Relative effectiveness of guarding-dog breeds to deter predation on domestic sheep in Colorado

Predators kill significant numbers of domestic sheep in Colorado and the we stern United States. Thus, I obtained data from 119 sheep producers who use d 1 breed of livestock guarding dog (either Akbash, Great Pyrenees, or Komo ndor) in 1993 and 59 producers who used multiple breeds (including Anatolia n Shepherd) in 1995 to assess relative effectiveness of breed of dogs to de ter predation on domestic sheep in Colorado. For producers using 1 breed of dog, estimates of ewe and lamb mortalities to most predators in most types of sheep operations, value of sheep saved from predators, and ratings of e ffectiveness did not vary among breeds of dogs. Producers using multiple br eeds of dogs rated Akbash as more effective than Great Pyrenees to deter pr edation. More producers also rated Akbash as more effective than Komondors to deter predation by all predators combined and by coyotes (Canis latrans) . More producers rated Akbash as more aggressive, active, intelligent, and faster than Great Pyrenees. More producers also rated Akbash as more aggres sive, attentive, trustworthy, active, and faster than Komondors. Anatolians were rated as faster than Great Pyrenees. Great Pyrenees were rated as les s active than Komondors. Most producers indicated that the most important a ttributes of dogs were high aggressiveness to predators, great attentivenes s to sheep, and great trustworthiness, whereas fewer producers indicated th at great activity level, great intelligence, and fast mobility were importa nt attributes.