Himalayan Guardian Dogs: Unsung Sentinels of the Shepherds of the Himalayas

Pastoral Communities of the Indian Trans-Himalaya

Standing amidst the vast trans-Himalayan meadows, I was filled with quiet reverence for these life-sustaining pasturelands. The silence was broken by the bleats and baas of migrating sheep and goats, following the whistles and calls of their shepherds. Each summer, Gaddi shepherds embark on arduous journeys with their livestock to the alpine pastures of the Himalayas, locally known as ghar or dhar. For these shepherds, a semi-nomadic co-living with their grazing flocks is not merely a source of livelihood — it is their chosen way of life. Yet, their transhumant lifestyle is fraught with challenges as they navigate treacherous terrain while safeguarding their herds from theft and wild predators. To withstand these difficult realities of the land, these pastoralists have long relied on their valued partnerships with domestic dogs to protect their flocks and camps.

Himalayan Guardian Dogs: The Unsung Sentinels of Himalayan Pastoralism

The high-altitude pasturelands of Lahaul, Himachal Pradesh, are home to predators such as snow leopards, Tibetan wolves, and brown bears, posing a significant threat to livestock. In these shared rangelands, I witnessed the indispensable role of Himalayan guardian dogs in safeguarding the Gaddi flocks.

Typically large and imposing, guardian dogs are fierce protectors of shepherd camps, especially at night when the shepherds rest. Every shepherd camp typically has two or more guardian dogs, keeping a vigilant eye, ear, and nose out for anything suspicious throughout the day and night. Shepherds prefer large, long-haired dogs that can withstand the cold and ward off potential threats. Their deep, sonorous barks act to alert and warn both animal and human intruders, deterring predators and thieves alike. As livestock theft becomes increasingly common — particularly when shepherds traverse the forested foothills — these dogs are economically vital.

These guardian dogs are not herding dogs. The key distinction is that these dogs do not assist in herding or guiding livestock across grazing grounds. That is the shepherd’s duty. Instead, their role is to stay alert to potential threats, whether at the front or rear of the herd and signal any danger. Despite the western label of “livestock guardian dog,” guarding the livestock is only one of the many roles of the Himalayan guard dogs. While their primary task may be to protect the flocks, they are the first line of defence for shepherd camps.

After a morning cup of sweet tea, the shepherds tend to their flocks, guiding sheep to flatter pastures close to the valley floor while the goats are herded to higher, steeper ones. Depending on the bond between the dogs and the shepherds, dogs may accompany the shepherd for the daytime grazing chore or alternatively, stay behind in the camp to guard and rest. When the sun begins to set, the dogs become active and prepare for their invaluable nighttime duty. This is the time when the shepherds need their guardian dogs the most. As the livestock are herded back to camps and the shepherds focus on camp chores — cooking and cleaning — the dogs stand vigilant against any intrusions, especially from nocturnal predators like wolves and snow leopards.

Shepherd-Dog Partnerships and Bonds

Guardian dogs and their shepherds have developed effective communication and mutual understanding that has enabled successful partnerships for safeguarding livestock and camps. Upon sensing the presence of an approaching predator, the guardian dogs move in the direction of the intrusion, and bark aggressively to wake their shepherds. The sleeping shepherds recognise the distinct barks, understanding them as their dogs’ beckoning barks. Grabbing a stick in one hand and a torch in the other, the shepherds join their dogs, shouting and making loud noises as they follow them. One shepherd takes on the task of guiding the livestock closer to the camp so they don’t scatter in panic. Without the protective ferocity of these guardian dogs, shepherds would risk losing countless livestock.

A Gaddi shepherd shared a story about his fierce trust in his companion guardian dog, Laali, to protect the livestock at night. He proudly recalled, “The dog knew no fear. She was able to chase away large animals like bears all by herself. At night, I did not even need to remove the blanket from my face to look around the camp, for I was assured that when Laali was around, my livestock could not be harmed by any predator. She would not allow it.”

For such fearless dogs, shepherds employed special protection in the form of spiked metal collars to prevent strangulation attacks from feline predators like snow leopards.

At times, however, the dogs pay the price with their own lives. One shepherd recounted a night when a pair of wolves ventured right into his camp. His three guardian dogs distracted the wolves away from the camp. But when the shepherd went after his dogs, he saw that the wolf pair was cornering and attacking one of the dogs. His aggressive shouts and approach were enough to scare the wolves away, leaving behind the gravely injured dog. Although he couldn’t save his brave dog, they succeeded in protecting the flock from a wolf attack.

Changing Pastoral Partnerships and Practices

Over time, the nature of shepherd-dog partnerships seems to have shifted. Traditional or indigenous guardian dog breeds (or landraces), particularly large mastiff-type dogs suited to the harsh Himalayan conditions, are becoming less common among the Gaddi community. There are many reasons for this, from the mixing of traditional Gaddi breeds with non-Gaddi breeds of the plains to the high demand of pure Gaddi breeds as house guard dogs in regions like Punjab. Shepherds now must travel far, even to Ladakh or Kashmir, to find these dogs. In response, shepherds have replaced traditional Himalayan guardian dogs with other Indian dogs from the plains. These dogs from warmer climates are short-haired and short-statured, making them ill-suited to the cold, high-altitude environment.

Despite their valiant efforts, these newer dogs often lack the protective instincts and physical characteristics of the traditional guardian dogs. Elderly Gaddi shepherds argue that these contemporary dogs do not offer the same level of protection, particularly against predators and thieves. Young shepherds now try to remedy this lack of vigilance by cutting off the ear flaps of the dogs with the misguided belief that this will improve the dogs’ hearing ability and guarding skills. This change strongly reflects broader shifts in pastoralism that have a growing disconnect from traditional knowledge about training and relation-building with guardian dogs.

Ensuring the Future of Pastoralism

By protecting livestock from predators, these guardian dogs create a landscape of security and safety for the shepherds, enabling them to coexist safely with other wild co-inhabitants. In the absence of the dogs, shepherds may retaliate to livestock depredation by poisoning or culling predators. The shepherd-dog partnership is an exemplary example of a traditional and non-lethal practice that has facilitated safe cohabitation and coexistence in shared landscapes.

However, the weakening of the shepherd-dog partnership presents a looming challenge. The loss of traditional or indigenous dog breeds, coupled with diminishing knowledge of how to train and bond with these animals, threatens the long-term viability of this traditional way of life.

My ongoing research documents these changes and explores the drivers behind these transitions by engaging with shepherds and their dogs. I believe we need a nuanced understanding about these multispecies relations in the context of modernisation and ongoing changes in pastoral practices to preserve and strengthen these relationships.

“We could never continue our pastoral way of life without our dogs”, an elderly Gaddi shepherd told me, reaffirming what all Himalayan shepherds know to be true to their everyday living.

The author would like to acknowledge and express gratitude to the Rufford Small Grants for the continued support of her research work.