Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdogs and Mini Dairy Goats
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  • Maremma Sheepdogs for Sale
    • Maremma Testimonials
    • Available Maremma Puppies and Adults >
      • Puppy Questionnaire
      • Maremma Sales Policies
      • Puppy Placement Policies
      • Shipping Maremma Puppies
      • Breeding Candidate Puppy Program
    • Maremma Visitor Policy
    • How we Raise and Train our Maremma Puppies >
      • Our New Puppy Parlor
      • The Importance of Early Socialization in LGD Puppies
      • How Many LGD's do I Need?
    • Our Maremma Sheepdogs >
      • Our Breeding Maremmas
      • Reference Maremmas
    • Maremma Litters - Past & Present >
      • 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
      • Our Puppies in Their New Homes
    • About Maremma Sheepdogs >
      • Training Maremma Sheepdogs
      • Maremma Sheepdog Forum
      • Maremma Sheepdog Open Forum Facebook Group
      • Maremma Sheepdog FAQ's
    • Maremma Sheepdog Care >
      • Feeding our Maremma Sheepdogs
      • Goat Milk for Healthy Dogs and Puppies
      • Vaccine and Parasite Protocol for Our Maremma Puppies
      • Grooming Maremma Sheepdogs
      • Housing Maremmas
      • Favorite Dog Products
      • Whelping Supplies for LGD's
  • Maremma Blog
  • Goats for Sale
    • Baby Goats For Sale
    • Adult Goats for Sale
    • Nigerian Dwarf Kids 2022
    • Mini Nubian Kids 2022
    • Breeding Plan Goats
    • Goat Questionnaire
    • Shipping Goats
    • Goat Sales Policies
    • Goat Stud service info
  • Dairy Goat Blog
    • Our Prancing Ponies
    • Fun Farm videos
  • 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 >
      • 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
  • Goat care & Info
    • Goat care articles
    • 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
    • Clicker Training Goats
    • Disbudding Mini & Dwarf Goats
    • Nigerian Dwarf Goats
    • Mini Nubian Goats
    • Mini Nubian Ears
    • Dairy Goat FAQ's

Maremma Sheepdog FAQ's

We will add to this page as time permits and new questions arise!
Where did the Maremma Sheepdog originate?
The Maremma Sheepdog, is an Italian breed of livestock guardian dog, originating in central Italy. It has been used for centuries by Italian shepherds to guard sheep from wolves.

How does the Maremma compare to other, more common LGD breeds?
Maremmas are "close in" guardians, meaning they prefer to stick close to the stock instead of patrolling over vast areas like breeds such as Great Pyrenees do. They are generally very respectful of fencing and don't wander like most other LGD breeds. They still need a fence to serve as a boundary, but that fence usually doesn't need to resemble Fort Knox! This trait also makes them especially suitable for smaller farms than most breeds because they don't need acres and acres to keep them content. But they are equally suited to large ranches since they will stick close to the herd or flock as it moves about the property.

How big do Maremmas get?
Maremmas are one of the smaller LGD breeds. They range in size from around 70 lbs to close to 150 lbs, but on average they are around 90-100 lbs. But don't let their small size fool you. Devotion to their stock and tenacity are much more important than size when its comes to fending off predators. A pair of Maremmas is more effective than a single dog of larger breeds. Remember that Maremmas were bred to fight off wolves in their home country! Of course for very serious predator problems you may need more than two dogs.

The smaller size of the breed also makes them well suited to small properties and they eat less than larger breeds. Why feed more dog than you need to do the job?!

What kind of training works best with Maremmas?
Maremmas, like all LGD's, were bred to work independently a large part of the time, so they are very independent natured. However they bond very closely with humans they know and trust. Trust being the important part. Trying to get a Maremma to "obey" by making it "submit" not only won't work but it could be very dangerous for the human. Trust me, if you get into a fight with a Maremma the Maremma will win! What's more, fighting with a Maremma to get it to cooperate is totally unnecessary. What Maremmas respond best to is Positive Reinforcement Training methods, such a Clicker Training. Clicker Training puts the dog in power and teaches them to make good choices. It becomes a fun and rewarding game to them to "train" their human to dole out tasty treats and other rewards for offered behaviors. They will meet you enthusiastically at the gate, excited to see what fun you have in store for them today!

How many Maremma puppies should I buy?
This subject is so important that it has a page all its own please go here for more information.

What is that colored stuff on the puppies and what’s it for?
​We use Sprayline brand Sheep paint from Premier 1 Sheep Supply to mark our puppies, starting while they are still in the whelping box. This is so we can tell them apart, since they are all white and look a lot alike. Collars don’t show up under all that fur and can get lost or pose a strangulation hazard. With the spray we can tell at a glance which puppy is which, even from far away. That makes it very helpful when observing temperaments for eventual placements, as well as monitoring the health of the puppies.
Puppy Reservations
Available Maremmas
If you are interested in our Dairy Goats or Maremma Sheepdogs please fill out our Goat Questionnaire or Puppy Questionnaire. We are located in Lemoore, California.
Goat Reservations
Puppy Reservations
  • Home
    • Contact us
    • About Us
    • Farm Visits
    • Prancing Pony Farm Families FaceBook Group
  • Maremma Sheepdogs for Sale
    • Maremma Testimonials
    • Available Maremma Puppies and Adults >
      • Puppy Questionnaire
      • Maremma Sales Policies
      • Puppy Placement Policies
      • Shipping Maremma Puppies
      • Breeding Candidate Puppy Program
    • Maremma Visitor Policy
    • How we Raise and Train our Maremma Puppies >
      • Our New Puppy Parlor
      • The Importance of Early Socialization in LGD Puppies
      • How Many LGD's do I Need?
    • Our Maremma Sheepdogs >
      • Our Breeding Maremmas
      • Reference Maremmas
    • Maremma Litters - Past & Present >
      • 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
      • Our Puppies in Their New Homes
    • About Maremma Sheepdogs >
      • Training Maremma Sheepdogs
      • Maremma Sheepdog Forum
      • Maremma Sheepdog Open Forum Facebook Group
      • Maremma Sheepdog FAQ's
    • Maremma Sheepdog Care >
      • Feeding our Maremma Sheepdogs
      • Goat Milk for Healthy Dogs and Puppies
      • Vaccine and Parasite Protocol for Our Maremma Puppies
      • Grooming Maremma Sheepdogs
      • Housing Maremmas
      • Favorite Dog Products
      • Whelping Supplies for LGD's
  • Maremma Blog
  • Goats for Sale
    • Baby Goats For Sale
    • Adult Goats for Sale
    • Nigerian Dwarf Kids 2022
    • Mini Nubian Kids 2022
    • Breeding Plan Goats
    • Goat Questionnaire
    • Shipping Goats
    • Goat Sales Policies
    • Goat Stud service info
  • Dairy Goat Blog
    • Our Prancing Ponies
    • Fun Farm videos
  • 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 >
      • 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
  • Goat care & Info
    • Goat care articles
    • 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
    • Clicker Training Goats
    • Disbudding Mini & Dwarf Goats
    • Nigerian Dwarf Goats
    • Mini Nubian Goats
    • Mini Nubian Ears
    • Dairy Goat FAQ's