How to Successfully Train Your New Maremma Sheepdog
There are three key components that are required in order to produce an outstanding Livestock Guardian Dog. The first two - genetics and early training and socialization (or Nature and Nurture) - are the responsibility of the breeder.
If you've bought a puppy from us (or are considering doing so) you can rest assured that the first two are covered.
We have selected our breeding stock from outstanding working dogs with the genetics that produce great LGDs. And our puppies are given the best start possible as future Livestock Guardian Dogs as well as members of their future families. We have a very careful and intentional puppy training and socialization program, which includes intensive early socialization with livestock as well as positive reinforcement training and socialization with humans (including children) and exposure to a wide variety of sights, sounds and experiences.
What happens in the first 12-16 weeks of a puppy's life is vital to their success and a breeder can make or break a puppy as a LGD or companion dog.
Therefore we do our best to give our puppies an outstanding start and are always looking for ways to improve our program. If you haven't yet decided to buy a puppy from us you can learn more about our Puppy Training and Socialization Program by clicking the link below:
If you've bought a puppy from us (or are considering doing so) you can rest assured that the first two are covered.
We have selected our breeding stock from outstanding working dogs with the genetics that produce great LGDs. And our puppies are given the best start possible as future Livestock Guardian Dogs as well as members of their future families. We have a very careful and intentional puppy training and socialization program, which includes intensive early socialization with livestock as well as positive reinforcement training and socialization with humans (including children) and exposure to a wide variety of sights, sounds and experiences.
What happens in the first 12-16 weeks of a puppy's life is vital to their success and a breeder can make or break a puppy as a LGD or companion dog.
Therefore we do our best to give our puppies an outstanding start and are always looking for ways to improve our program. If you haven't yet decided to buy a puppy from us you can learn more about our Puppy Training and Socialization Program by clicking the link below:
The third component is what happens after you bring your LGD home.
There's much more to it than simply bringing home a puppy and putting it in with your livestock. Through the use of positive reinforcement training and a carefully set up environment you can help shape your puppy into the LGD he was born to be.
Below are all the recommended courses, books, blog posts and other resources we recommend to help you raise and train a LGD that's literally worth its weight in gold.
There's much more to it than simply bringing home a puppy and putting it in with your livestock. Through the use of positive reinforcement training and a carefully set up environment you can help shape your puppy into the LGD he was born to be.
Below are all the recommended courses, books, blog posts and other resources we recommend to help you raise and train a LGD that's literally worth its weight in gold.
Your Number One Resource for Training Your LGD
Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Foundations Course
This course is the number one resource we recommend for all of our puppy owners and all Livesstock Guardian Dog Owners. (Or owners of any breed.) Before you can train your LGD to livestock you have to learn the science of how dogs think and how to best communicate with your dog. Through this excellent course you will learn step-by-step how to train and communicate with your dog using Positive Reinforcement and you'll have fun while you do it! Highly Recommended.
And no, we do not earn a commission if you buy the course. We just know it works!
This course is the number one resource we recommend for all of our puppy owners and all Livesstock Guardian Dog Owners. (Or owners of any breed.) Before you can train your LGD to livestock you have to learn the science of how dogs think and how to best communicate with your dog. Through this excellent course you will learn step-by-step how to train and communicate with your dog using Positive Reinforcement and you'll have fun while you do it! Highly Recommended.
And no, we do not earn a commission if you buy the course. We just know it works!
Read the blog posts below to learn more about why we recommend this course so highly.
How to Safely Acclimate Your New LGD With Livestock
When you bring home your new Maremma we suggest you keep them in a smaller area like a barn stall or kennel the first night, so they can gradually get use to their new environment. After that you can gradually increase their available space until they are relaxed and comfortable in their new home.
Introductions to other dogs and livestock need to be done in a safe and controlled manner, allowing plenty of time for everyone to feel comfortable with the new arrangement. Below is a blog post and video on safely acclimating your new LGD with your livestock.
Introductions to other dogs and livestock need to be done in a safe and controlled manner, allowing plenty of time for everyone to feel comfortable with the new arrangement. Below is a blog post and video on safely acclimating your new LGD with your livestock.
The Resources You Need for Understanding Your Dog
YOUR DOG is not broken, and YOU have not failed.
There's a reason most families will cycle through multiple dog trainers hoping for a better outcome with the next one- “dog training” is quite often missing the point, and lacking the comprehensive picture that can finally provide clarity and relief for all parties. Contrary to what you've been told, it's not about the “carrot OR the stick”. It's not about compliance and conditioning. It's not about control. It's about meeting your dog where they are, for who they are, in recognition of all that they bring to the table in their unique recipe of interacting L.E.G.S. (Learning, Environment, Genetics, & Self).
Just as is the case with any individual animal on Earth, dogs are biological animals whose behavior is the collective product of the interaction between Nature AND Nurture. It's not one or the other like you've been told. A dog's genetics do not predict their behavior, and it's not "all how you raise them".
Rather, it is a complex orchestra of elements designed to interact in cooperative harmony for organisms filling distinct niches in various ecosystems. Captivity and controlled breeding have interrupted this natural system of checks and balances, and THAT is what results in "behavior problems" in our modern pet dogs.
So what do you do? How can you help your dog? The very first step is to get the TRUTH so that you can understand what might actually be happening for your dog or prevent issues from arising. Then, we have many resources to help you take your understanding and interventions to the next level to make the customized difference your dog needs to succeed as your companion (and working partner)!
~ From the Family Dog Mediation Education Center
There's a reason most families will cycle through multiple dog trainers hoping for a better outcome with the next one- “dog training” is quite often missing the point, and lacking the comprehensive picture that can finally provide clarity and relief for all parties. Contrary to what you've been told, it's not about the “carrot OR the stick”. It's not about compliance and conditioning. It's not about control. It's about meeting your dog where they are, for who they are, in recognition of all that they bring to the table in their unique recipe of interacting L.E.G.S. (Learning, Environment, Genetics, & Self).
Just as is the case with any individual animal on Earth, dogs are biological animals whose behavior is the collective product of the interaction between Nature AND Nurture. It's not one or the other like you've been told. A dog's genetics do not predict their behavior, and it's not "all how you raise them".
Rather, it is a complex orchestra of elements designed to interact in cooperative harmony for organisms filling distinct niches in various ecosystems. Captivity and controlled breeding have interrupted this natural system of checks and balances, and THAT is what results in "behavior problems" in our modern pet dogs.
So what do you do? How can you help your dog? The very first step is to get the TRUTH so that you can understand what might actually be happening for your dog or prevent issues from arising. Then, we have many resources to help you take your understanding and interventions to the next level to make the customized difference your dog needs to succeed as your companion (and working partner)!
~ From the Family Dog Mediation Education Center
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The whole concept of dog training is broken, giving us an incomplete picture of our dogs and their behaviors, but Meet Your Dog is the first, long-overdue step in reinventing it. Award-winning certified canine behavior consultant Kim Brophey introduces a comprehensive framework known as L.E.G.S (Learning, Environment, Genetics, Self) to explain all four aspects of a dog’s behavior. When these are in balance, they work in harmony, but if not, they can create discord or disaster. This book is a groundbreaking opportunity for dog lovers to fully understand their dogs, and form truly authentic.
~ From the Family Dog Mediation Education Center |
Other Helpful Dog Training Courses
- UnChase! For the Rural Dog This course helps with the number one behavior LGD owners struggle with - chase behavior. You will learn how to set your new LGD up for success from day one, and to train them NOT to chase livestock using positive reinforcement methods. Do this course after Foundations. (This course was designed for companion dogs so it needs to be adapted a bit for LGDs, but right now it's the best course available to help train dogs not to chase.)
- Training Livestock Guardian Dogs to Chickens - A Step-by-Step Guide This is a really good (free) overview of how to train LGDs to chickens (or any poultry) using positive reinforcement methods.
Must-Read Dog Books
(This section is still under construction. We had a lot of links that were accidentally deleted.)
- Reaching the Animal Mind: Clicker Training and What it Teaches us About All Animals - Karen Pryor
- Don't Shoot the Dog - Karen Pryor
- On Talking Terms With Dogs - Turid Rugaas - SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR ALL DOG OWNERS!
- When Pigs Fly: Training Success With Impossible Dogs
- Bones Would Rain From the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships with Dogs - Suzanne Clothier
- For The Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend - Patricia McConnely
- Livestock Protection Dogs: Selection, Care and Training - Orysia Dawydiak
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