Two for the Price of One: Livestock Guarding Dogs Deter Not Only Predators But Also Competitors

Abstract

Livestock guarding dogs reduce livestock predation by excluding carnivores and altering herbivore behavior through their presence. In Patagonia, invasive European hares compete with livestock for forage but change their behavior when exposed to native predator odors. In this experiment, we aimed to test if livestock guarding dog odor triggers fear in this herbivore and reduces hare presence in different habitats of sheep grazing lands of Chilean Patagonia, where these lagomorphs are an invasive species. The results showed that European hares reduce their visits to scented places with and without horizontal vegetation. We also discovered that this invasive species reduced foraging time when the odor was present in places with dense horizontal vegetation. These results suggested that livestock guarding dogs could also serve as a European hare deterrent and decrease competition with livestock, allowing greater production and supporting sustainable livestock farming.