Wild Transylvania

Posted by Paul White on July 23rd, 2024

I met Laszlo (June 15th 2024), a transhumant herdsman free grazing (without fences) with his herd of cows in a valley populated with many wolves and bears. He did not carry a gun and his only defence was his livestock guardian dogs (LGD) and that small axe head fixed to the top of his staff. He lives with his herd 24/7 from spring to autumn, making cheese in the mountains and providing fresh milk.

Someone from the village told me that one of Laszlo's cows had recently been attacked by a bear, so this was my first opportunity to find out what happened.

It was an unplanned meeting and Laura and I were accompanied by a couple of friends from the UK. Laszlo was standing on the dirt track that winds along the length of this forest lined valley with pasture on both sides of the track.

I asked Laszlo where his livestock guardian dogs were and he replied that they were just behind the treeline taking a drink from the stream. He then asked me if I wanted to meet them. I said of course and warned our friends that the dogs would be coming quickly. Laszlo then whistled loudly and the dogs responded at speed to investigate what we the strangers were doing.

In my experience if the shepherd or herdsman is with you, then his dogs pose little danger. When they see their master talking calmly and happily with strangers they soon relax and 'stand down'. This all happened very quickly and within minutes the dogs were laying down and a couple of them slept.

The dog above is wearing both a dangle stick and a spiked collar which helps protect the dog's throat if attacked by a wolf or bear.

The small dog in front of the LGD is a herding dog. There's a misconception that livestock guardian dogs herd, but they don't. Their purpose is to protect livestock and their master. So it's not unusual to see shepherd groups utilising more than one specialist dog to protect and move livestock.

I often get asked if they get along, and I can say from my own observations and experience that they do. I don't think dogs look at each other in terms of breed, job and size. They have their own language and etiquette and as long as there's mutual respect, they tend to get along fine.

For dogs to sleep like this in the presence of complete strangers, they must have complete confidence and trust in their masters decision making. LGDs especially, nap often during the day as they are usually most busy during the night when large predators are most active. But beware that it is only napping and if anything was to threaten their livestock or master, they can expode into action within a split second.

When I asked Laszlo how his cow was doing after the bear attack he quickly pointed her out. You can see a dark area of skin with flies hovering above, just behind her shoulders. The wound is not quite closed but is healing well.

He said she was ambushed from behind (approximately 3 weeks earlier), whilst taking a drink from the forest stream, just metres behind him inside the treeline (see photo below). I asked him why his dogs didn't prevent the attack and his reply detailed how the bear managed to breach his defences.

At the beginning of each grazing season transhumant groups gather their flocks and herds in the lower valleys. As the grass becomes exhaused they move to higher pastures in the mountains where the grass is now long and lush. This is known as seasonal grazing.

Laszlo said there was another group nearby with their own cows and dogs. But due to their close proximity the two packs kept clashing, so he decided to tether the majority of his. The other group has since moved on, so now Laszlo's dogs can once again roam freely.

LGDs need to be able to patrol around livestock day and night to adequately protect them, maintaining the fragile coexistence required to enable farming in a predator rich environment. It's also important to remember that the dog's strength is in their numbers and they need to work as a pack to maintain their deterrent.