Livestock Guardian Dogs and Cattle on the Trail: What to Do

A big dog, white or tan, comes barreling toward you from a band of sheep, barking: should you worry? Usually, no. It’s most likely a livestock guardian dog, and the Bureau of Land Management’s first piece of advice is simply to remain calm [1]. To the dog, you’re a possible threat to its flock. Show it you aren’t, and in most cases it will soon get bored with you and let you move along, notes the Blaine County Recreation District, in Idaho [2].

This guide complements our guide to planning a hike. It pulls together the advice of the BLM and of Western state and local agencies, the rules hikers follow in the Alps, where guardian dogs are part of summer on the high pastures, and what to do around cattle, the other big animals you’ll share the range with.

Livestock guardian dogs: on guard, not on the attack

They’re large dogs, usually white or tan, that stay near the sheep [1]. Breeds such as Great Pyrenees and Akbash are raised with the lambs, so the pups come to see themselves as part of the flock, the Blaine County district explains. Don’t confuse them with herding dogs, often collie types, which help move the sheep: the big white dogs are there to protect the flock from predators [2].

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Why are they out there? Guard dogs are an economical, non-lethal way to control predators, widely used in the western US since the late 1970s, and they were selected for aggression against predators, mostly coyotes, and non-aggression toward people, Montana State University researchers explain [3]. They work big country: the BLM manages livestock grazing, mostly cattle and sheep, on 155 million acres of public lands [4].

Their weapon is deterrence: as you approach a band, some dogs won’t make a fuss, others will charge toward you, barking [2]. And they roam. In a GPS study of 13 guard dogs on Montana ranches, 75% of locations were within 0.1 mile (160 m) of the sheep, but each dog’s farthest recorded distance ranged from 0.3 mile to 1.2 miles (about 0.5 to 1.9 km) [3].

Meeting a guardian dog: what to do, step by step

First move: avoid the encounter. If you come across a band of sheep on public land, the BLM advises changing your route to minimize contact, or else choosing the least disruptive route around the sheep [1]; in France, the Luberon Regional Nature Park’s first rule is never to walk through a flock [5]. Idaho’s tips for mountain bikers, shared by the BLM in 2021, differ when sheep are on the trail: dismount and walk through the sheep, so as not to antagonize the guardian dogs [6]. Where there’s room to go around, the BLM’s Colorado advice and the French rule both point around the band.

If a dog comes at you anyway, the BLM’s do’s and don’ts for the Colorado Trail boil down to this [1]:

• Remain calm, and avoid quick, threatening movements toward the sheep or the dog.
• Don’t try to outrun it, and don’t chase or harass the sheep or the dogs.
• Tell the dog to “go back to the sheep,” or say “no” in a firm voice.
• Don’t try to befriend, pet, or feed it.
• Let it check you out: France’s Luberon park advises standing still, facing the dog, without staring it in the eye; the “check” lasts a few minutes [5].

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On a bike, stopping matters even more. Dismount, put the bike between you and the dog, and walk it until you’re well past the sheep, the BLM advises [1]; in France, the Luberon park explains that speed and the noise of the chain wind the dogs up [5]. And if a dog stays too aggressive, or the terrain won’t let you get around the flock, turn back: the park’s advice is to always let the dog have the last word [5].

Hiking with your own dog: the tricky case

To a guardian dog, your dog is one more intruder. Guard dogs can be especially antagonistic toward trail users traveling with dogs, possibly because they treat any canine (dogs, coyotes, wolves) as a predator to be driven off, the Blaine County district explains: leash your pet as soon as you notice sheep nearby [2]. The BLM says the same: keep your dog leashed, and never let it run toward or harass the sheep [1].

If the guardian dogs come to check your dog, France’s Luberon park has precise advice: don’t pick your dog up, don’t let it run through the grazing area or approach the flock, let the dogs communicate without stepping in, even if you’re scared for your dog, and drop the leash if needed while they sort it out. Better still, it suggests, leave your dog at home when you hike where flocks graze [5]. Our guide to hiking with your dog covers the rest, from leash rules to the places closed to dogs.

Cattle on the range: give cows with calves room

Out West, cattle may graze unfenced. In Washington, for example, state law makes all county land not designated a “stock restricted area” range area, where cattle, horses, mules, or donkeys may lawfully run at large [8]. Cattle aren’t aggressive by nature, but they’re protective of their young, and when they feel pressured they may react aggressively, warns California’s Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District [9]. And Swiss hiking association Suisse Rando notes that suckler cows often weigh more than 1,300 lb (600 kg) and can run up to 25 mph (40 km/h) [10].

Idaho’s Rangeland Resources Commission sums up trail etiquette in a few words, shared by the BLM: slow down, leash pets, proceed slowly, and let the cattle move off the trail. Don’t chase livestock down the trail, or you might separate calves from their mothers [6]. Keep your distance and walk around groups of cows with plenty of space, adds the Midpeninsula district; never get between a calf and its mother, and if you see a stray calf, leave it alone, since its mother is probably nearby [9].

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Hiking in the Alps? Austria’s agriculture ministry sums up its advice in ten rules for a safe holiday around cattle; here’s the heart of them [11]:

• avoid contact with grazing animals, don’t feed them, and keep a safe distance at all times;
• try not to be loud, and don’t startle the cattle;
• avoid cows with calves, especially if you have a dog with you;
• keep your dog under control on a short leash, and let it off immediately if it becomes clear that a cow is going to attack;
• stay on the trail; if grazing animals block it, go around them, on foot or by bike, at the greatest possible distance, pushing your bike if necessary;
• if a cow approaches you, stay calm, don’t turn your back on it, and give it a wide berth; at the first sign the animals seem unsettled, stay calm and leave the area quickly.

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What changes from one place to another

The moves are the same everywhere; what changes is who manages the land, and whether anyone can tell you where the sheep are this week.

If something goes wrong

Let the land manager know. If you have a concern about animals you’ve seen, the Blaine County district suggests getting in touch with the agency or land manager responsible for the allotment the band is on [2], and the Midpeninsula district asks visitors to report sick, injured, or potentially aggressive animals to its staff, without trying to help the animal themselves [9].

Abroad, the procedure changes. In France, the Luberon park says an incident with a guardian dog, such as a nip, a bite, or an injury to your dog, can be reported to the departmental directorate of territories (DDT), a French government office, on an incident form [5].

It all comes down to one rule: whenever you can, go around a flock or a herd, not through it. The dog barking at you is doing its job, and so is the cow lowering her head; yours is to give them room and move along without hurrying. And if you meet the herder, a friendly word costs nothing: in France, the Luberon park reminds hikers that shepherds have a huge amount of work and can’t look after every passing visitor [5].

Worth watching

Idaho’s Rangeland Resources Commission, one of the agencies this guide draws on, gives hikers, bikers and dog walkers its tips for meeting domestic sheep and their guard dogs on the range.

The video is hosted by YouTube (Google): nothing loads until you play it, and Google may then set cookies.

Arnaud Couderc

Fact-checking, regulations, and safety

Arnaud Couderc reviews our contributors’ articles and writes for Outfarer about regulations, safety, fishing, the ocean, and outdoor activities. He traces every rule back to its official text and every number to its source, so you head out with solid benchmarks.

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