Quote: Kori Bigge

.. Whoa - are do people actually use llamas to guard flocks? For real?

Yes.

They use donkeys, llamas, and certain dogs.

I copyedited a guardian animals book a few months ago. Fascinating.

 Quote: Kori Bigge

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

Yes, often times there are guardian And flock-guarding llamas and guardian dogs......

Whoa - are do people actually use llamas to guard flocks? For real? That makes for a funny mental picture (to me, at least!) Beware - guard llama on premises! LMAO!!

It's funny that Llamas should come up on leerburg. I am newly acquainted with two Llamas (I bought them). The black one was fairly tame and halter broke but would kick at me with his wicked looking back feet (I kid you not) when I got near his belly, and was always making sour faces at me, spitting would probably be next. My neighbor has him now to guard his sheep and this Llama has already chased one stock dog out of the pen. I still have the other (red and white) Llama. He is very strong. I sat on his back one day when he was laying down, I wanted to get a halter on him and thought he wouldn't be able to get up, wrong...he had no trouble standing up, then he jumped around some and ended up with his head down by my knees and his neck still between my thighs, so I just held on with my legs so I could get the halter on him. He picked his head and me up and I was up at his back again. He only weighs about twice what I weigh.
I'll get some pictures of him when I get him broke to ride and drive (I'm still not kidding).
They are usually not the fragile meek things you would suppose they are. I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of the fence with an aggressive guard Llama.

I have great Pyrenees for gaurding our property, because of coyote problems. It is really amazing watching them work. When a coyote or a strange dog enters the property, they will actually play with the dog and kind of push them off, but, if they don't take the hint after awhile the 2 will turn a little more agressive.
I have never see it, but, from what I understand they will kill if they have to. I have seen them work with skunks, it was all play, and then a few barks, and then one got near my GSD and the pyrenees went in for the kill. So I an sure that is how they would do a strange hunting dog.
Our property runs along several hundred acres of conservation land that allows hunting, so we do get hunting dogs thru at times at night, especially coon hunters, they usually go through fast enough, that my pyrs escort them off the property and theres no problems.