MAREMMA SHEEPDOGS ARE VERY GOOD DOGS – SO WHY AREN’T THEY USED MORE?

Since sheep were introduced to Australia by Europeans, farmers have had to find ways to protect them from dingoes.

This ongoing challenge has typically been met with culling as the default solution.

But Dr. Linda van Bommel believes there’s an alternative right in front of us—one that’s big, white, and fluffy.

“Everyone tells farmers to shoot dingoes, set traps, or put out poisoned baits,” says Dr. van Bommel. “But no one ever suggests the option of using a guardian animal.”

Dr. van Bommel, an expert in livestock guardian dogs from the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society and the University of Tasmania, has spent her career studying the relationships between apex predators, guardian dogs, and humans. She also trains Maremma sheepdogs, the most common guardian breed in Australia, including Rocco, an 18-month-old dog currently in her care.

Maremmas are gentle giants that form strong bonds with livestock, including sheep, cattle, chickens, and even small penguins. Naturally shy and sensitive, their role is to embed themselves in the flock, providing constant protection. But when faced with a predator, Maremmas show their assertive side, often scaring off entire packs of dingoes.

“They live with livestock 24/7, acting as personal bodyguards for the animals,” Dr. van Bommel explains. “They are incredibly intelligent dogs. If a predator approaches, they’ll know it immediately and send it away. They’re always on the job.”

For Dr. van Bommel, livestock guardian dogs are the clear solution to dingo predation.

“There’s plenty of evidence showing that guardian animals are just as effective—if not more effective—than lethal control methods,” she says.

In fact, a survey of 150 farmers revealed that nearly all (98%) of those who had used guardian dogs in the past decade recommended them for protecting livestock. This is a highly positive endorsement.

Dr. van Bommel sees the dogs as a cost-effective, humane alternative to dingo culling that also benefits native ecosystems. Dingoes, a native species, help control invasive predators like feral cats and foxes and regulate populations of large herbivores like kangaroos, preventing overgrazing. Scientists have also shown that ecosystems are healthier and more biodiverse when dingoes are present.

So why aren’t more farmers using these dogs?

“It’s not that people aren’t aware of them anymore,” says Dr. van Bommel. “Since I began my research 15 years ago, there’s been more public awareness, including films like Oddball, about Maremmas protecting penguins.”

Despite this, Dr. van Bommel believes there is still a lack of understanding about what livestock guardian dogs need to succeed on the farm. When these dogs are not properly trained or introduced to their role, it can lead to frustration and failure.

“For example, an eight-week-old pup is not ready to guard sheep,” she says. “I hear stories of people leaving untrained puppies with livestock, not realizing that the dogs need proper training and a gradual introduction to the flock. Without that, things often go wrong—puppies grow up without understanding what they’re meant to do.”

Maremmas take a couple of years to mature and become effective guardians, and they work best when paired with at least one other dog, Dr. van Bommel adds. With the right setup and care, these dogs provide a valuable, non-lethal solution to protecting livestock while supporting a balanced ecosystem.

Livestock guardian dogs are often bred with a more sensitive, shy temperament, which means they can’t be treated like typical pet dogs.

“They’re more like cats than dogs,” Dr. van Bommel says.

“When you see a livestock guardian dog with its flock, they appear very non-threatening,” she explains. “They’re incredibly gentle with their sheep, often walking through the flock with their head down, glancing sideways, because they don’t want to startle them.”

Protecting the flock is their primary motivation—not food, attention, or affection like most other dogs. While they are highly aware of everything happening in the field and beyond, this makes them harder to train in the traditional sense. Rather than following commands obediently, they tend to act according to what they feel is best for the flock—like staying close to a vulnerable lamb.

“They’re incredibly independent thinkers,” Dr. van Bommel says.

This is why Dr. van Bommel has written a manual on how to train and work alongside these intelligent, independent dogs.

She also advocates for better information sharing between state governments and farming organizations to help farmers understand the best practices for using livestock guardian dogs.

“It would be a huge benefit if non-lethal options, like guardian animals, were given the same weight as lethal methods,” she says.

While the process of educating the public is slow, Dr. van Bommel is confident in the benefits of livestock guardian dogs—for the animals, farmers, and the broader ecosystem.

“I’m working on setting up demonstration sites to show people, ‘Look, here’s how you do it, and here’s the success you can achieve with it,’” she says.

“I just don’t think people realize that, when raised correctly and with the right background, a guardian dog can make your livestock as safe as possible.”