Want to know more about having a working livestock guardian dog (LGD) in the UK? The following information should hopefully answer some of your questions:
The Benefits of Having a Livestock Guardian Dog in the UK
Although we don’t have to deal with the likes of wolves, bears, and coyotes in the UK, there are still several predators that are a threat to British livestock. Foxes, badgers, otters, mink, eagles, buzzards, magpies, crows…the list goes on! The reintroduction of certain species, from beavers to wildcats, only adds to those numbers.
With many of those animals being protected species, law-abiding farmers are often left with their hands tied. The best solution would be deterrence and prevention, and this is where a livestock guardian dog comes in.
LGDs guard in different ways. Some immerse themselves in a flock, ensuring that predators can’t get near. Others find a high vantage point and watch over their flock and surroundings from a distance, carrying out regular boundary patrols to ensure that nothing has gotten past them.
Either way, it’s a win-win for everyone - livestock remains safe and local wildlife is able to thrive. An LGD brings harmony to what would have otherwise been an increasingly contentious situation.
Spanish Mastins vs Other LGD Breeds
There are many livestock guardian dog breeds out there and they all share the same protective instincts. With that said, there are a few traits that set Mastins apart…
The first is their low-maintenance coat. Although their luscious double coat will require some brushing, especially when they begin to moult, this is much less labour-intensive than the coat care and grooming that some of the longer-haired LGD breeds require.
Mastins also tend to naturally guard against aerial predators, which many other LGD breeds need to be specifically trained to do. With Mastins having protected against eagles, vultures, griffins, and more for so many centuries in Spain, keeping an eye on the sky is instinctual.
Other LGD breeds also feel the urge to roam past their provided boundaries, and will determinedly dig or climb their way out. These are the breeds that guard by patrolling. Mastins, on the other hand, prefer to stay near their flock. They don’t have the same tendencies to roam, making them much easier to contain.
Working With an Adult Rescue vs a Puppy
Many experts advise that LGDs should not be left unsupervised with livestock until they’re at least two years old, which is when they start to mature. Any younger than this and, even though they may seem trustworthy 95% of the time, they will still be prone to random bouts of ‘puppyness’. Playing with livestock is never a good idea, but playing is exactly what puppies love to do!
If you’re around, you can correct the behaviour but, if your puppy is already with your livestock 24/7, there’s a good chance that you won’t be there when it happens. The puppy then continues practicing that self-rewarding action, leaving you with an LGD that sends your flock scattering whenever he/she approaches them.
When adopting an adult, on the other hand, you could have your LGD working with your livestock in a matter of months, rather than years. You’ll also have a much better idea of how strong their natural guarding and protective instincts are from the start. With a puppy, this is a lottery. Even if your pup has come from working parents, which is hard to find in the UK (not to mention expensive!), there’s no guarantee that they’ll be a good worker once they mature. Of course, the same applies to an adult rescue too, but you’ll find out much sooner!
Training an adult rescue is also relatively simple, mainly because, other than basic obedience, they don’t need much formal training. Instead, the focus should be on encouraging them to bond with your livestock. Once this happens, their instincts will take over and they won’t want to see any harm come to ‘their’ animals.
The Practicalities:
In many ways, the UK is very different from the countries where LGDs are more common. Here are a few practicalities to consider:
Fencing
While many of the working Mastins in Spain roam free, this isn’t possible in the UK. Instead, if you want an LGD, you’ll need good fencing. Aim for 5-6 feet as a minimum. Although most Mastins aren’t inclined to scale a fence, their determination to chase a predator away may overcome this!
The Right to Roam in Scotland
If you live in Scotland, you’ll need to consider the Right to Roam when deciding whether or not an LGD would be a good fit for your farm. This isn’t an issue for everyone, but if any part of your farm falls under the Right to Roam, it wouldn’t be advisable to keep an LGD on that land. You can still keep an LGD on the areas of your farm that the public doesn’t have the right to roam on, but good fencing is, once again, important.
Public Footpaths
If you have public footpaths running through your fields, having an LGD becomes a little trickier…but not impossible. You would need to set things up in a way that ensures that the public doesn’t feel threatened by your dog, such as with a double fence running along either side of the footpath. LGDs are big dogs with big barks that can easily intimidate, so keep this in mind when making plans.
Providing an Appropriate Shelter For Your Dog
It goes without saying that an LGD shouldn’t be left to deal with the elements without any shelter. Even though they may choose to not use it most of the time, you’ll still need to provide the option. If your livestock has access to a shelter, then your LGD will more than likely be happy to share. If not, a kennel would suffice. However, you may need to pen this off to prevent your livestock from using it too! LGD jump gates can be used to allow the dog access to the pen while keeping livestock out.
Don’t forget that shade in the summer is also important. Although Mastins come from Spain, they thrive in cooler conditions and will need plenty of shade on hot days.
LGDs and Herding Dogs
LGDs instinctively protect their flocks, meaning that they don’t look kindly upon a herding dog chasing ‘their’ sheep or cattle around! To keep everyone safe, you’ll need to put your LGD onto a different part of your farm before rounding up your sheep - ideally somewhere where they can’t see what’s going on.
Adopting a LGD From Mastin Matters
Mastin Matters is a dog rescue that specialises in Spanish Mastins. Although many of our dogs are rehomed as family pets, we have also successfully homed Mastins to smallholdings and farms where they are now highly-valued working livestock guardian dogs.
If you’re interested in adopting a Mastin LGD, please do get in touch with us and tell us more about your farm and what you’re looking for. Together, we’ll find the perfect dog for you! Once your dog arrives, they will, just like any rescue, need some time and space to decompress before the livestock training begins. This is something that we can talk you through.
In the near future, we will also have a base in Aberdeenshire where Mastins will be fostered on a working farm. They’ll undergo basic obedience training and will be fully tested around livestock. Once they’re ready to start working full-time, they will then be looking for forever farm homes to be adopted to. Please contact us if you would like to be placed on the waitlist for this service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it legal to have a livestock guardian dog in the UK?
It is completely legal to have a livestock guardian dog in the UK. So long as your dog doesn’t violate the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, meaning that they should never be dangerously out of control, you’ll be abiding by the law. Make sure that your Mastin is never in a position where they intimidate other people and spend time forming a solid bond with your dog so that they respect you as their leader/partner.
Would an LGD attack my sheep?
A LGD that has bonded with your sheep would never attack them. Instead, they would give their life to protect ‘their’ flock. To get your LGD to this stage, you would need to gradually expose them to your sheep and encourage this bonding. This is something that we can provide guidance on when adopting from Mastin Matters.
Will an LGD keep my livestock safe from dog attacks?
If you have an LGD, then this means that you’ll also have good fencing. As soon as your LGD sees an off-lead dog approaching that boundary, they’ll jump into action. It is very unlikely that a dog would be able to, or want to, climb over/crawl under your fence with a barking LGD on the other side, no matter how high their prey drive may be!