BOOK REVIEW:
The Way of the Pack
by Brenda M. Negri
A quick disclaimer before we get started. I have very limited experience with livestock and the use of Livestock guardian dogs for their original purpose. While I’ve lived in fairly rural parts of the US for the majority of my life, seen many homesteads, farms and ranches, and been present for the butchering of chickens and rabbits for food, I’ve never been knee deep in the day to day minutia of running livestock.
That being said, as someone who has worked with dogs in various capacities for a number of years, I have come across my fair share of the unfortunate aftermath of uneducated Livestock Guardian Dog use in my area. I’ve groomed matted Great Pyrenees left to their own devices in small back yards, seen the carcasses of livestock mauled to death by roaming Anatolian Shepherds, and worked with people who don’t understand why their “gentle giant” bit their child. I believe Livestock Guardian breeds and their owners have desperately needed a rational, common sense, guide for a long time.
Before you begin reading, you need to understand, this is not a “quick and easy tips” book. This is not a training guide or a textbook. This is Brenda M. Negri inviting you into her living room, making you a cup of tea, and sharing with you her decades of hands on Livestock Guardian Dog experience. As I read, I could imagine her pointing out the window at the various dogs featured in her anecdotes and pulling out photo albums of the puppies she’s reared…laughing at their antics, crying at their loss, and sharing her worldview on rearing livestock and dogs.
Negri addresses why she believes such a high percentage of Livestock Guardian Dog and owner working relationships are failing in the US. “Human error, a total disconnect from the dogs and their livestock, lazy shepherding, relying on bad information has turned these dogs into disposable tools. That is not the right way.”
Her solution requires a complete shift in approach to both dogs and livestock. She advocates for shepherds to return to a more personal, hands on approach to animal husbandry, stressing to her readers how unfair it is to expect a Livestock Guardian Dog to stand in for human oversight and care.
Her stance is borderline revolutionary in that she is imploring people to do their research before buying both livestock or dogs, to purchase their dogs from responsible, ethical breeders and to ensure they’ve invested in the infrastructure necessary to support the number and type of animals they choose. In today’s day and age, that sort of talk is both old fashion and cutting edge.
The book itself is rests on the assumption that the reader understands the idea of “purpose bred” dogs. This is the concept that dog behavior is determined by a complex mixture of genetics, training and environment, and that generations of selectively breeding dogs based on certain instincts, temperament and behavior will result in dogs who are more likely to consistently exhibit those traits than dogs who have not been selectively bred for that same purpose.
If you believe that dogs are dogs, and a Border Collie and Irish Setter are at birth equally likely to excel at sheep herding, this is probably not the book for you. Negri is a firm believer that Livestock Guardian dogs are genetically predisposed to behaviors that set them apart from other breeds of dog. In fact, she helps the reader understand that due to their various backgrounds, even within the livestock guardian breeds there can be variation of strengths and weaknesses. A Spanish Mastiff may be a better fit for a certain type of livestock set up than a Great Pyrenees or visa versa.
Negri also pushes back against the idea that to be efficient working dogs, Livestock Guardians must be kept in isolation, untouched by humans and deprived of canine socialization. Even in my limited interaction with working Livestock Guardians, I’ve heard people touting this idea and using it as an excuse to keep their dogs at arms length, generally resulting in unsocialized, fearful dogs. This book offers a completely different approach.
I have to admit when I first read the title of the book, I was concerned that Negri adhered to the “Alpha Mentality” or “Pack Mentality” school of thinking that ignores decades of research on canine behavior and training. No need to fear! “The Way of the Pack” encourages dog owners to foster trust and understanding between themselves and their dogs. She eschews the use of “training gadgets” and harsh methods and instead admonishes dog owners to become familiar with canine body language and to understand their dogs’ behaviors before attempting to punish them.
She offers an alternative that feels organic and unforced. Her approach to puppy rearing feels like a natural progression that is easy to understand and simple to implement. She encourages people to invest in pairs or trios of dogs, then introduce them to the livestock in a positive way that fosters trust and a sense of community between the handler, livestock and dogs.
The Way of the Pack covers the process of purchasing livestock guardian dogs and integrating them into your farm from start to finish. Negri will help you navigate finding a breeder, feeding and nutrition, adding new dogs to your property, introducing strangers, handling large predators and more. She includes pages of recommended reading and resources to help make the journey smoother for newcomers and old timers alike.
The content of this book is invaluable, so please push past the small grammatical errors, typos and somewhat haphazard organization. The writing style is informal and, as I stated before, reminiscent of someone inviting you to sit down and have a long conversation with them.
While I would love to see a second edition of this book edited into a more concise and easier to navigate format, there’s a certain amount of authenticity to its current form that does not detract in any way from the treasure trove of information and experience the author shares with anyone who cares to pay attention.
This is not a book you can flip through, grab a couple key points then put on your bookshelf and forget. This is a book you keep next to your bed and read through over and over again. Whether you run livestock or have a livestock guardian dog as a family companion, this book has valuable information. In fact, if you plan to interact with dogs in any form, this book is a good read.
Photo credit for title photo: John Linnell
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