Join Our Family - Bring Home Your Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdog

When it comes to finding the perfect Maremma Sheepdog puppy for your farm or homestead and your family, many options exist. However, not all dogs are created equal when it comes to being able to do the critical work of protecting your livestock and becoming a faithful member of your family. If you're looking for a dog that is not only well-bred and properly trained to protect your animals but also great with children and family pets, a Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdog is just what you're looking for. At Prancing Pony Farm, we have been breeding and raising Maremma Sheepdogs for years. We genuinely believe that our dogs are like family. We breed puppies that will be excellent livestock guardians and loyal companions. And that sense of family extends to our puppy owners, as well. This post will explore how buying a Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdog is like becoming part of our family.

Like a Family, We Take Time to Get to Know You

One of the things that sets Prancing Pony Farm apart from most other breeders is that we take the time to get to know each potential buyer before we sell them a puppy. This is because we want to ensure that our puppies go to the best homes, where they will be truly loved and cared for. We also want to ensure the puppy will fit your family, your livestock, and your unique situation well. Just like bringing a new child or partner into your family, you want to ensure your new puppy will be a good fit. And we are here to help you do just that!

How do we do this? We start with our puppy questionnaire. Some people have expressed surprise at how long and detailed our questionnaire is. Every question is there to help us learn as much as possible about a potential buyer and what they are looking for in a Maremma. Every situation is unique. Your answers help us determine if one of our puppies is a good fit for you and also help us when it comes time to choose your specific puppy.

After you've completed the questionnaire, we continue the conversation by phone, text, or email. We discuss your situation and needs in more detail and answer all your questions. This lets us understand what kind of home our puppies will go to and ensures the puppy and their new family will be happy. We also enjoy getting to know many interesting people with farms and ranches throughout the US and Canada. We have met some fantastic people through our Maremmas!

Maremma Questionnaire

We Provide Lifetime Support, Just Like a Family

Our relationship doesn't end once you take your new Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdog home. We provide ongoing lifetime support to all our buyers, just like family. We encourage our puppy owners to stay in touch and keep us updated on their puppy's progress. There's no pressure from us; we respect that people are busy, but getting updates and photos from our puppy owners is always a delight.

We have clients we hear from at least weekly and others only occasionally. We are in contact with clients from our first litter, born in 2017. We never tire of hearing how our pups and their families are doing, and this contact truly makes us feel like these pups and their owners are part of our family.
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We are always available to answer any questions or concerns our buyers may have about their puppy. We also offer training advice and support and are happy to help our buyers find resources that can help them train and care for their puppy. We aim to ensure that every puppy we sell is healthy, happy, and loved for their entire life.

This support doesn't just extend to the original buyers of our puppies. We occasionally have buyers who need to rehome the dogs they bought from us. We are here to assist with the rehoming, or we can take the dog back ourselves, no matter how old it is or why it's being rehomed. Then, we extend that same lifetime support to the dog's new owner. In most cases, we haven't made a dime off the new owner, but we still give them the same level of support as any first-time puppy buyer. They are welcomed into the family just as the original owner was.

Our Maremma Puppies are Raised and Socialized in a Busy and Active Family Farm Environment

Prancing Pony Farm's dogs are more than just breeding or working dogs. They are faithful family members, and we treat them as such. Our adult dogs and puppies run and play together and are socialized with our animals, including goats, horses, and poultry. When you bring a Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdog puppy home, they will already have experience interacting with other animals and be well socialized. Our puppies are also raised around our grandchildren and introduced to other visiting children, so they are used to being around kids and know how to interact gently and patiently with them.

Our farm is a busy, active place. We live on a busy road with all kinds of vehicles going by regularly, including cars, trucks, and farm equipment. Clients regularly come to pick up their goats and Maremma puppies. Delivery vehicles (Amazon, UPS, FedEx, and more) stop several times a week. We have our own tractor, mower, and farm vehicles in daily use. Hay deliveries, repair vehicles, and more show up. This activity happens in plain view of the puppies as they grow and develop, desensitizing them to loud noises, strange sights and sounds, and various people.
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This unique manner of raising puppies is something you will find from only select breeders. In our experience, most Maremma breeders raise their puppies as companion dogs, living full-time in their house or backyard. These pups receive little to no interaction with livestock, especially during their critical socialization period in the first 2-3 months. These puppies struggle mightily when introduced to livestock. Often they never really bond with the stock and can exhibit agression towards the animals they are meant to guard.

Other breeders raise their puppies in a barn, shed, or small pen with livestock, but with little to no human interaction and no real exposure to the sights and sounds they may encounter later in life. This scenario makes for an unbalanced, fearful and sometimes dangerous dog. Such a puppy will have difficulty acclimating to its future home, job, and family, especially if it's meant to live in close proximity to humans and a lot of activity.

From birth, our puppies live full-time with livestock in our specially-built whelping and training facility (Puppy Parlor). They also get extensive exposure to sights and sounds a companion dog might encounter. They are trained with positive reinforcement training methods and given a well-rounded socialization experience. This makes for resilient dogs that excel as full-time Livestock Guardian Dogs, general farm/ranch dogs, family companions, or as some unique combination of the above.

Our Dogs Offer Protection and Loyalty, Just Like Family

One of the most unique things about Maremma Sheepdogs is their natural instinct to protect. Maremma Sheepdogs were originally bred to protect flocks of sheep from wolves. This protective instinct is still ingrained in them, especially compared to more common LGD breeds. When you bring a Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdog into your home, they will protect your livestock and become fiercely loyal to your family. They will go to great lengths to protect you and those you love. This makes them excellent family guard dogs, as they bark and alert you to potential threats. They are incredibly loyal and loving to their families and will always be by your side.

Many clients have expressed how their Maremmas make them feel safe outside caring for their livestock. One client told me her dog always follows her when she goes to the barn at night to feed her horses. Another family takes their dog camping and hiking in the mountains, where the dog protects his humans from mountain lions and bears out on the trail. Other clients have had their dogs jump between them and large predators on their own farms.

I know how safe my own Maremmas make me feel. I am regularly outside late at night and always feel safe with my dogs on the job. I also feel entirely safe in my house with my companion Maremma on the job, protecting my human family and house pets. Between the outside Maremmas and the house Maremma, no predator, human or animal, is getting past. With a Prancing Pony Farm Maremma, you can feel that peace of mind.

Communal Support and a Sense of Belonging

You become part of our extended family when you bring a Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdog into your home. You are not just a customer but a member of the community of Maremma owners who value these special dogs. This includes our private Prancing Pony Farm Families Facebook group and Maremma Sheepdog Open Forum group. You can share photos, ask questions, and connect with other Maremma owners and enthusiasts on these groups. This wonderful community of owners provides information, support, and encouragement. Moreover, we have zero tolerance for bullying and fiercely protect our members from Facebook trolls.

Often times I will share some resource I have heard about from one client with another client. (Like the two new ground transporters my client Mayra found, which subsequent clients used to ship their pups.) Sometimes, one client has an issue or question I know another client can help with. In that case, I will encourage them to contact each other.

​Mayra expressed it well (and inspired this blog post) when she said, "I do feel like we are a big family."

If you have a question about the breed, need advice, or want to share your experiences, there is always someone in our community willing to help. The Maremma breed is relatively rare, and having a community of like-minded people can be invaluable. Being a part of such a close-knit group enhances the experience of owning a Maremma Sheepdog. It provides a support system that lasts a lifetime.

You and Your Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdog Will be Part of Our Mission

Buying a Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdog means you'll be part of our mission. Our farm is dedicated to preserving the ancient Maremma Sheepdog breed and their lineage through selective breeding and training of the highest quality Maremma Sheepdogs available. By buying a dog from us, you're helping to continue our work and preserve the breed for future generations.

You and Your Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdog Will Always be a Part of Our Family

Buying a Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdog makes you part of our family. We take the time to get to know you, your family, and your unique needs. We ensure that our Maremmas are well-socialized and raised in a family farm environment so that they will thrive in your family. You'll receive personalized attention, lifetime support, and access to a community of other Prancing Pony Farm Maremma owners. Whether you are brand new to the breed or a seasoned owner, you will never be alone in this journey. We've got you!
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We care deeply about every puppy we breed and want to ensure they go to the best possible homes. We hope our puppies will bring peace of mind, joy, and love to their families for many years. We will be privileged to share that journey with our puppy families. We know our dogs are extraordinary, and we hope you will consider welcoming a Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdog into your home and family.

Reserve My Maremma!