As we all work towards a greener future and nature restoration projects become increasingly more important, we believe livestock guardian dogs could help ensure that farmers and their livelihoods are both protected and prioritised.

Highland Livestock Guardians CIC is a trial project that will provide Maremma sheepdogs to crofts and farms, to help protect livestock from potential predation or disturbance. This approach to livestock protection is intended to help land managers to co-exist with protected wildlife species. We will monitor the placed dogs throughout the trial to assess their effectiveness and whether they could be a viable option for the farming communities.  

Although this approach may be a relatively new concept to the UK, it is commonplace elsewhere. Guardian dog breeds have been successfully used by farmers internationally for generations, providing communities with confidence that their livestock are better safeguarded. We would like to investigate whether these dogs can offer the UK a similar level of livestock protection.