In summer, the French mountains are a fantastic playground for hikers and vacationers. But they are also pastoral spaces to protect and share with sheep and protection dogs or "patous". We will explain how to behave when encountering patous during a mountain hike.
During a mountain hike in pastoral areas, walkers may come across herds of livestock and their protection dogs.
These large white dogs called "patous" are trained to protect the herds and deter predators. Their role is to ward off any intruders (wild animals like wolves, but also walkers or other dogs).
If you are wondering how to act in the presence of sheep herds and their canine guardians, remember that the golden rule is to keep your distance.
When approaching the sheep and the patous, hikers must absolutely avoid getting too close to the herd in order to not disturb the animals and to respect the work of the breeders and shepherds.
If you come across herds during a mountain hike, you should especially adopt the right attitude towards the dogs that ensure the protection of the animals.
Some gestures that may seem harmless to you can be interpreted as aggression by the patous.
That's why you must not:
• try to pet the dog
• give it food
• approach it to take a photo
If, despite the above advice, you find yourself facing one or more threatening guard dogs, you must absolutely avoid behaviors that could be interpreted as aggression by the patous.
Do not threaten the dog with your hiking poles! On the contrary, hold them with the tips down and pressed against your body to make them invisible.
Stop and remain calm and passive to reassure the dog. Even if you are impressed, do not start shouting or running, but calmly face the dog. You can speak to the dog in a friendly tone, but do not stare at it insistently in the eyes.
Another trick to appear less dangerous in the eyes of the herd guardians is to hold an object like a backpack or a hat in your arms between you and the dog.
Do not approach the patous directly, but try to go around them. When facing a threatening dog, the best attitude is to slowly turn back without forcing your way through.
The video below explains in more detail the right attitude to adopt:
If you are cycling or mountain biking and come across a herd, it is preferable to get off your bike and walk beside it so that the patou can identify you as an individual.
If you are hiking in the mountains with your own dog, it is advisable to keep it on a leash so that your pet is not tempted to join the herd. This precaution will avoid confrontation with the protection dogs.
However, if a patou approaches, it is best to:
• not pick up your pet
• loosen its leash if possible.
Note: before going hiking with your pet, always check if domestic dogs are allowed, as they are not permitted everywhere! In certain sensitive natural areas and remarkable heritage sites, dogs are prohibited either all year round or during certain periods.
Even when dogs are allowed, you must follow certain rules to ensure the tranquility and safety of everyone. Therefore, when hiking in grazing areas, you must keep your dog on a leash at all times to avoid conflicts with the protection dogs of the herds.
You will find all the official recommendations in the document below.
Author Audrey on 22 March 2022
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