Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Livestock guard dogs reduce predation on domestic sheep in Colorado
Author
Andelt, W. F.
Hopper, S. N.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2000-05-01
Body

We surveyed the effectiveness of livestock guard dogs for reduc-ing predation on domestic sheep in Colorado during 1993. The number of producers using dogs increased from about 25 in 1986 to >159 in 1993. The proportion of sheep with dogs increased from about 7% in 1986 to about 68% in 1993. Producers with dogs, compared to producers without dogs, lost smaller proportions of their lambs to predators, especially coyotes (Canis latrans Say), and smaller proportions of ewes and lambs to black bears (Ursus americanus Pallas) and mountain lions (Felis concolor L.). Overall, producers who did not have guard dogs lost 5.9 and 2.1 times greater proportions of lambs to predators than producers who had dogs in 1986 and 1993, respectively. Proportions of sheep killed by predators decreased with the number of years that producers used guard dogs. Mortalities of ewes to predators regardless of type of operation and lamb mortality on open range decreased more from 1986 to 1993 for producers who obtained dogs between these years compared to producers who did not have dogs. Of 160 producers using dogs, 84% rated their dogs overall predator control performance as excellent or good, 13% as fair, and 3% as poor. More producers (n = 105) indicated effectiveness of their dogs did not change with time, compared to producers (n = 54) indicating effectiveness changed. More producers (n = 35) also indicated their dogs became more effective over time compared to producers (n =19) indicating their dogs became less effective. Estimates provided by 125 producers indicate that their 392 dogs saved 891,440 of sheep from predation during 1993. A total of 154 of 161 (96%) producers recommend use of guard dogs to other producers. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020

Language
en
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.2307/4003429
Additional Information
Andelt, W. F., & Hopper, S. N. (2000). Livestock guard dogs reduce predation on domestic sheep in Colorado. Journal of Range Management, 53(3), 259-267.
IISN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/643758
Journal Volume
53
Journal Number
3
Journal Pages
259-267
Journal Name
Journal of Range Management
Keywords
Puma concolor
livestock numbers
coyotes
lambs
ewes
predation
guard dogs
sheep dogs
mortality
Ursus americanus
pastures
rangelands
Colorado
Akbash
black bears
Canis latrans
coyote
dog
Felis concolor
Great Pyrenees
Komondor
mountain lion
sheep
Ursus americanus