The 5 Best Dog Breeds to Protect Your Livestock

By Kristin Hitchcock

People have used dogs to guard livestock for centuries, and there’s a good reason for it – it works. Many dog breeds have been bred for centuries to guard and protect livestock. They require little to no training and oversight after they’re set up with the herd or flock. Of course, dogs are living creatures and require care (and they can be a bit unpredictable). However, a good guard dog is one of the hands-off ways to protect your livestock.

It’s a common misconception that guard dogs constantly fight off predators to protect the flock. However, this isn’t the case. Instead, these dogs mostly act as a deterrent for predators. A fox isn’t likely to come near your chickens if a large dog is lying there.

Of course, not all guard dogs can be utilized to protect your livestock. Only certain breeds were bred for this purpose. Let’s look at some of the best dog breeds to protect your livestock.

1.     Bernese Mountain Dog

The Bernese Mountain Dog is the livestock guardian. Many professionals bred and raised them to protect every livestock animal – from chickens to horses. They’re gentle giants and get along with practically any animal, especially when socialized correctly, making them a great choice to protect your livestock. They bond closely with their herd and humans. Their gentle nature makes them a great choice for families, as they get along great with children.

They’re relatively large dogs that can grow up to 150 pounds. Therefore, they can act as deterrents against many different predators, including wolves and stray dogs. It’s hard to find something larger than a big Bernese Mountain Dog.

As their name suggests, these dogs were originally kept in the mountains. Therefore, their coats are extremely weather-proof and designed to protect them from the elements. They can withstand tougher weather, especially the cold. They’re a great option for more northern climates.

With that said, these dogs are prone to some health issues, especially skeletal problems. Their lifespan is also considerably lower than other dogs on this list.

2.     Great Pyrenees

The Great Pyrenees was bred specifically to guard livestock. They’re from the French side of the Pyrenees Mountains – hence their name. They’re also called the Patou (their native French name) and the Pyrenean Mountain Dog. Don’t confuse them with the Pyrenean Mastiff, which is from the other side of the mountains.

This breed is still utilized to guard livestock throughout France. They’re extremely large, growing up to 165 pounds. Therefore, they can defend against even large predators, including wolves and bears.

Recently, they’ve become increasingly popular in the United States to protect livestock, though they’re also great family dogs. About 57% of livestock protection dogs in the United States are Pyrenean Mountain Dogs. This makes them one of the easiest and most affordable livestock guardian breeds you can find to protect your livestock from predators.

These dogs have natural protective instincts, which was bred in over generations. They have a keen ability to protect larger herds and families. They’re very affectionate towards children, so they work well for families.

With that said, this breed is extremely independent and difficult to train. They don’t thrive in obedience, but luckily, their protection instincts don’t require much upfront training.

3.     Belgian Malinois

While typically utilized as a protection dog today, the Belgian Malinois was originally bred as a livestock protection dog. They’re incredibly hard-working dogs with strong protective instincts. They’re utilized by police and military organizations for protection work – even over the German Shepherd. They’re descended from the same shepherd breeds that produced the German Shepherd and Dutch Shepherd.

Unlike other protection breeds, the Belgian Malinois is also utilized as a herding dog. They’re also extremely intelligent and obedient. They’re very trainable, making them suitable as family protection dogs. There are several subtypes of Belgian Malinois, and they have slightly different temperaments.

Some of the modern Belgian Malinois have a high prey drive and would prefer to snack on your animals themselves. If you pick this intense breed, you’ll want to be sure to get one from the right bloodlines to protect your livestock! All varieties require extensive exercise. Therefore, we highly recommend them for active families or those looking to put them to work.

These dogs are extremely healthy, with a life expectancy of up to 14 years. They have occasional allergies or joint problems, especially when employed in high-demand environments.

4.     Kangal Shepherd

The Kangal Shepherd is also known as the Anatolian Shepherd Dog. However, this latter name is disputed by breed experts, so we will be using the more accepted Kangal Shepherd term.

These dogs were originally bred to protect livestock, but they’re also utilized as personal protection dogs. They’re a traditional breed from Central Anatolia, used to protect flocks against wolves and similar predators. They’re utilized in Africa today by the Cheetah Conservation Fund to protect flocks from larger predators (like the cheetah). Not only does this protect the flocks, but it also prevents farmers from purging cheetahs. Kangal/Pyrenees crossbreeds are also a popular choice to protect your livestock.

This canine is large, but they’re also extremely agile. They can reach up to 35 mph. Their coat is very weather-proof, able to defend against the cold and heat equally. They have innate protection instincts. When they notice a threat, their first instinct is to put themselves between the threat and their charge (which could be a flock or human). They’re often able to intimidate the predator into fleeing, but they can hold their own in a physical confrontation if needed.

5.     Kuvasz

The Kuvasz is one of the few breeds still used almost exclusively for guarding livestock. If you haven’t heard of this breed before, don’t be surprised; they’re a closely guarded secret by many homesteaders.

The Hungarians utilized this breed to protect livestock or people. The royal guard even used them as protection animals. They’re an extremely old breed that was likely developed by nomadic tribes during the Migration Period. Sadly, the breed almost went extinct during WWII. Because of their known ability to guard families, the dogs were sought out and killed by German and Soviet soldiers in the region.

As few as thirty dogs were left in Hungary after the war.

Today, these canines are rare. However, when they are bred, it is typically to defend livestock. Therefore, they continue to have the same protection and guarding instincts they had thousands of years ago. If you want a unique dog breed to protect your livestock, the Kuvasz just might be it!

Final Thoughts

For decades, the use of livestock guardian dogs wasn’t popular. However, the practice has grown since the beginning of the 20^th century. These dogs provide a way to protect your livestock from predators that do little damage to the natural world. As more and more predators are becoming endangered, finding a way to protect livestock that doesn’t involve eradicating the threat is important.

Livestock guardian dogs are now being used worldwide, including in the United States and Africa. According to some studies, livestock protection dogs can reduce livestock loss by nearly 100%.

Using these dogs to protect your livestock requires little investment and no special technologies. It’s a traditional method that still works, even in the modern world.

This article was written by Kristin Hitchcock