Understanding encounters between recreationists and livestock guardian dogs as a basis for conflict management

Farmers in the French Alps increasingly rely on Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGDs) to protect herds in mountain pastures and valleys from a growing wolf population. However, rising sport and recreational activities challenge the coexistence between LGDs and outdoor users. Since 2019, pastoral services in four French departments have conducted surveys – collecting quantitative and qualitative data – to understand recreationists encounters with LGDs. This research paper examines which factors influence the perception of encounters between recreationists and LGDs. Based on 1587 questionnaires, perceived LGD threats and emotional experiences during and after encounters significantly influenced users’ perceptions, both positively and negatively. Awareness of LGDs played a modest mediating role, slightly shifting perceptions towards a good stance, underscoring the importance of awareness campaigns. Personal experiences also influenced perceptions; first-time encounters and professional visits led respondents to describe encounters as “neutral” rather than “bad”, while older users described them as “neutral” rather than “good”. Gender and age also played a role: women reported a higher number of “good” encounters. Surprisingly, respondents crossing flocks described encounters as “good” rather than “neutral”, challenging recommendations against flock crossing and highlighting adaptation needs. A key tension lies in contrasting views of mountain areas as non-excludable common land versus excludable resources. Recreationists often see these landscapes as open-access, yet flocks and LGDs introduce barriers, creating exclusion. This reflects three themes: legitimacy (privatisation perceptions), responsibility (accountability conflicts), and socio-ecological issues within herding, recreation, and predator management systems.