A penguin's best friend: guard dogs needed to save Middle Island colony from foxes

Two new guard dogs are being urgently sought to help protect one of the last colonies of little penguins on Australiaâ€™s coastline.

The colony of little penguins on Middle Island, off the coastal town of Warrnambool in Victoria, was virtually wiped out by foxes in the 1990s and early 2000s. In one attack 360 of the diminutive birds were killed; the local newspaper described it as a â€œmassacreâ€.

The ongoing threat prompted a local chicken farmer to suggest using maremmas to guard the penguins. The working dogs, usually deployed to protect livestock, were sent to Middle Island in 2006.

The penguin colony, which dwindled to just four identified individuals, has rebounded to 150 birds.

Eudy and Tula, the Middle Island guard dogs, are now eight years old and project leaders are planning their retirement. A crowd-funding campaign has been launched to raise $25,000 to buy and train two puppies to replace Eudy and Tula.

â€œThere are ups and downs in the process. This is a world first, so we are kind of writing the manual as we go. These dogs are normally used for chickens, after all.â€

The maremmas are sent to Middle Island over the warmer months when a sandbar â€“ which gives foxes access â€“ appears. Volunteers feed and check on the dogs each day.

The dogs are introduced to the penguins and become friends with them. They then bark at anyone or anything that approaches the penguins.

â€œWe train them that the island is theirs â€“ 90% of their work is through barking,â€ Abbott said. â€œBut if they did get on to a fox theyâ€™d kill it.â€

â€œNow that the movie is out we will need to remind them that they are working dogs and not movie stars,â€ Abbott said.

I beg to differ. The U.S. Department of Agriculture brought in a variety of Lives Stock Guard Dogs for testing in the north west for wolves. The Pyrenees, Akbash, Kuvas and others. The Turkish Akbash dog was by far the most effective. Yes, includng bears. I owned an Akbash, “Jack”, as a pet. I also have a good Border Collie for her chores. The Akbash, about 100 pounds, sheds like crazy. White fur balls everywhere. They are great with kids, like Boxers. They are very protective as you are their herd. Never had a problem. But their courage is is unmatched. Never get between them and a bad guy. They are easily socialized whether it be just people or goats, chickens, cattle. They are the most stoic animal I know. If you want them to stay with the herd they will ignore weather, rain, snow, minus 10 degrees. They Stand Guard, all night.

There are many links on the web for this dog. You have to know how to handle large dogs, have some space, and let them do their perimeter guarding thing that is totally genetic. No training necessary, the same as Borer Collies and herding instinct. The Akbash has a dog IQ of about 77 as opposed to a Border Collie of 180+. The Akbash is not an obedience champion. Come, Sit, Stay are it. Maybe.

BTW, in some photos of the Akbash you will see them wearing a nasty spiked collar. This has the purpose of protecting them when wolves or other predators go for the throat. It is a real good thing, not cruel to them.

I loved that dog Jack. As with all good dogs they show you unconditional love.

There are at least 5 breeds of “Great White Dogs” I like the Turkish Abash, the Italian Maremma/Abruzzi or for a smaller one the Polish Tatra. Skip the Hungarian Kuvas, AKC approved,local breeder are too inbred.

I think I need to convince my wife we need a third dog to guard the chickens.. What a pal.

Bill in NW Montana

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