38 SAVOUR MANITOBA | FALL 24
Dogs In Vineyards
BARKING UP
the right vine
M
ost vineyards have a resident dog or two.
And they have work to do. From security
to disease detection, canine roles are
transforming beyond companionship.
Having dogs on farms is not a new concept.
ey assist with many roles. Long before
security alarms, canines sounded the alarm of
a non-invited guest seeking to steal expensive
equipment or do harm to precious berries.
In a province with a long-standing farming
history, Manitoba farmers understand the
tradition of protecting the farm with our canine
counterparts. From monitoring dangerous wildlife
to undertaking uninvited pest patrol, dogs do an
excellent job of naturally mitigating threats to the
farmers and the farm itself.
is form of control is considered by many
vineyards as indispensable. Vineyards — even
many of Bordeaux's finest with lovely chateaux —
are farms. If you have gone on a wine tour, you've
experienced the farm and dog relationship first-
hand — dogs are typically your first greeters.
eir role, however, is evolving.
For over a decade, reports have revealed
that dogs have been trained to find diseases or
infestations in vines. e fruit farming industry
is now relying on trained dogs to use their strong
scent-detection abilities to discover diseases that,
to the naked human eye, are undetectable.
