Livestock guardian dogs (or LGDs) are a type of pastoral dog bred for the purpose of protecting livestock, such as sheep, from predators.

Unlike herding dogs, whose purpose is to control the movement of livestock, livestock guardian dogs blend in as one of the herd. Their guarding of the herd is instinctive as they are bonded to the herd from an early age.

The size of local predators and intensity of predation dictates how many dogs are required to effectively protect livestock. In addition, both male and female dogs have proven to be equally effective at driving off predators.

The introduction of the kangal to Namibia has contributed to the Cheetah Conservation Fund since 1994, allowing the dogs to protect livestock by driving off cheetahs non-lethally, and lessening the need to shoot the felines. Another example of a good livestock guardian is the hungarian sheepdog, whose thick corded coat resembles a sheep's and protects the dog from bites.

• domestic_dog
• pastoral dog
• livestock_guardian_dog
• aïdi
• bankhar
• carpathian_shepherd
• caucasian_mountain_dog
• gaddi_kutta
• great_pyrénées
• hungarian_sheepdog
• kangal
• kuvasz
• maremmano
• šarplaninac