English Shepherds and Livestock Guardian Dogs

Differences in Behavior & in Roles

by Carla Green @2015

People often ask me whether they need a livestock guardian dog such as a Great Pyrenees, or whether an English Shepherd would fit the bill. I believe this question results, at least in part, from confusion about what some have called the “guardian” nature of English Shepherds, thinking it means the same thing in both types of dogs. Irrespective of the words used to describe these different types of dogs and the services they provide, many of their behavior patterns are different and often serve different goals, though there is also some overlap. One disclaimer—I’m not an expert:  This article is based on my observations and personal experience with both types of dogs on a working farm with livestock guardian dogs living with sheep, goats, and laying hens, and English Shepherds helping to manage those stock as well as cattle and pigs.

Working livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) such as Great Pyrenees, Maremma Sheepdogs, Anatolian Shepherds, Akbash, and others, protect livestock from predators, living full-time with the livestock they protect. Raised from puppyhood with the stock they are to guard, their primary relationship and first loyalty is to the stock, even though they can be friendly and loving to their owners if socialized to humans as puppies. Not surprisingly, LGDs that are raised with humans, or spend too much time with them, can bond with people rather than livestock. It can be difficult or impossible to transition these dogs to guarding stock—they are pets rather than working dogs.

Tasks that LGDs do include living with the stock 24-7; regular barking to warn predators to stay away (particularly at night); alarm barking that sends an alert if something is wrong (a predator is nearby; stock are loose; someone or something unusual enters a field); herding stock into a safe spot against a fence line or corner and getting between predator and the stock; holding watch over stock that are giving birth (sometimes helping to clean babies); cornering and holding predators (including other dogs) until the owner arrives; chasing off predatory birds; fighting predators who attack despite efforts to warn them away; and leading stock to new pastures or onto trailers, letting the stock know the trail or place is safe. Some will run interference with owners or herding dogs, getting in the way until told otherwise. In my experience, this is most common when newborns are on the ground or an animal is giving birth.

In short, LGDs are content to live with the stock, and the work that they’ve evolved to do is pretty simple—stay with the herd and protect them; bark to warn predators, and intervene if one shows up anyway; stay awake at night and snooze during the day with one eye open. They must differentiate between friends and enemies, but my sense is that they do this mostly by identifying anything that’s different, and suspecting that it’s an enemy until proven otherwise (wearing that new hat may result in a surprise!).

An important difference between LGDs and herding dogs like English Shepherds (ESs) is the stocks’ response to the dog and the dogs’ response to new stock. Though stock may be wary if they haven’t encountered LGDs before, they are not nearly as reactive to the dogs as they would be to a herding dog. Moreover, LGDs are experts at convincing stock that they are not a threat, turning their heads and bodies away, and not looking at the stock, relieving pressure. Stock calm very quickly when a dog engages in these practices, and LGDs do this instinctively. In contrast, most ESs’ first instinct is to herd or chase stock, and to stare intently at them. These instincts, when channeled, are the foundation of herding, but young ESs with herding instinct must be taught to leave stock alone except when working. This is a major difference between LGDs and ESs/other herding dogs.

In addition, English Shepherds working on farms are likely to engage in a much wider range of helpful behaviors, including more complicated tasks, and, at least in my experience, spend a lot of time thinking about what they can do to help. Activities include herding; holding stock off feed bunks to protect their owner; keeping order (e.g., putting animals back where they belong when out (LGDs would alert to this but are not likely to DO anything about it); stopping fights between stock; protecting their owners and also weak, young, or old animals from aggressive stock; dispatching varmints; and guarding the house and property (e.g., alerting if someone or something has entered the property).

ESs’ efforts stem out of their loyalty to their farmer/owner, and spring from their bond with that owner. They want to help their human with the stock, in contrast to LGDs who are helping stock they perceived to be their charges. ESs will herd animals for their owners—by direction or when they see that their owner needs help. In contrast, LGDs will herd the stock to collect them to make it possible to protect the animals, including running interference with owners on occasion. They won’t take herding directions and may not come when called, particularly if they are not sure what you intend to do with them or their stock. Sometimes it is easiest to move LGDs by herding them as you would herd sheep.

In contrast to the calming effects of LGDs on stock, the typical first reaction of stock to an ES is to alert to the dog like they would to a predator. As they come to know a dog, they will understand when the dog is not working the stock and stay calm, allowing the dog to move around them without concern. When the dog goes to work herding, however, the stock respond immediately, moving away from the dog.

What LGDs and ESs have in common: 1) They will alert you if someone enters the property and are likely to protect the property; 2) They may both dispatch varmints; and 3) They will alert to predators. In my experience, the fundamental differences between LGDs and ESs are their orientations and loyalty—for ESs, they are oriented and loyal to their owner/family and the work they do arises from their desire to please those people. LGDs are oriented to their stock, and their primary loyalty is to those stock, with owners/families secondary. LGDs get separation anxiety when stock are taken away. ESs get separation anxiety when their owners are taken away.

So, do you need an ES or a LGD? If you have stock that are threatened by predators, I recommend an LGD. I you have stock you need to move, feed, care for, and manage, I recommend an ES. Most working livestock operations need both of these types of dogs and, in my experience, they serve complementary roles and, with proper introductions, get along together nicely.

For more information about LGDs, there are great resources, including an extensive library, here: www.lgd.org

Article published with permission from Carla Green ©2015