# Spatial Ecology of Livestock Protection Dogs, Sheep, and Pampas Foxes in Agroecosystem of Central Argentina

## TL;DR

Livestock protection dogs reduce lamb predation by Pampas foxes while allowing foxes to remain in the ecosystem.

## Contribution

Empirical evidence on how livestock protection dogs influence the spatial behavior of Pampas foxes in agroecosystems.

## Key findings

- Livestock protection dogs effectively reduced lamb predation without completely excluding foxes.
- Pampas foxes maintained large home ranges and kept their core areas separate from those of the dogs.
- Foxes engaged in non-lethal interactions with dogs, allowing carnivores to persist in the ecosystem.

## Abstract

The effectiveness of livestock protection dogs (LPDs) in reducing livestock predation has been widely documented. They are considered a valuable non-lethal tool for mitigating predation because, in addition to protecting livestock, they contribute to the conservation of carnivorous species and maintaining ecological balance. However, there is little empirical evidence on predator behavior in the presence of LPDs. This study aimed to investigate the interactions between LPDs, sheep, and Pampas foxes, the main predator of lambs, in the study area of central Argentina. To this end, GPS collars were placed on dogs and sheep, while captured foxes were monitored with VHF collars. The results showed that LPDs effectively reduced lamb predation, although they did not completely exclude foxes from the area; therefore, temporary expulsion responses to encounters occurred on occasion. Foxes displayed larger home ranges than reported elsewhere, which remained stable throughout the year, while maintaining their distance from the LPDs and engaging in direct but non-lethal encounters. Overall, this study underscores the role of LPDs as an effective management tool, minimizing livestock losses while allowing carnivores to persist in the ecosystem.

Livestock protection dogs (LPDs) are specifically bred to protect livestock, such as sheep, from predators. These dogs’ primary defense mechanisms include directional actions that deter predators but no attack. Little information is available on the influence of LPDs on the spatial ecology of predators. We analyzed interactions between an LPD, sheep, and Pampas foxes (Lycalopex gymnocercus, a main predator of lambs) in a ranch located in central Argentina. Between 2018 and 2021, we deployed GPS collars on an LPD and 2 ewes from a flock of 300 sheep and VHF collars on 12 live-trapped Pampas foxes. The home ranges (HRs) of the LPD and the ewes overlapped largely, especially during the lambing period, with the LPD performing minimal excursions outside the area used by the sheep flock. The LPD appeared to effectively reduce predation on lambs. Foxes exhibited a large HR (average 6.42 km2), with considerable intraspecific overlap. The overlaps between the HRs of the foxes and the LPD were variable (range = 0–98%), but their respective core areas never overlapped, and the minimum distance between the core area centers was 950 m. This study highlights the effectiveness of LPDs at reducing predation while enabling the permanence of carnivorous predators in the ecosystem.