WHEN Johnny Ames was searching for a breed of dog he hoped would protect new lambs from birds of prey he wanted a dog that would not only scare off any predators, but also look cuddly.
Luigi and Peaches are Italian Maremma sheepdogs, who are being trained to be ‘guardian dogs’.
Johnny, a falconer on the Rothiemurcus Estate near Aviemore, is teaching the young dogs to live alongside flocks of sheep whilst being on alert for any birds of prey who may see lambs as an easy meal.
The sea eagle, or white tailed eagle, is the UK’s largest bird of prey.
It was reintroduced to Britain in the 1970s, with around 150 breeding pairs thought to be living in Scotland, mostly on the west coast.
They mainly feed on seabirds, wild foul and fish, but to the fury of farmers are also known to target lambs.
Johnny is using a drone with a paper sea eagle attached to train Luigi and Peaches to chase away any birds of prey they see near the sheep.
He showed off the two dogs training on farming and countryside show Landward.
The BBC Scotland TV show was celebrating the role dogs play in Scotland’s countryside by dedicating a whole episode to some very special canine companions.
From dogs who work with livestock, to dogs who adventure on some of the highest hilltops – man’s best friend has a very special place in Scotland’s countryside story.
Johnny said: “In Europe you do find most farmers today do still have livestock guardian dogs following their flocks .
“Our plan is to try and use them to protect farmers’ lambs in the lambing season and try to deter eagles.
“If an eagle is soaring around a flock of sheep and it sees these great big dogs wandering around that it perceives as wolves, the idea is they are just going to look elsewhere for food.”
He added: “Of all the guardian breeds of dog the Maremma are the softest.
“Some of the other breeds are big, scary looking dogs who do bark at people and are quite threatening.
“The Maremma still guard against predators, but when it comes to hikers going through someone’s field, the worst they are going to do is go over for a cuddle.”
Landward presenter Cammy Wilson, a farmer who has lost a number of lambs, welcomed Johnny’s work.
He said: “We still use dogs to shepherd sheep, so why not use them to protect sheep too.
“Every lamb lost to predation costs a farmer like me around £130 and although this project is still in it’s early days, surely anything that helps solve this real issue for farmers is worth trying.
**Landward is available on BBC iPlayer **
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