How we Raise and Train our Maremma Sheepdog Puppies
Nurture or nature, it's the age old question. In regards to raising successful Livestock Guardians we believe both are equally important. Yes, it's vital to make sure your LGD puppy comes from true working Livestock Guardian Dog parents and not just pet or show dogs of a LGD breed. That's why we chose to use and breed Maremmas on our farm, because their gene pool hasn't been diluted like most other common breeds. They aren't commonly kept as pets or shown so they have maintained their working instinct. Plus they don't have some of the tendencies that other breeds do, such as wandering or aggression towards humans.
But genetics are only part of the picture. In order to raise successful Livestock Guardian Dogs it's vitally important that LGD puppies be exposed to livestock regularly from a very early age. This is because the first weeks of a puppy's life are the most critical in its entire lifetime in shaping its personality, behavior and habits. What they learn during those early weeks will set them up for success or failure or at least maybe mediocrity for the rest of their lives. I don't know about you but I don't want a mediocre dog guarding my livestock! I want the best and that's what we strive to breed and raise.
We often see breeders of LGD's who raise the puppies away from livestock or, even worse, in a house, for the first several weeks of their lives and then "expose them to livestock" for a few hours (or minutes) a day when they are already several weeks old. Many of these breeders only have a handful of chickens, a few sheep or goats or a horse or two and are really only breeding Maremmas because they think the breed is cool (which is true, but that’s not a good enough reason to breed) or for the money (a very BAD reason to breed). Some of these breeders never even put their pups with livestock at all, sending them off anywhere from 8-16 weeks old with absolutely no experience doing the job they are supposed to do!
Based on our research, observation and experience we feel that this token “exposure to livestock “ method of puppy rearing that many breeders practice is a grave mistake and a disservice to the LGD's, to their future owners and to the livestock they will one day protect. We feel this is highly irresponsible and unethical and urge people not to buy a LGD puppy from such a breeder. Puppies raised in this manner have missed the most critical window of opportunity for bonding with livestock and learning how to do the jobs they were bred to do. The parents and the carefully chosen stock themselves are the best puppy teachers and these lessons are best learned when the pups are small. You may be able to come back and put a bandaid on it later by "exposing them to livestock" when they’re older but they will never be the Livestock Guardians they could have been if they had been raised right from the start and your job as an owner will be a LOT harder. Trust me, we know this from experience.
We understand the needs of our customers because they are our needs, too. We raise our puppies to be the dogs we need to guard our valuable and beloved animals, and in the process we feel that we also raise pups that will be exactly what our customers need, as well. It’s our strong belief that all LGD pups should be raised and socialized at a minimum with one type of small ruminant and one type of poultry, so that they learn the “language” of these and similar species. Even more types of livestock is even better. We have a very large dairy goat herd and these are our main “puppy trainers”. We also have free range chickens, ducks, geese, horses, mini horses, donkeys and barn cats on our farm and of course all of our older Maremmas. LGD puppies don’t just learn from their parents. They learn from other mentor dogs, as well!
Socialization with livestock from birth is vital, but must be done in a manner that's safe and age appropriate for the puppies. *Our Maremma puppies start out from day one in our goat barn, in a stall next to the does and kids. The walls of this stall are made of 2 x 4' horse mesh welded wire panels so the puppies are kept safe from being stepped on by the goats but they can hear, smell and see (when their eyes open) goats from birth.They get frequent "visits' from our chickens, barn cats, other dogs and the occasional curious goat. As they get bigger and more steady on their feet they are allowed ever increasing degrees of contact with the goats, until eventually they are living with them full time. They also get exposure to the horses and ponies once they are fast enough to get out of the way if one of them gets unruly. This sets them up for guarding larger stock like sheep, cattle or horses.
In our opinion this is the ONLY appropriate way to raise Livestock Guardian Dogs successfully. We invite you to see enjoy these pictures and videos we've collected of our various litters of puppies as well as some of the now adult dogs.
But genetics are only part of the picture. In order to raise successful Livestock Guardian Dogs it's vitally important that LGD puppies be exposed to livestock regularly from a very early age. This is because the first weeks of a puppy's life are the most critical in its entire lifetime in shaping its personality, behavior and habits. What they learn during those early weeks will set them up for success or failure or at least maybe mediocrity for the rest of their lives. I don't know about you but I don't want a mediocre dog guarding my livestock! I want the best and that's what we strive to breed and raise.
We often see breeders of LGD's who raise the puppies away from livestock or, even worse, in a house, for the first several weeks of their lives and then "expose them to livestock" for a few hours (or minutes) a day when they are already several weeks old. Many of these breeders only have a handful of chickens, a few sheep or goats or a horse or two and are really only breeding Maremmas because they think the breed is cool (which is true, but that’s not a good enough reason to breed) or for the money (a very BAD reason to breed). Some of these breeders never even put their pups with livestock at all, sending them off anywhere from 8-16 weeks old with absolutely no experience doing the job they are supposed to do!
Based on our research, observation and experience we feel that this token “exposure to livestock “ method of puppy rearing that many breeders practice is a grave mistake and a disservice to the LGD's, to their future owners and to the livestock they will one day protect. We feel this is highly irresponsible and unethical and urge people not to buy a LGD puppy from such a breeder. Puppies raised in this manner have missed the most critical window of opportunity for bonding with livestock and learning how to do the jobs they were bred to do. The parents and the carefully chosen stock themselves are the best puppy teachers and these lessons are best learned when the pups are small. You may be able to come back and put a bandaid on it later by "exposing them to livestock" when they’re older but they will never be the Livestock Guardians they could have been if they had been raised right from the start and your job as an owner will be a LOT harder. Trust me, we know this from experience.
We understand the needs of our customers because they are our needs, too. We raise our puppies to be the dogs we need to guard our valuable and beloved animals, and in the process we feel that we also raise pups that will be exactly what our customers need, as well. It’s our strong belief that all LGD pups should be raised and socialized at a minimum with one type of small ruminant and one type of poultry, so that they learn the “language” of these and similar species. Even more types of livestock is even better. We have a very large dairy goat herd and these are our main “puppy trainers”. We also have free range chickens, ducks, geese, horses, mini horses, donkeys and barn cats on our farm and of course all of our older Maremmas. LGD puppies don’t just learn from their parents. They learn from other mentor dogs, as well!
Socialization with livestock from birth is vital, but must be done in a manner that's safe and age appropriate for the puppies. *Our Maremma puppies start out from day one in our goat barn, in a stall next to the does and kids. The walls of this stall are made of 2 x 4' horse mesh welded wire panels so the puppies are kept safe from being stepped on by the goats but they can hear, smell and see (when their eyes open) goats from birth.They get frequent "visits' from our chickens, barn cats, other dogs and the occasional curious goat. As they get bigger and more steady on their feet they are allowed ever increasing degrees of contact with the goats, until eventually they are living with them full time. They also get exposure to the horses and ponies once they are fast enough to get out of the way if one of them gets unruly. This sets them up for guarding larger stock like sheep, cattle or horses.
In our opinion this is the ONLY appropriate way to raise Livestock Guardian Dogs successfully. We invite you to see enjoy these pictures and videos we've collected of our various litters of puppies as well as some of the now adult dogs.
Starting Out Right - In Close Proximity to Livestock from Birth
*Our Maremma puppies start out from day one in our goat barn, in a stall next to the does and kids. The walls of this stall are made of 2 x 4' horse mesh welded wire panels so the puppies are kept safe from being stepped on by the goats but they can hear, smell and see (when their eyes open) goats from birth.
*Litters born in extremely cold months may start out in our milking parlor until the puppies can safely regulate their body temperatures. They will still be in close proximity to goats and will move into the main barn as soon as it’s safe for them.
*We are very excited to announce that in 2021 we are building a new heated and air conditioned combination whelping barn and milking parlor with concrete floors, indoor/outdoor runs opening into one of the goat pastures and many amenities that will improve the health and management of our puppies, especially litters born during very hot or very cold months. We expect it to be finished before our next litters are born and will update this page with photos once the project is complete.
*Litters born in extremely cold months may start out in our milking parlor until the puppies can safely regulate their body temperatures. They will still be in close proximity to goats and will move into the main barn as soon as it’s safe for them.
*We are very excited to announce that in 2021 we are building a new heated and air conditioned combination whelping barn and milking parlor with concrete floors, indoor/outdoor runs opening into one of the goat pastures and many amenities that will improve the health and management of our puppies, especially litters born during very hot or very cold months. We expect it to be finished before our next litters are born and will update this page with photos once the project is complete.
Getting big and exploring their world!
Maremmas are a precocious species and start to walk, bark and open their eyes and ears sooner than most other breeds. They start to notice their "next door neighbors" (the goats) more and their neighbors get curious about these noisy little creatures in their midst.
Raw Goat Milk for Healthy Puppies and Mom
Puppies are started on raw goat milk around 3 weeks and they love it! This helps our puppies grow healthy and strong. High quality puppy food is added later. Mom is also given raw goat milk throughout her pregnancy and lactation, which helps her bounce back quickly and keep her weight up. We also give our moms fast acting calcium gel during whelping to make labor more efficient and calcium powder mixed into her goat milk while nursing to protect her bones and teeth while she’s feeding her pups.
To see our vaccination and parasite control schedule go to this page.
Early but Safe Socialization with Livestock from Birth is the Key to Success
Socialization with livestock from an early age is vital, but must be done in a manner that's safe and age appropriate for the puppies. The puppies are born in our kidding barn so that they smell, hear and see goats from birth. They also get frequent "visits' from our chickens, barn cats, other dogs and the occasional curious goat. At first the puppies are kept in close proximity to the goats but protected so that they don't get stepped on. As they get bigger and more steady on their feet they are allowed ever increasing degrees of contact with the goats, free range poultry (chickens, ducks and geese) and other animals, until eventually they are living with them full time. In our opinion this is the ONLY appropriate way to raise Livestock Guardian Dogs successfully.
Positive Reinforcement Training and Early Puppy Socialization
We utilize the Puppy Culture early socialization program, Karen Pryor Academy Clicker Training, Badass Breeder Curriculum and other positive reinforcement training methods for happy, loving, well balanced LGD's. We highly suggest our puppy buyers spend some time learning about these methods before bringing home their pups.
Puppies manding. (Puppy Culture)
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