Livestock guarding dogs in action – 2024 movement study on the Verwall Alp

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In the summer of 2024, an exciting experiment was carried out on the Verwall Alm in Tyrol: for the first time, it was investigated exactly how Livestock guarding dogs and sheep actually move in alpine terrain – and how closely they stay together.

Three handsome Maremmano Abruzzese Livestock guarding dogs were the focus of the study. They come from a LIFEstockProtect competence center and are certified by the Austrian Center Bear, Wolf, Lynx – according to the quality guidelines developed as part of LIFEstockProtect. Together with around 300 sheep, 16 of which were equipped with GPS transmitters, they spent the summer roaming the pastures of the mountain pasture. The dogs also wore trackers – creating a unique database in Austria.

Always at the side of the herd

The evaluation shows: The dogs covered an average of over 7 kilometers a day – twice as much as the sheep. They were also far ahead of the animals in terms of altitude. Above all, however, they consistently kept close: Around 80 to 90 % of the time, they moved within a maximum radius of 100 meters of their sheep.

Each dog brought its own personality to the table:

One was the persistent patrolman, the second acted somewhat more independently and the third was the calm, loyal “rock in the surf”. Together they formed a functioning protection team – and it was effective: despite evidence of wolves in the area, there was not a single kill.

Compact stoves – even for challenges

The sheep stayed very close together, especially at night. During the day, the formation loosened somewhat, but usually remained stable. Only when a large bad-weather pasture was used did the flock spread out more – the dogs reacted with increased movement and more extensive patrolling.

A strong example of effective livestock protection

The results underline what experienced Shepherds have long known: Well-trained, certified Livestock guarding dogs, embedded in a well-thought-out pasture management system, are key to low-conflict livestock grazing in wolf territories.