Excerpts from the report Introduction: In the mid-1970's, there began a resurgence in the use of an ancient form of sheep protection, the guarding dog. Several factors contributed to this phenomenon, including federal restrictions on the use of substances to kill predators, the relative inability of existing techniques to provide adequate relief from predation, and a desire by some to use nonlethal methods of reducing the loss of livestock to predators. There are few hard and fast rules with respect to dogs and sheep. Many variables interact to produce successful guarding dogs. This report presents a viewpoint based on experiences with a number of dogs with varying temperaments. Although some of the information may be speculative, most is supported by the experience and research of the authors, other researchers, and by a growing number of people who successfully use dogs to protect their livestock.