Promoting protective dog vests to facilitate hunting in Finnish wolf territories
Mari Susanna Lyly,
Mikael Luoma,
Mari Tikkunen,
Mikko Jokinen,
Juha Tissari,
Jenni Pirinen
Finnish Wildlife Agency, Finland
During the early 20th century, Finland had very few wolves and consequently hunting with baying dogs grew highly popular. Nowadays, some 200 000 Finnish hunters and 80 000 dogs participate in hunting annually. Meanwhile, the wolf population has grown to over 400 individuals (in autumn). When dogs cover extensive areas to track wildlife, e.g. ungulates, they can be predisposed to wolf attacks.
Depredation on dogs is a significant challenge in Finnish wolf conservation, as it evokes dislike and hatred towards wolves. It affects not only those who lose their dog, but also many other hunters, who conform their practices due to depredation risk. The extensive data on moose hunting methods and effort used – provided by hunters themselves – shows that upon the arrival of wolves, the use of dogs is often reduced. Changes in hunting can have large-scale societal repercussions on e.g., the capability of regulating wildlife populations.
Protective dog vests have not been widely used in Finland, as hunters have perceived them to be inconvenient and ineffective against wolf attacks. To promote the use of puncture-proof, spike-covered vests, the LIFE BOREALWOLF project launched a protective vest trial with 200 hunting dogs of various breeds. User experience was gathered via three mandatory surveys during Sep 2024–Feb 2025.
Results show that during the trial dogs grew more accustomed to wearing vests. Yet, at the end some 20% of dogs still appeared uncomfortable. Most users perceived the vests to improve their dog’s safety and to buy time to intervene in an attack. Spikes were considered a slightly more effective protective feature than the puncture-proof material. Thermal regulation was a challenge in autumn, and in winter some struggled with build-up of snow. Nearly 80% of users were likely or rather likely to recommend vests to their peers, and 86% opted for purchasing their vest at a reduced price.
The trial brought more information about the vests to many Finnish hunters, and the use of project’s media outlets helped to convey the promising results to even wider audience of hunters. Managing dog depredation is vital for promoting more positive attitudes toward wolves.