Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdogs and Mini Dairy Goats
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  • MSCA Registered Maremma Sheepdogs for Sale
    • Available Maremma Puppies & Planned Litters
    • Available Juvenile & Adult Dogs
    • Maremma Application and Questionnaire
    • Maremma Sales Policies
    • Shipping Maremma Puppies
    • Maremma Visitor Policy
    • Bringing Home Your Prancing Pony Maremma Sheepdog Puppy
    • Training Your Prancing Pony Maremma Sheepdog
    • The Prancing Pony Farm Difference - How We Raise and Train Our Maremma Puppies >
      • Meet the Breeder
      • Our Puppy Parlor
      • Veterinarian's Letter of Recommendation
      • Maremma Testimonials
      • Our Puppies with Their New Families
      • Our Maremmas and Children
      • Puppies Everywhere! All the places our puppies reside!
      • The Importance of Early Socialization in LGD Puppies
      • Critical Learning Periods in Puppies
      • Puppy Placement Policies
      • How Many LGD's do I Need?
      • Breeding Candidate Puppies
      • Vaccine and Parasite Protocol for Our Maremma Puppies
    • Our Maremma Sheepdogs >
      • Our Breeding Maremmas >
        • Simba
        • Sevro
        • Pax
        • Pegaso
        • Gianna
        • Marcella
        • Marisa
        • Celeste
        • Electra
      • Reference Maremmas and Non-Breeding Dogs
    • Maremma Litters - Past & Present >
      • January 2023 Litter Gianna x Pax
      • December 2022 Litter Marisa x Sevro
      • October 2022 Litter Marcella x Sevro
      • May 2022 Litter Polar x Sevro
      • May 2022 Litter Marisa x Simba
      • February 2022 Litter Celeste x Sevro
      • December 2021 Litter Gianna x Simba
      • October 2021 Litter Marcella x Sevro
      • May 2021 Litter Olaf x Genevieve
      • February 2021 Litter Simba x Marcella
      • February 2021 Litter Sevro x Polar
      • December 2020 Litter Sevro x Gianna
      • September 2020 Litter Olaf x Carina
      • August 2020 Litter Simba x Polar
      • January 2020 Litter Olaf x Carina
      • 2019 Litter Olaf x Genevieve
      • 2018 Litter Olaf x Genevieve
      • 2017 Litter Olaf x Genevieve
    • Maremma Sheepdog Info & Care >
      • Maremma Sheepdog FAQ's
      • Maremma Sheepdog Open Forum Facebook Group
      • Feeding our Maremma Sheepdogs
      • Goat Milk for Healthy Dogs and Puppies
      • Grooming Maremma Sheepdogs
      • Housing Maremmas
      • Favorite Dog Products
      • Whelping Supplies for LGD's
  • Our Dairy Goat Herd
    • Mini Nubian Does
    • Mini Nubian Bucks
    • Reference Mini Nubian Does
    • Reference Mini Nubian Bucks
    • Standard Nubian Does
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    • Nigerian Dwarf Bucks
    • Reference Nigerian Dwarf Does
    • Reference Nigerian Dwarf Bucks
    • Past Kidding Seasons >
      • 2022 Mini Nubian Kids
      • 2022 Nigerian Dwarf Kids
      • Fall 2021 Nigerian Dwarf Kids
      • Spring 2021 Nigerian Dwarf Kids
      • Spring 2021 Mini Nubian Kids
      • 2020 Nigerian Dwarf Kids
      • 2020 Mini Nubian Kids
      • 2019 Fall Kids
      • 2019 Spring Kids
      • 2018 Fall Kids
      • 2018 Spring Kids
      • 2018 Mini Nubian kids
      • 2018 Nigerian Dwarf kids
      • 2017 Spring Kids
  • Prancing Pony Farm Online Store
  • Goat care & Info
    • Goat care articles
    • Clicker Training Goats
    • Useful Animal Products & Links
    • Supplies for Goats
    • Favorite Goat products
    • Annual Disease Testing of Goats
    • Bringing Home Your New Goat
    • Health concerns of your new goat
    • Feeding Our Mini Dairy Goats
    • Feeding Mini & Dwarf Baby Goats
    • Housing Does & Kids
    • Goat Parasites
    • Pneumonia in Goats
    • Goat Hoof Trimming
    • Milking Dairy Goats
    • Our Dairy Goat Milking Parlor
    • Disbudding Mini & Dwarf Goats
    • Nigerian Dwarf Goats
    • Mini Nubian Goats
    • Mini Nubian Ears
    • Dairy Goat FAQ's

How Many LGD's do I Need?

Ask this question of dog breeders, livestock owners and even pet dog owners and you will get a lot of different opinions, some of them very strong. New puppy buyers are trying to do their research so they can the best thing for their dogs and their stock. Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation out there and a lot of bad advice that's not at all based on science or facts, but on "old farmers' wives' tales" and ignorance. 

I have very strong opinions on the subject, based on my experience as a dog breeder, dairy goat breeder and livestock owner, as well as decades of experience working with and studying dogs. I base my opinions on facts, not made up psuedo science. 

Here are the facts:
  • Dogs are social creatures, with a strong need to bond with other mammals, particularly other dogs.
  • Puppies, even LGD puppies, have a strong need to play and burn off excess energy.
  • Many predators work in packs or are too large and tenacious for one dog to handle alone.
You can believe anything you want about fake science like "Littermate Syndrome" or you can say you "can't afford" two dogs, but these facts are still 100% true. Trying to deny them is at best, setting your dog up for a sad and lonely life and at worst, setting it up for failure. I'll address each topic one by one to explain what I mean in more detail.
1) Dogs are social creatures, with a strong need to bond with other mammals, particularly other dogs. Yes, LGD's do bond with the stock they are to guard, but it's still not the same as how they interact with another dog. Every species has its own "language", its own way of playing and communicating. A single LGD will never be as happy as one that has a partner and a happy LGD is a good LGD. A lone LGD will be more likely to engage in nuisance barking out of boredom as well as to try to escape and wander off in search of fun. A dog that is guarding poultry will have a particularly hard time of things because a dog can't safely snuggle with a chicken or duck! And you can't just let your LGD play with your house dog or herding dog because it could learn inappropriate behavior around stock. In fact, your LGD should NEVER be unsupervised around stock with a non-LGD, ever. And if you're letting them play together and you see inappropriate play with the stock you should stop it immediately, unless you want to ruin your LGD.

​2) Puppies, even LGD puppies, have a strong need to play and burn off excess energy. These dogs have an INCREDIBLE amount of energy. A LGD puppy is still a puppy, with a strong need to run, play and pretend fight. Sometimes they get to playing so rough they can accidentally knock over anyone or anything in their path. If they don't have another dog to play with they may engage in inappropriate play with the stock out of boredom, treating goats, sheep and poultry like another dog. This can cause very bad habits to start, resulting in the stock being harmed or even killed and ultimately the dog being surrendered to animal control for "failure". Sadly this "failure” was not the dog's fault. It was the fault of the humans that failed to meet his needs and it is usually preventable by proper supervision and having two dogs.

3) Many predators work in packs or are too large and tenacious for one dog to handle alone. Some people mistakenly think if the have a small farm or only a few animals to be guarded they don't need more than one LGD. This is not true. It's predator load that matters, not property size or herd size. Coyotes and many other predators work in packs, either attacking the dog together or some drawing the dog away while others go after the stock. Big cats of any size or bears are no match for one dog alone. So if you have any predator bigger than a skunk and you value your livestock you should have two dogs. Period.
Another thing to take into consideration is the possibilty that your dog could get hurt, sick or even die suddenly. Then what will you do? Well bred, well trained LGD's that are old enough to do their job aren't always readily available. It would be better to have two dogs in place, that way if something happens to one of them at least your animals aren't completely unprotected until you can resolve the issue.

I feel very strongly that LGD's should only be worked in pairs, preferably pairs close in age, because they have a similar energy level. For that reason we ALWAYS work at least two dogs with any group of animals. Often times we work an older dog or two with a couple of younger dogs. That way the younger dogs each have a partner and a mentor. But you have to be careful about adding a new puppy when you have an older dog already. A lot of people say that's what you should do, but there are a couple of problems with this advice. First, not everyone has an older dog to start with and they are very hard to find and very expensive if you do. Second, not all older dogs make good puppy mentors. Some older dogs don't like puppies and are too harsh with them. Some are older and just want to relax and don't appreciate this rowdy young pup bothering them! It can be very unfair to both dogs matching them up if they don't get along so please, if you are lucky enough to already have an older LGD still proceed with caution when introducing a new puppy and take the needs and feelings of both dogs into consideration.

You will hear some people mention "littermate syndrome" as a reason why you shouldn't raise two pups together. The simple fact is that Littermate Syndrome is a MYTH. It does not actually exist! You will not find a single scientific study on it, anywhere. In a day and age when we have studied everything related to dogs, trust me, if LMS existed someone would have studied it! Instead LMS is what people claim anytime there's a problem, any problem, with two dogs close in age. If they fight too much it must be LMS. If they're too attached to each other it must be LMS. How can it be BOTH?! It can't!

Can there be training issues with two dogs close in age? Yes. But this isn't some mysterious "Syndrome" that's dooming your dogs to failure. It's a training and handling issue. You simply need to be sure you address both dogs needs for training, time and attention. It's really not hard. If anything it's much easier raising two puppies than one. Less time required of you and they have built in playmates and snuggle buddies.

Show breeders keep entire litters for months with no LMS showing up. LGD breeders often do, too. Here at PPF we keep our pups for several months and we also have multiple pairs of same age dogs and always have. We usually have two to three of each age range at once, usually kept together specifically for the purpose of making them happier and more well adjusted. We've never had any signs of LMS in our dogs. Yes we've had fighting but that's usually hormonal or developmental, not because of LMS.

We feel so strongly that two dogs are better than one that we've considered making it a requirement to buy our pups. We know of at least one LGD breeder that we highly respect that does. One day we probably will. For now we leave it up to the buyer but we highly encourage it because the dogs, the stock and the owner will be so much better off. It's actually easier to train two pups than one. We will give top priority to buyers that want to purchase two puppies together. But if you choose to only get one pup we respect that. BUT. You need to understand that your job is going to be a lot harder and you WILL have to work hard to make up for the deficit you are putting your puppy and your stock into. If you can acknowledge that and are commited to doing your part then we can talk. If not and you plan to just put the puppy out with the stock without much attention from you then one of our pups is not a good fit for you.

Further Reading

  • One Dog or Two, by Cindy Benson
  • When to Get that Second LGD, by Cindy Benson
  • Using an Older Dog to train a Puppy, by Cindy Benson
  • Why LGD's Bark and How to Manage it, by Cindy Benson
  • Why Dogs’ Happiness is What Counts

These videos perfectly illustrate why two (or more) LGD’s are better than one.

These are a 3 year old and an 8 month old Maremmas, engaging in normal play for their age and breed. You do NOT want to let your dog try this game with a goat, sheep or chicken! 😳😆
These are not Maremmas but they are a team of FIVE littermates and their parents (7 dogs) who live and work together at
​Big Horn Mountain Alpacas in Wyoming. This is how LGD’s should live!
Click the links below for information on our dairy goats or Maremma Sheepdogs.
​We are located in Lemoore, California.
Goat Reservations
Puppy Reservations
Click the link below to download a free digital copy of our Maremma Sheepdog Training Manual. Print copies are included with each puppy purchase. 
Free Maremma Sheepdog Training Manual
  • Home
    • Contact us
    • About Us
    • Veterinarian's Letter of Recommendation
    • Farm Visits
    • Virtual Farm Tour
    • Employment & Volunteer Opportunities
    • Prancing Pony Farm Families FaceBook Group
  • Prancing Pony Farm Blog
    • Dairy Goat Blog
    • Our Prancing Ponies
    • Fun Farm videos
  • Mini Nubian & Nigerian Dwarf Goats for Sale
    • Baby Goats For Sale
    • Adult Goats for Sale
    • Breeding Plan Goats
    • Our Farm Vet's Letter of Recommendation
    • Goat Application and Questionnaire
    • Shipping Goats
    • Goat Sales Policies
    • Goat Stud service info
  • MSCA Registered Maremma Sheepdogs for Sale
    • Available Maremma Puppies & Planned Litters
    • Available Juvenile & Adult Dogs
    • Maremma Application and Questionnaire
    • Maremma Sales Policies
    • Shipping Maremma Puppies
    • Maremma Visitor Policy
    • Bringing Home Your Prancing Pony Maremma Sheepdog Puppy
    • Training Your Prancing Pony Maremma Sheepdog
    • The Prancing Pony Farm Difference - How We Raise and Train Our Maremma Puppies >
      • Meet the Breeder
      • Our Puppy Parlor
      • Veterinarian's Letter of Recommendation
      • Maremma Testimonials
      • Our Puppies with Their New Families
      • Our Maremmas and Children
      • Puppies Everywhere! All the places our puppies reside!
      • The Importance of Early Socialization in LGD Puppies
      • Critical Learning Periods in Puppies
      • Puppy Placement Policies
      • How Many LGD's do I Need?
      • Breeding Candidate Puppies
      • Vaccine and Parasite Protocol for Our Maremma Puppies
    • Our Maremma Sheepdogs >
      • Our Breeding Maremmas >
        • Simba
        • Sevro
        • Pax
        • Pegaso
        • Gianna
        • Marcella
        • Marisa
        • Celeste
        • Electra
      • Reference Maremmas and Non-Breeding Dogs
    • Maremma Litters - Past & Present >
      • January 2023 Litter Gianna x Pax
      • December 2022 Litter Marisa x Sevro
      • October 2022 Litter Marcella x Sevro
      • May 2022 Litter Polar x Sevro
      • May 2022 Litter Marisa x Simba
      • February 2022 Litter Celeste x Sevro
      • December 2021 Litter Gianna x Simba
      • October 2021 Litter Marcella x Sevro
      • May 2021 Litter Olaf x Genevieve
      • February 2021 Litter Simba x Marcella
      • February 2021 Litter Sevro x Polar
      • December 2020 Litter Sevro x Gianna
      • September 2020 Litter Olaf x Carina
      • August 2020 Litter Simba x Polar
      • January 2020 Litter Olaf x Carina
      • 2019 Litter Olaf x Genevieve
      • 2018 Litter Olaf x Genevieve
      • 2017 Litter Olaf x Genevieve
    • Maremma Sheepdog Info & Care >
      • Maremma Sheepdog FAQ's
      • Maremma Sheepdog Open Forum Facebook Group
      • Feeding our Maremma Sheepdogs
      • Goat Milk for Healthy Dogs and Puppies
      • Grooming Maremma Sheepdogs
      • Housing Maremmas
      • Favorite Dog Products
      • Whelping Supplies for LGD's
  • Our Dairy Goat Herd
    • Mini Nubian Does
    • Mini Nubian Bucks
    • Reference Mini Nubian Does
    • Reference Mini Nubian Bucks
    • Standard Nubian Does
    • Nigerian Dwarf Does
    • Nigerian Dwarf Bucks
    • Reference Nigerian Dwarf Does
    • Reference Nigerian Dwarf Bucks
    • Past Kidding Seasons >
      • 2022 Mini Nubian Kids
      • 2022 Nigerian Dwarf Kids
      • Fall 2021 Nigerian Dwarf Kids
      • Spring 2021 Nigerian Dwarf Kids
      • Spring 2021 Mini Nubian Kids
      • 2020 Nigerian Dwarf Kids
      • 2020 Mini Nubian Kids
      • 2019 Fall Kids
      • 2019 Spring Kids
      • 2018 Fall Kids
      • 2018 Spring Kids
      • 2018 Mini Nubian kids
      • 2018 Nigerian Dwarf kids
      • 2017 Spring Kids
  • Prancing Pony Farm Online Store
  • Goat care & Info
    • Goat care articles
    • Clicker Training Goats
    • Useful Animal Products & Links
    • Supplies for Goats
    • Favorite Goat products
    • Annual Disease Testing of Goats
    • Bringing Home Your New Goat
    • Health concerns of your new goat
    • Feeding Our Mini Dairy Goats
    • Feeding Mini & Dwarf Baby Goats
    • Housing Does & Kids
    • Goat Parasites
    • Pneumonia in Goats
    • Goat Hoof Trimming
    • Milking Dairy Goats
    • Our Dairy Goat Milking Parlor
    • Disbudding Mini & Dwarf Goats
    • Nigerian Dwarf Goats
    • Mini Nubian Goats
    • Mini Nubian Ears
    • Dairy Goat FAQ's