FTGU

Bill Costanzo, Texas A&M AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program Specialist, says Texas ranches face threats from a variety of predator species, including coyotes, wolves, feral hogs, and buzzards. Guardian dogs are trained to manage these wildlife conflicts, with their defensive tactics being particularly effective against canine predators such as town dogs, feral dogs, coyotes, and foxes. Costanzo explains unlike llamas and donkeys, which react to threats, guardian dogs proactively establish and regularly monitor territorial boundaries using scent markers. These markers are recognized by canines of different species, typically deterring them from invading the territory. When a predator does encroach, the guardian dog initially employs disruption tactics like barking to assert its presence. Physical confrontation is rare and only occurs if the predator persists, emphasizing the dogs' role as a non-lethal means of protecting livestock.