Big dogs

One of my random sidehobbies/obsessions is LGDs: Livestock Guardian Dogs. Since farming, in general, constantly occupies my thoughts, I spend a, perhaps, unnecessary amount of time each day comparing various LGD breeds. In the US, the most common breeds are the Great Pyrenees, the Akbash, the Anatolian sheepdog, and Maremma.  These dogs work on instinct, bonding to a flock of sheep, goats, cows, alpacas, etc and sleeping, eating, traveling with them. They protect the flock from feral dogs, coyotes, wolves, bears, anything. 

They are incredibly good looking dogs, especially to me, since I have a weakness for huge, huge dogs. 

In Romania, where shepherding is still a lifestyle in the country, livestock guardian dogs are frequently employed. In the US, studies conducted by the US Dept of Agriculture have laid out a very specific plan for training these dogs and cultivating their natural instincts. However, the Romanian way is, of course, sort of making do/extemporaneous. One British university study reviews a Romanian method to training/using/effectiveness of LGDs in Romania, and indeed it is relying completely on their instincts with the shepherds watching on.

Here is the Mioritic Sheepdog, the native Romanian breed of guardian dog. Though there is some sort of registry (I think) for this breed, in rural Romania, mongrels are almost certainly used or, breeding is not regulated and well-recorded. Any big, intimidating dog will do.

Below is Bailey, a Bukovina sheepdog. She is a very sweet dog whose natural instincts are not being fully utilized while being kept chained to the barn like this. She is a very 'type-y', pure bred dog that was specifically purchased from a breeder, and was not a stray/extra from a neighbor's litter. Thus, she is an unusually good-looking dog. However, this is typical in Romanian rural areas (and even urban areas), and these dogs spend their days in a 10 meter circle (or less) barking at anything that goes by. The shepherd from across the street offered to buy Bailey more than once, but family I stay with won't give her up.

 

The shepherd has a number of big dogs that look similar to the Mioritic type, and also has some smallish dogs that are for herding, I suppose, since they are too small to be effective guardians. 
This type of dogs, long, shaggy fur, fur covering eyes, is seen in very frequently here. He takes his flock of about 70 sheep up to the woods, and had actually recently returned up to the mountain pastures according to the news I heard this past weekend.  He had been closer to home around Christmas-time, but I imagine into the month of February, he headed back up. His flock is all his own sheep, while other households keep something like 10 sheep which they keep close to home in the winter. With as many sheep as he has, he probably goes to the mountains so the sheep can feed on the haystacks in the pastures.
If you are riding or hiking by a flock, you are very likely to be approached by 3 or more big, aggressively barking dogs. This is typical LGD behavior and they tend to protect the flock mainly out of intimidation. However, they are willing and able to attack predators and can kill wolves, bears, coyotes, etc.