Livestock guarding dogs (LGDs) are one of the more effective measures for protecting livestock from large carnivores attacks. In the LIFE DINALP BEAR project, we therefore established a network of LGDs breeders for the purpose of promoting and increasing the number of working dogs in the project area.

We cooperate with LGDs breeders even after the end of the project, as there has been great interest in using LGDs among livestock breeders, and breeders of LGDs continue to support the working line and share their knowledge and experience in raising effective LGDs.

Therefore, the good practice that was developed continues also in the frame of other projects. For instance, as part of the Interreg project Carnivora Dinarica, 2 LGDs of tornjak breed from the working line were donated to interested livestock breeders. The practice was further improved in this project by donating already trained dogs for immediate herd protection. It is the training of LGDs that is crucial and the most difficult period in dog upbringing. It is then very welcome for the new owner to be able to acquire an already trained dog. The new project LGDs were bred and trained by breeder Aleš Sedmak, with whom we have already cooperated in our project LIFE DINALP BEAR.