Idahoans, and others around the Northwest are being reminded that there are livestock guard dogs on the range protecting sheep and those animals need to be left alone. In a video posted by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission, Joanna Tjaden, BLM Rangeland Specialist with the Shoshone District says if the dog is not injured, or just looks lost, leave it be.

"Those dogs, more times than not, know exactly where the herd is. These dogs do have an amazing sense of direction and they can smell and hear more than humans can. It's pretty amazing. They know exactly where they're at in the country. This is not their first rodeo."

Some ranchers are putting identification on their dogs to notify anyone who comes across the dogs so that they are more likely to be left alone. It's common, particularly in a high-tourist locale, for well-meaning people who are unfamiliar with the situation, to try and help or rescue the dog from what they perceive as a dangerous situation. Rancher Cory Peavey from Carey, ID said he went to the grocery store one day with unforeseen results.

"By the time I was heading back, I saw posts on Facebook about 'this rancher' who had abandoned his puppies and that they were starving without water and that no one was there to look after them. It was a complete extreme portrayal of what the situation actually was."

Click Here to watch the sheep dog video provide by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission.

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