more sensible choice on large acreage Australian farms but some of my recent reading has made me question that. So I have a question for people with more experience of large scale farming than me (eg @persephone) … under what circumstances do you think it would make sense to get a livestock guardian dog?

Edited November 10 by DogsAndTheMob

[persephone]

Hi - no experience here, but I agree with what you said . Our local town has a few maremmas - they are often listed as missing/escaped /found wandering . I suspect they are being kept as you said, for a half dozen sheep - or as pets and are bored/unsettled. A large poultry farm has them, and they do well - they have a HUGE flock to guard, decent fencing, and seem to be very effective against foxes/roaming dogs.
Out where we are no one has them , everyone uses 1080