Victorian wool growers with a long-term use of livestock guardian dogs believe they are not the panacea for the non-lethal control of dingoes, wild dogs and their hybrids.
According to the growers, live-stock guardian dogs require an investment in training, handling and care, must be protected by electric predator fencing and be used in conjunction with a collaborative nil tenure wild dog management program.
East Gippsland wool growers Philip and Patrizia Neven fight “fire with fire” using five desexed male Maremmas to protect their sheep flock from wild dog predation.
The Maremmas work in conjunction with electric predator fencing on their Tubbut property, together with a coordinated regional baiting program and a professional wild dog controller.
Members of the Bonang-Bendoc Wild Dog Management Group, the couple now has less foxes and rabbits on their property due to the Maremmas and believe the local coordinated 1080 baiting programs have resulted in increased numbers of bandicoots, ring tailed possums, goannas and lyrebirds.

IMAGE: East Gippsland wool grower, Philip Neven, uses Maremmas to guard his sheep flock from predation. (Photo: Neven family)