Only the harness with electric shocks was successful in deterring wolves from attacking a dog dummy. Neither physical (screws and spikes) nor ultrasound deterrent had a strong enough effect. Exposure to electricity triggered an immediate avoidance behavior in dholes and African wild dogs as well. However the effect did not last as long as for the wolves.

This study gives indications on a promising deterring harness against wolf attacks on hunting dogs. As only the electric harness succeeded in terminating an attack future research should focus on this approach rather than on the other tested deterrents. There is more research needed to verify these results as only one group of each species was tested in this study. Especially further research about the lasting effect of the electricity on wolves would be interesting. If the usability of an electric harness is proven on more animals it would then be necessary to construct a harness that is waterproof and not dangerous for the dog wearing it.

Applying the concept of a harness on other domestic animals than dogs is more difficult. As electricity proofed to be the only effective of the tested deterrents, it might be possible to apply the idea in other ways e.g. improved fencing.

More detailed information:

Screws/Spikes    Ultrasound/Ultrasound 19 seconds    Electricity