Wild Dogs... Killing For Fun...

[MA-Caver]

I don't think we've heard the last of these puppies.

Local law enforcement officials in Northeast Washington state are worried about a pack of dogs that have attacked at least 100 animals since March. The pack, they fear, is now "killing for fun."
The wild dogs took out a 350-lb llama on Tuesday night, the latest in a string of attacks that have left more than 100 goats and other farm animals dead in the ranching community of Stevens County. The dogs, whose breeds are so far unknown, emerge only at night, but residents in their predatory range in the valleys and mountains near Spokane are afraid the canines may be getting bolder.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelo...oodthirsty-pack-of-dogs-take-out-350-lb-llama

It has always been likely that dogs that are free to roam wild will be feral... just like cats and just about anything domesticated since all domesticated animals originated from the wild. These animals in a pack... roaming around killing without feeding (although the article doesn't specify) one imagines that when it's said they're killing for fun. Not even wolves do that in the wild... every kill is for food.
But these are domesticated dogs turned wild... I'll wager that they aren't as afraid of man (as much?) as their ancestral counterparts are. Plus they tend to roam at night. Which of course makes them more difficult to find/capture/kill. Hopefully doors will be locked and windows shut tight at night around homes that are in a semi-rural area as well as ranch homes where many times they're isolated with a few homes within a 1 mile area.

I wouldn't put it past these animals to eventually start seeking human prey. We are vulnerable especially unarmed and/or alone.

 

[elder999]

Bit of a thrill, once, to hunt wild dogs with a pistol, so I took your thread's title the wrong way at first......

 

[Flea]

The [Kuvasz] were bred to be livestock guardians and therefore are very territorial with strong protective instincts. It is an outstanding herder and defender of the flock against wolves. They make an excellent guard dog and are easy to housebreak, but they are large in size and with their protective instincts extra owner responsibility is required. This breed will fiercely defend his people and territory. The Kuvasz is devoted to his family, forming a strong bond

They're also exceptionally beautiful.

 

[Cryozombie]

We have similar problems with Coyote here. The packs are getting numerous, and in some cases they are raiding urban stores and making off with food... its not just a rural problem anymore.

They are currently considered a Nuisance Animal and its ok to hunt them year round.

 

[Scott T]

Thought this was a 'Michael Vick resumes campaign of cruelty' thread at first.

Yeah, feral dogs are a problem in several areas. Fortunately here the wolf population keeps the problem down.

One thing to remember though that most feral dogs are the wild-born offspring of former pets that either ran away from or were abandoned by their owners, so they were never properly domesticated. Also, if their domesticated ancestor is two or three generations back, there is a chance that wolf, or even coyote, DNA has been introduced.

 

[MA-Caver]

The [Kuvasz] were bred to be livestock guardians and therefore are very territorial with strong protective instincts. It is an outstanding herder and defender of the flock against wolves. They make an excellent guard dog and are easy to housebreak, but they are large in size and with their protective instincts extra owner responsibility is required. This breed will fiercely defend his people and territory. The Kuvasz is devoted to his family, forming a strong bond

They're also exceptionally beautiful.

Yes they are... Pit Bulls would make good protectors as well against these animals. Provided there's more than one. Even one big Kuvasz cannot protect itself from a coordinated pack. It has only one set of jaws/teeth whereas a pack may have up to a half dozen or more. Coordinated pack attacks are how wolves are able to bring down a moose. True the moose is likely weakened or wounded in the first place but try tangling with one that's in fear of it's life.
These dogs took down a 350 pound Llama. Did you know that the South American people use Llamas to protect their sheep/goat herds because they're not afraid of canines? Lots of American ranchers are doing the same http://www.extension.iastate.edu/publications/pm1527.pdf . But it didn't help in the case of this pack.

We have similar problems with Coyote here. The packs are getting numerous, and in some cases they are raiding urban stores and making off with food... its not just a rural problem anymore.

They are currently considered a Nuisance Animal and its ok to hunt them year round.

True that and according to various sources they're growing in numbers http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/coyote/ . Although the photograph of the animals in question appear much larger, see photo, use fence for scale. So they're more than just nuisance animals.
Below is size comparison of coyotes and wolves to humans I'd imagine that these dogs are somewhere in between the wolf and coyote.