Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdogs and Mini Dairy Goats
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      • December 2020 Litter Sevro x Gianna
      • September 2020 Litter Olaf x Carina
      • August 2020 Litter Simba x Polar
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  • Home
    • Contact us
    • Veterinarian's Letter of Recommendation
  • MSCA Registered Maremma Sheepdogs for Sale
    • Available Maremma Puppies, Juveniles & Adults
    • Companion Maremmas
    • Maremma Buyers' Guide
    • Maremma Questionnaire
    • Shipping Maremma Puppies
    • Maremma Sheepdog FAQ's
    • Training Your Prancing Pony Maremma Sheepdog
    • The Prancing Pony Farm Difference - How We Raise and Train Our Maremma Puppies
      • Our Puppy Parlor
      • How Many LGD's do I Need?
    • 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
  • Mini Nubian & Nigerian Dwarf Goats for Sale
    • Baby Goats For Sale
    • Adult Goats for Sale
    • Goat Store
    • Breeding Plan Goats
    • 2023 Mini Nubians
    • 2023 Nigerians
    • Goat Questionnaire
    • Shipping Goats
    • Clicker Training Goats
    • Dairy Goat FAQ'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
  • Prancing Pony Farm Blog
    • Dairy Goat Blog
    • Fun Farm videos
    • Our Prancing Ponies
  • Membership Home
    • Free Membership Sign-up
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  • Maremma Client Portal
    • Bringing Home Your Prancing Pony Maremma Sheepdog Puppy
    • Maremma Sheepdog Info
      • Favorite Dog Products
      • Housing Maremmas
      • Grooming Maremma Sheepdogs
      • Feeding our Maremma Sheepdogs
      • Vaccine and Parasite Protocol for Our Maremma Puppies
      • Keeping Your Maremma Sheepdog Cool in Summer
      • Goat Milk for Healthy Dogs and Puppies
      • Whelping & Puppy Rearing Info & Supplies for LGD's
  • Dairy Goat Client Portal
    • Bringing Home Your Prancing Pony Dairy Goats
    • Goat Care Info
      • Bringing Home Your New Goat
      • Health concerns of your new goat
      • Goat Care Articles & Links
      • Favorite Goat products
      • Supplies for Goats
      • Feeding Mini & Dwarf Baby Goats
      • Housing Does & Kids
      • Goat Parasites
      • Annual Disease Testing of Goats
      • Goat Hoof Trimming
      • Milking Dairy Goats
      • Milking Nigerian Dwarfs versus Mini Nubians
      • Our Dairy Goat Milking Parlor
      • Disbudding Mini & Dwarf Goats
      • Mini Nubian Ears
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Join Our Family - Bring Home Your Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdog

9/14/2023

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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.
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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.
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Reserve My Maremma!
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How an Ethical Breeder Helped Save Seven Livestock Guardian Dogs Who Lost Their Home

8/16/2023

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Chico in his new home in Missouri
​As an ethical breeder, I am committed to keeping dogs I breed out of shelters. I will take back any dog I bred at any time in their lives if their owners can no longer keep them, or I will help their owners find new homes for their dogs if they can't do it alone. 

Fortunately, most of my puppy owners adore their dogs and would never dream of giving them up. But occasionally, life happens - farms are sold, couples get divorced, neighbors complain too much about barking - and a dog loses its home. In these cases, I am always willing to step in and do what I can to help the dog and its owner. Having to give up a dog is hard enough. Having to go through it alone is worse. And totally unnecessary if the dog was bought from an ethical breeder.

Recently one of my clients was put in this heartbreaking situation. They owned 6 Maremmas that came from me and one from another breeder. They also owned a large herd of dairy goats, most of which they bought from me, as well as a variety of poultry and other animals. When they purchased their animals, I'm sure they thought they would live on their California farm forever. I sure did when I sold them the dogs and goats. But life happened, and they found themselves moving out of state and not to another farm but to a subdivision. The farm dream was over, permanently. All of the animals had to go.

They reached out to me less than a month before they were to move, asking if I knew anyone who would be interested in the dogs or goats. I told them that I did not know anyone off the top of my head. I also told them I would take my six Maremmas back if they couldn't find homes for them. I told them they were not, under any circumstances, to send those dogs to a shelter. 

I also contacted the breeder of the other Maremma, whom I knew from Facebook, to let her know what was happening. She did offer to take back the dog she bred, but that didn't happen.

I checked in with my client several times over the next week or so to see how things were going. They weren't going very well. She shared her situation on her Facebook page, but that didn't help much. I decided it was time to step in and do what I could, so these dogs could find homes before it was too late. I was more than willing for them to return to me, but I knew it would be better if they went straight to new homes than to me and then to a second home later.

I shared the plight of these dogs on my blog and social media accounts. First, I shared my client's posts on my Facebook business page and a few Maremma groups I admin or am a member of. I started being inundated with questions that weren't answered in the client's original post, so I was going back and forth, editing posts and answering questions. This was helping but also causing a lot of confusion. 

So I wrote a blog post about the dogs, giving all the details I could and contact info for the client. I shared this post to my email list, FB business page, and to every LGD, goat, or homesteading group I'm in. Now we were getting somewhere! Other people began sharing the posts and forwarding the emails. (That's the beauty of email newsletters!) My client and I both started getting dozens of inquiries about the dogs. I answered the questions I could and referred them to my client. 

She had so many inquiries that she had difficulty answering them all. But she worked her way through them, and every dog had a new home in less than a week. Every single one of them.
​Two dogs went to a family who had previously contacted me inquiring about Maremmas. They own a horse boarding stable where I used to board my horses and have a flock of free-range chickens. They needed LGDs to protect their chickens from coyotes and the horses from intruders. They got Carina, a 6-year-old female, and her son, 2-year-old Mossimo. 

I visited the dogs the day they arrived at their new home. I was happy to see them again after so long, and I was thrilled to know they had a wonderful new home. Their new owners have sent me photos of the dogs and told me how much they love them. It makes me so happy to know they are loved, well cared for, and doing the work they were bred to do.
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The last dog to be placed was Chico (formerly Guido). He went to my client and friend, Mayra, who lives in Missouri. Mayra owns four other Maremmas bred by me and 36 goats bred mainly by me. She also owns a lot of different types of poultry. She was thrilled to give Chico a new home and add him to her LGD team, even though the costs to get him to her were considerable.

Chico spent a few days at my farm, hanging out with my dogs and goats, getting ready for his trip. My vet came out to do his CVI appointment and give him vaccines and whatever he needed. I gave him a bath and grooming. Then Amanda, a new shipper Mayra had found, picked him up for the trip to Missouri. This was quite a trip for a 2-year-old dog who had lived on a quiet farm with his goats and other Maremmas since he was a tiny puppy. ​

Amanda did a fantastic job of transporting Chico to his new home. She was patient and gentle with this nervous dog who had never left his goats or seen so many strange sights and sounds. She sent frequent updates on how he was doing, with photos and videos. And he arrived at his new home safe and sound! I will be recommending Amanda to future clients. ​
Chico settled in quickly in his new home. He met all the dogs and goats, with lots of tail wagging and excitement. Mayra reports that Chico has been friendly with her and gentle with the animals. He's even had chickens in his pasture and hasn't chased them, even though he was only guarding goats previously. I'm not surprised because his parents, Olaf and Genevieve, are excellent LGDs, as are all his siblings

This whole situation had a happy ending for Chico and the other 6 dogs. Think about that! Seven LGDs lost their homes because their owner was selling their farm. But none of those 7 dogs ended up abandoned or in rescue. Why? Because an ethical breeder supported the owner and the dogs she bred (plus a dog bred by someone else) and helped them find new homes. 

This proves the point I have always made, that ethical breeders are not the cause of unwanted dogs because they always take responsibility for the dogs they breed. A breeder who claims they are ethical but refuses to take responsibility for the dogs they breed is not ethical at all. If they choose to bring a puppy into this world, they are responsible for that puppy for its entire life. They should not be breeding dogs if they can't accept that responsibility. Period.

​So when someone gives you the "adopt, don't shop" lecture, educate them. Adopting animals is great in many situations. But it is only suitable for some, especially when a purpose-bred, properly trained, and socialized working dog like a Livestock Guardian Dog is needed. 


The dogs that end up in shelters or rescues come almost exclusively from puppy mills, backyard breeders, and disreputable people looking to make a fast buck by producing cheap, disposable dogs. (Or sometimes expensive "designer" or "trendy" dogs fraught with health problems and not well cared for.) There's no health testing for the breeding dogs or health care for these puppies. No training and socialization program. These dogs often have health problems and behavioral issues that can cause lasting problems even after adoption. 

This doesn't mean we shouldn't care about these dogs. We should try to help as many as we can. The rescues are doing noble work to help these dogs, and anyone who adopts a needy dog is doing a kind thing. But those that rabidly promote the "adopt, don't shop" cult while vilifying ethical breeders are aiding, abetting, and promoting puppy mills, backyard breeders, and poorly bred dogs. This is ignorant and harmful to dogs and people.
Ethical breeding is not evil and is not comparable to the depraved humans that shelter and rescue dogs come from. Ethical breeders health test their breeding dogs to screen for genetic defects. They take excellent care of their breeding dogs and puppies, providing proper food, housing, and veterinary care. They have well-thought-out socialization and training programs for their puppies and educate and support their buyers before and after the sale. They offer written contracts and health guarantees. And they always take back any dog they bred if the owner can no longer keep it or assist the owner in finding new homes for the dogs, as I did for these 7 Maremmas. Any breeder who doesn't do all these things is not ethical. And comparing ethical breeders to BYBs and Puppy Mills is like comparing cats and dogs. Ridiculous.

If you choose to adopt a dog, that's great. But don't criticize ethical breeders or people who decide to buy dogs from ethical breeders. Not all breeders are the same! People have a right to well-bred, healthy dogs, which are rarely found in shelters and rescues. They come from ethical breeders who work hard to imporove the breed, provide excellent care for their dogs and supurb lifetime support to their clients. Ethical breeders are not part of the problem of unwanted or unhealthy, poorly socialized dogs. They are part of the solution.

The fundamental responsibility for the problem of unwanted dogs lies with the owners of puppies and dogs. Only buy or adopt a dog if you're prepared to give it a lifelong home and everything it needs to be healthy and happy. This includes proper care, love, attention, and ethical, positive reinforcement-based training. (More dogs are surrendered for training and behavioral issues than other reasons.) Take this commitment seriously, do your research, and think things through carefully. 

If you decide to buy a dog instead of adopting one, please don't support unethical breeders. Don't buy from those greedy, selfish people who are only in it for money with no care or concern for the dogs they are producing. Only purchase dogs from breeders who are breeding quality, healthy dogs and are committed to the dogs they breed and to their owners for the life of the dog. 

The support an ethical breeder gives you, your dog, and everything they put into their breeding program and puppies will go a long way to ensure your success and happiness as a dog owner. And their commitment to your dog's entire life is your and your dog's insurance in case something goes wrong, and you can no longer keep your dog. Those puppies will be more expensive than puppies from an unethical breeder. It's costly to breed quality dogs! Still, you are getting a lot more value for your money.

It's buyers who keep unethical breeders in business. It's buyers working together with ethical breeders who can put them out of business. And if we put them out of business, the shelters and rescues will have a lot less work to do, which would be a very good thing.
Reserve My Maremma!
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Seven Maremma Sheepdogs in Desperate Need of New Homes and Jobs ASAP

8/3/2023

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Carina as a puppy on my farm.
***Update on the dogs. Marco and Henry have found new homes and been picked up! 💜 Remaining are Carina, Alesia, Massimo, Guido and Rico. Carina is Massimo's dam. I still own his sire, Olaf and the parents of Alesia (Simba and Polar) and Guido (Olaf and Genevieve). I also still own one of Massimo's littermates (ET) and one of Alesia's littermates (Titus). They are all excellent LGDs, trustworthy with all livestock, including poultry and baby goats.

​*** If you’re interested in these dogs contact Allison directly at +1 (559) 362-1294. Thanks!

If you would like a little more background on these dogs you can go to these pages below:

Carina born 2017, purchased from a breeder in San Diego

Alesia born August 2020, parents Simba x Polar

Massimo born September 2020, parents Olaf x Carina

Guido born May 2021, parents Olaf x Genevieve

Rico - Bred by another out-of-state breeder

My friend and client, Allison, and her family are selling their farm due to an out-of-state transfer. They are moving at the end of August and cannot take their goats or their seven Maremma Sheepdogs. Six of the dogs came from me, and one from another breeder. They are all unregistered. There are five males and two females. Most of the dogs are 2-3 years old, with one 6-year-old female. Their names are Carina, Alesia, Henry, Marco, Massimo, Guido and Rico.
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The dogs have been guarding Nigerian Dwarf and Mini Nubian dairy goats since they were puppies. The 6-year-old (Carina) does have experience with chickens, ducks, and horses. I believe both females have experience with alpacas. The dogs are used to children. All but one of them is intact, but I'm checking to see if my vet will spay/neuter the rest for a discount. The dogs are located in Hanford, CA. There are a couple of possible options for shipping the dogs out of state.
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That's all I know, but I will try to visit the dogs soon and learn more. If you want to adopt any of these precious dogs, please reply to this email or contact Allison directly. Below is her Facebook post about the dogs:
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​https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0FzHpdHfCY5vKsg1tkzok9CMXaxLfLntS4iUvUC6vtQvxQD7DCAL9GgrZyfiU5ggUl&id=816164838&mibextid=qC1gEa​
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Even if you can't take any of these dogs, please pass this info along and help us get these sweet dogs some great new homes!
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Thanks so much!
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A Tale of Two White Dogs

7/27/2023

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This is a guest post by one of my Maremma clients, Violet Qu. Violet owns Cotton Candy (CC), a puppy from my May 2022 Sevro x Polar litter. Violet also owns a Great Pyrenese named Marshmallow. Violet took the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Foundations course before bringing CC home. She has been extremely succesful in training CC and a lot of the reason why is the excellent knowledge and skills the course gave her. I asked Violet if she would write a "review" of the course for my email newsletter and she did such an excellent job that I invited her to do a guest post on the blog. Enjoy!

A Tale of Two White Dogs, by Violet Qu
The big dog on the left is Marshmallow. He came to me as an 8-week-old fluff ball, with a mission to keep my chickens and barn cats from being picked off by the big bad wolves. He was my first dog. I didn’t know what I was doing. I watched a lot of Zak George videos and took a puppy training class over zoom (it was during Covid lockdown) where I learned to manipulate his body by using a lure. For the most part, things worked fine. Marshmallow learned to sit, lie down, stand up, shake, crawl, and so on. He even learned to fetch, which is somewhat unusual for a Great Pyrenees. But sometimes, when I asked him to do something, he would suddenly have this unbearable itch that he had to scratch, and then he would yawn, and then he would give a sideways glance at the ground before performing the task in slo-mo. I coined it “emergency itch” and sometimes asked with a sarcastic tone “really? must you right now?” For months, he was mouthy and I just ignored it. Everything I read said it would stop if I just kept ignoring it.


At the age of 1, Marshmallow’s guarding instincts kicked in in full force. He ran around the ranch barking and chasing coyotes at night, and often looked exhausted in the morning. However, the mouthiness remained. And he was also chewing just about everything I didn’t want him to chew on. Even though Marshmallow was doing all he could to guard my small ranch, I still had 2 chickens disappear without a trace and a barn cat mauled by what I could only imagine a coyote (the kitty fully recovered after veterinary intervention). The coyotes did not fear him. They kicked dirt at him from the other side of the fence. It was clear to me that Marshmallow needed a partner.


A few months later, Cotton Candy joined the family as a 3-month-old from the Prancing Pony Farm, where she had already learned many life skills as a livestock guardian dog. 


In preparation of CC’s arrival, I took the Dog Trainer Foundations online course from the Karen Pryor Academy. It turned out to be more helpful than I expected. Throughout Marshmallow’s puppyhood, I had been ransacking the internet for positive reinforcement dog training tips. But tips are exactly that: a melange of “do x” instructions. The DTF course provided me with the structure I needed to internalize the positive reinforcement training concept. I am not known for following instructions. So if a training tip says step 1: wait for behavior, step 2: click, step 3: treat, I’ll more than likely mess up the timing or order or skip a step. But if I understand the building blocks to positive reinforcement training, then I can “derive” my own instructions time and time again and always get it right. Other than the science and mechanics, I also found the chapter on understanding dog language really helpful. Marshmallow’s “emergency itch”? That’s stress. His yawning? That’s stress. Mouthiness? Yup, still stress. That poor pup! The whole time he’s been gently telling me that he could use a bit more support, and I’ve been an idiot trying to wait it all out. What also dawned on me, is that a lot of what I thought / was labeled positive reinforcement, wasn’t reinforcement at all. Dangling a piece of bacon to get a dog to sit is bribery, or non-contact coercion, if you will.


Now back to CC. She has received positive reinforcement training at Kim’s since the day she was born. By the time she arrived on my ranch, she knew how to mand and target really well. And that gave me plenty of opportunities to reinforce her and quickly build a trusting relationship. Eventually I taught her to shake, only because she looks incredibly cute doing that. But by golly she was so polite and never pawed me for attention like Marshmallow did when he was a pup. She knew that manding gets her attention and treats, and giving me her paw only when I ask gets her praise and treats. I haven’t intentionally taught her to come, but she figured it out because every time she comes to me she gets pets and she might even get to lick my face. She has a pretty good “go to bed” from a single training moment. It was her birthday and I had a serrano ham bone for her. I wanted to let her have it in the kennel without being bothered by Marshmallow. I walked towards the dog bed once we entered the kennel and she hopped on it. On the spur of the moment, I clicked, then gave her the ham bone. I later put it on cue, but really, the “go to bed” action was learned in just 1 event. 


She’s been here about a year now, and CC has never had an “emergency itch”. Now isn’t that interesting! More interestingly, Marshmallow’s “emergency itch” and chewing all but disappeared after CC’s arrival, which roughly coincided with the beginning of proper use of positive reinforcement on my end. Was it me? Was it CC? Only Marshmallow knows. What I do know is that with 2 happy relaxed dogs, my life has gotten easier. And we’ll just end the story here and live happily ever after.
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​One Key Thing You MUST Do to Succeed as a New Maremma Sheepdog Owner!

7/26/2023

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Over the past seven years, I have placed over 100 Maremma Sheepdogs puppies in all types of homes. These homes vary greatly in the types of environment, livestock the dogs guard, and family structure. Most of these owners successfully train their puppies; however, raising and training a Livestock Guardian Dogs to maturity requires a lot of patience and work.

One thing I always recommend all new puppy owners do to help them succeed with their pups is to take the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Foundations course. This online course combines material you read, videos demonstrating the concepts, and hands-on practice with your dog. 

The course is simple but gives you an excellent foundation in training and understanding how to communicate with your dog. The course is designed to be completed in 6 weeks, but you have up to 12 weeks to complete it, and you can finish it quicker if you want. It took me only a little while to complete it once I got going, though I was already familiar with positive reinforcement and clicker training. 
The course costs $250 but usually goes on sale twice a year for $199. Many people balk at spending that much money on a dog training course. They believe they can figure things out on their own by googling the topic, reading training books, or watching free YouTube videos.

I get it. I don't like spending unnecessary money and prefer the "do it yourself" approach to learning. I have always been a self-led learner, reading books and endless articles on the internet, watching videos, googling anything and everything I wanted to know, and doing a great job overall of educating myself. Most of my education has been informal, self-led, and free. So I was dubious about this course, too, until I tried it.

When I went through the Dog Trainer Foundations program, I realized that Karen Pryor Academy does a fantastic job on this one. The various ways of presenting the materials cover all the learning styles. As a mom of six now-grown, homeschooled kids, and several homeschooled grandkids, I know how vital teaching using different learning styles is. The KPA courses (all of them) cover all the modalities: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. You learn by reading, watching videos, hearing, and practicing the skills with your dog. There are so many ways for the material to sink in, and you get to practice it with your dog, which means you both benefit. And it's fun! It really is fun for you and your dog!

Once I went through the Foundations course, I was hooked. Next, I took Puppy Start Right for Instructors and then Better Veterinary Visits. I also spent a week at the KPA National Training Center in Washington, attending the Training for Professionals: Across Species Course, where I learned to clicker train goats and donkeys, as well all learning about using science-based positive reinforcement with a large variety of species, including marine mammals, zoo animals, farm animals, and domestic pets. Positive reinforcement really does work with all animals! If you can train a whale, a tiger, or a wolf using positive reinforcement, you can certainly train a dog. Even a Livestock Guardian Dog!
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So when one of my puppy owners or anyone else comes to me with a training issue with their dog, the very first thing I recommend is that they take the KPA Foundations course. Of course, if this is one of my puppy clients, I suggest they take the course before bringing their puppy home. Unfortunately, only some of them do. Whether it's the money or the time it takes or that they don't see the value in it, I don't know. 

I have considered requiring prospective puppy buyers to complete the course before they can buy a puppy from me, but someone has to want to learn this information for it to be effective, and unfortunately, not enough people understand the value of this program to them and their dogs.

I do require my breeding candidate owners to complete the course before they can get breeding rights on their puppies, and I am firm on this requirement. If you are a breeder, you are also a trainer, and this program is step one to being a successful trainer of little Livestock Guardian Dog puppies. Unfortunately, most people who take the course to get breeding rights choose to wait until their dogs are of breeding age to do so. Better late than never, but it's sad that neither the dog they bought from me nor the owner themselves benefitted from the program when their puppy was little. 

Of all the puppies I have sold over the years, the owners who have been the most successful and had the fewest problems training their pups are the ones that have taken the KPA Foundations Course. The puppies who have benefitted the most from an owner who truly understands their dog and how to communicate and train in a kind, fun, science-based way are the puppies whose owners have taken the Foundations course. This course truly is Step One in your success as an LGD owner. 

A Livestock Guardian Dog is a huge investement. The safety and security of whatever you value are riding on that dog, be that goats, chickens, horses, or the family cat. (This course is just as vital for companion Maremmas.) Livestock Guardian Dogs have a high failure rate, and that is because most people are ill-equipped to train their dogs. The Karen Pryor Acedemy Dog Trainer Foundations course gives you the vital first step towards success with your dog.

​Think of it as insurance on your investment. Most people wouldn't forego insurance on a new car. That would be too risky. Don't skip on insurance for your LGD! Take the KPA Foundations course before you bring home your new Maremma puppy. Or if you've already got that adorable pup, start the course now. Your dog will thank you for it, and you will thank me for this advice!
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Olaf, the Dog Who Started it All. (How I Came to Love, Breed and Use Maremma Sheepdogs on my Farm.

7/21/2023

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Olaf and Alice, One of Our Original Nigerian Dwarf Goats
For anyone who doesn't know my story, I wanted to share a little bit about how I came to adore this wonderful breed called the Maremma Sheepdog, use them on my farm as Livestock Guardian Dogs, and eventually become a Maremma Sheepdog Club of America Code of Ethics breeder. 

Ever since I can remember, I have loved dogs. My first dog was a Boxer my parents owned when I was born. Oh, how I loved that dog, and oh, how I cried when he died. (My parents had him put to sleep because they said he was sick, and I was so mad at them. 😢 He was buried behind my grandparents' garden and I visited his grave regularly.)

After that, my family had many dogs, mostly strays and dog pound dogs. My dad would take my siblings and me to the local dog pound to "shop" for dogs every so often. Or he would bring home stray dogs he found on the road driving trucks for Exxon.

Unfortunately, my parents always got bored with these dogs after a few months or even a few weeks. They liked collecting dogs but not training them, so if the dogs began doing anything my parents didn't like back to the pound they went. They came up with one reason or another to get rid of them, breaking my sensitive little heart.

The last one to go was a spotted mutt named Bear that I absolutely adored. I was probably 12 or 13 and I loved that dog so much. I would spend hours outside with him. But my dad decided he didn't want the dog anymore and he wore me down until I finally gave in and let him take Bear to the pound. 😢

Bear was the last dog my parents ever got for me. After that I bought my own dogs. Made my own decisions about who left and who stayed and when. And those childhood experiences are the reason why I feel so strongly that a dog should be a commitment, not to be made on a whim. It's also why I have a lifetime commitment to take back any dog I ever bred if their owners can't keep them. I know that there are instances when someone truly can't keep a dog. But too many people see dogs as disposable, and that's not right.

My favorite book when I was a kid was a big, thick book with all the AKC dog breeds. I used to pore over that book, choosing all the dogs I liked. (You can buy the book above. It's a great book, but Maremmas are not included becuase they are not an AKC registered breed.)

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When I was little, I saw Disney's "Lady and the Tramp" and fell in love with Cocker Spaniels. Then when I was 14, I finally bought a dog of my own, with my own money, a Cocker Spaniel I named Cinder. Finally, this was a dog all of my own that no one could take away from me. It was only a short time until I began breeding Cocker Spaniels, which I did for many years.
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My first Cocker Spaniel, Cinder, with my grandfather and me.
Around the same time I bought Cinder, I got a job in a dog grooming salon (in my hometown of Memphis, TN), bathing and brushing dogs and later learning to groom. I worked at that salon until I got married to a career Navy man, and after that, I worked at different salons all over the country. I even owned an in-home dog grooming salon while stationed in Guam. (I also bred one litter of Cocker Spaniels while we lived in Guam.) 
During my years of grooming, I encountered many breeds of dogs and admired the traits of many of them, but Cockers remained my favorite breed of all time. (Our last Cocker died about ten years ago, and I couldn't find another one until a couple of years ago. I now have another Cocker named Cinder.)
My current "Cinder", with my companion Maremma, Titus.

I also owned a few other breeds (St. Bernard, Husky, 2 Boxers, Pekingese) when I was a teenager, and later our family tried a few different breeds (Yorkie and Boxers) after our last Cocker passed away. (Besides the Maremmas and Cinder, we currently own a Shih Tzu and a Boxer.) I loved all of these other dogs, but there was never a breed I loved enough to want to breed them until I got my first Maremma Sheepdog.


I had a lifelong dream from when I was a child to live on a farm. When I was 19, I married that career Navy man I mentioned earlier. Little did I know that meant my dream would be put on hold until I was fifty and my husband retired from his 40-year Navy career. But some dreams are worth waiting for. We bought our farm in late 2015. I also bought 6 Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats to add to the horses we already owned and the chickens and other poultry I planned to get. 🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐


Because we have a lot of coyotes in the area, I knew I would need a Livestock Guardian Dog to keep my animals safe. I only knew a little about LGDs, so I began reading whatever I could find, which wasn't much. Then I started my search for an LGD of my own. I found two breeders on Craigslist. One bred Great Pyrenees, and one bred Maremmas. The GP breeder told me how it "only took six strands of barbed wire to keep her dogs in" and how "sometimes they killed her stock." Not very reassuring. 😳


The Maremma breeder, who raises Angora goats, told me how Maremmas are better at respecting fences and staying with the stock than Pyrs, that they haven't lost their guardian instincts as so many Pryrs have, and how he has never lost any goats to predators since getting his Maremmas. Let's see, should I choose the dog that will be hard to contain and might eat my goats and chickens or the dog that will stay home and be more trustworthy? 🤔


The Maremma breeder was much more convincing and reassuring. And five-month-old Olaf soon joined our farm's six goats and 11 horses. Olaf came into the barn and settled in with my goats like one of them. He soon won over the horses, too. And he also won the hearts of all the humans in the family. 💜
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Olaf and his chicken friends.
It didn't take me long to realize that these dogs are extraordinary. Think about it, a dog that would lay down its life to protect an animal of another species is truly incredible. Awe-inspiring. Even my husband, who had never liked dogs as long as we had been married, was won over by the Maremmas. This man truly hated dogs (he used to go around saying, "I hate a dog."), and he now loves all dogs. 

And if you ask him why he changed, he will tell you it was the Maremmas that changed him. When he saw what they do, he realized that all dogs are different and unique, and he found a new respect and admiration for them. He's now the one that goes and gets our three little dogs and ensures they are in our bed at night. (When before, he never wanted dogs in the bed.) ☺️
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As for me, I found my new favorite breed, a breed I loved enough to want to breed them. We soon added a female Maremma, Genevieve, to our farm and had our first litter in 2017. It was a "Let's see how it goes" thing. And it was incredible to watch those pups grow and mature into amazing little LGDs, and then place them in homes with other people whose livestock needed protection like mine did. (I'm still in touch with some of the owners of those puppies today, including Oliver's family. Oliver is the most fantastic chicken guardian ever, and his owner, Agnes, always tells me how much she loves that dog.)
Genevieve joined our farm a few months after Olaf, and they have been devoted friends ever since. They produced 4 litters of amazing LGDs, including Polar, my favorite and best LGD.

I was hooked. I was utterly in love with these incredible dogs and on a mission to help others with animals that needed protection and who wanted a loyal, devoted family member. And the rest, as they say, is history. And it all started with a little fluffy puppy I named Olaf. (For my grandkids.)
​Olaf and Genevieve retired from breeding a few years ago, but they still live on my farm, guarding the goats and other animals and mentoring all the new Prancing Pony Maremma pups. 
Olaf and Genevieve have very important work to do, mentoring the next generations of Prancing Pony Maremmas.
Do you have a great dog story? Is there a special dog in your life, past or present? It doesn't have to be a Maremma. All dogs are wonderful! If you have or had a great dog in your life leave a comment and tell me all about them. 
Reserve Your Maremma!
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The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Your Livestock Guardian Dogs and Farm Animals Cool this Summer

7/12/2023

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Maremma Sheepdog puppy with goats
As a Maremma Sheepdog breeder and admin of the Maremma Sheepdog Open Forum, a large Maremma Sheepdog Facebook group, one question I often hear is, "How do Maremmas handle the heat?" Summertime can be challenging for Livestock Guardian Dogs as they seek relief from the sweltering heat. 


The heat is equally brutal on the livestock these brave dogs guard, whether that means goats, sheep, cattle, horses, poultry, or other species. As responsible owners and caretakers, it's essential to prioritize their well-being and implement effective cooling strategies. This comprehensive guide will provide expert tips and techniques to keep your Livestock Guardian Dogs and the animals they guard cool and comfortable throughout the summer months. 


I own a small farm in Lemoore, California. I breed MSCA-registered Maremma Sheepdogs and registered Mini Nubian and Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats. I also own a variety of other animals, including horses, mini horses, donkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and barn cats. In the Central Valley, temperatures regularly reach around 110-115 degrees in the summer. We have "excessive heat watch" warnings regularly from June to September. People always say it's "a dry heat," but no matter how you look at it, that's hot! 🥵


However, my Maremmas do very well in the heat. In fact, they do better than the goats and other livestock they guard. That could be because dogs are more resourceful than goats or poultry. Or maybe dogs are just hardier. But I haven't had any real problems with the dogs or horses and few problems with the goats. Though sadly, I have lost a few birds to the heat. 😢


High temperatures can put animals at risk of heat stress, dehydration, and even death. So, I ensure that my Maremmas, goats, and other animals are kept as cool and comfortable as possible throughout the summer. Below are some strategies and tips that you can use to help your Livestock Guardian Dogs, and other animals beat the heat, too. And most of them are very inexpensive and easy to implement.
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Provide Adequate Shade

One of the simplest ways to keep your Livestock Guardian Dogs and livestock cool is to provide adequate shade. Trees, barns, or other shade structures can all offer protection from the sun. Here at Prancing Pony Farm, we have almost no trees left because of the drought conditions we have suffered in Central California for over a decade. Our property had dozens of trees when we first bought it, but most died due to the drought and either fell or had to be removed. We've planted new trees that are young and don't yet provide much shade. Instead, we primarily use a variety of man-made structures to provide much-needed shade for our animals.

Barns and Other Outbuildings

Our best source of shade is our main barn, which is roughly 90' long by 25 feet wide. It's just a tall, flat roof with sides of welded steel pipe and horse panels, so it has plenty of ventilation, which is super important for preventing heat stroke. We hang shade sails to block the incoming sun in the summer. 


We also have a one-sided hay barn that's usually empty of hay in the summer. (We stack our hay outside in the summer since it doesn't rain anyway.) We use that as extra shade for the animals. 


We have a 16 x 8' mobile office trailer in our barnyard that we converted into a dog grooming room and backup milking parlor. It's several feet off the ground, so the dogs and goats love to lay under this to cool off, and the shadow it casts provides a lot of shade later in the day. 


Our Puppy Parlor (puppy whelping room and milking parlor) was made from a 16 x 30' garden shed built on a concrete pad. It is completely enclosed, insulated, heated, and air-conditioned, with two industrial fans hanging from the ceiling. Dog doors going out to the goat pastures are on two sides, so the pups and mama dogs can come and go as they please. We don't run the AC that much, but the fans make a big difference in keeping the building cool. The dogs enjoy lying on the cool concrete floor under the fans during the hottest part of the day.

Other Shade Structures

Our property came with several horse shelters sprinkled throughout the pastures. These are tall metal structures with flat roofs and no sides. They work well and stand up to the wind, rain, heat, and animals pushing on them. A dead tree fell on one of them a few years ago, crushing the roof, but the structure is still intact enough to provide shade for our Maremmas, horses, and goats. We plan to get it repaired one of these days. But we have higher priorities right now, and an ugly shelter still works to keep the animals cool.


One thing we tried a few times for shade that didn't work well was pop-up canopies that are popular for parties, sporting events, and camping. They are convenient and look nice, but they don't hold up well to wind, rain, goats, dogs, and horses pushing on them. We gave up on that idea after buying a few that quickly ended up in the trash.


We use calf hutches from Calftel and Polydome in our pastures, but they are primarily for providing shelter in the wintertime. They are too hot to lay inside during the heat of the day, but sometimes the goats, Maremmas, or birds will lay in the shadows cast by the sun. 

Easy Homemade Shade Structures

Next, we made shade structures out of t-posts and shade sails. We buy the shade sails from Amazon or Costco and the t-posts from Lowes or Tractor Supply. We learned early on that these structures must be extra tall, or the goats will tear them up. The goats stand up on their hind legs to pull the sails down so they can use them like hammocks. The silly goats love laying in them, so the posts soon get bent, the sails sag, and eventually, the sails get torn to shreds.


It works best if the posts are at least 8' tall, with 10' being better. You measure out a rectangle slightly bigger than the dimensions of the sail, pound the posts in and attach the four corners of the sails to the top of the posts. And voila, you have a shade structure!


Where we live, we get no rain for most of the year, so the ground is like concrete, and it's hard to pound posts into the ground. Because of this, we mostly do our fence work in the wintertime. Otherwise, we must water the ground for several days to soften it. I may buy a gas-powered fence post-pounder someday to make this job easier.


These shade structures aren't pretty, but they work reasonably well. It's hard to get them super tight and straight and even harder to keep them that way. Over time they start to sag, and the goats tear them up, leaving nothing but a bunch of bent t-posts sticking out of the ground. 


After putting all that work and money into building those structures, we've determined there are better choices than this. But they are a quick way to provide your Livestock Guardian Dogs and livestock shade on a budget. They are suitable temporary structures that will last a year or two if you build them right. Or a day or two if you don't make them high and tight!


Another quick and inexpensive trick we've found is to attach sections of shade cloth to existing fences. Our fences are 5' high, so we buy 4 or 5' wide panels in whatever length we need in a particular area. These are made for lining patios and backyard fences and have rivets along all four sides, which makes attaching them to the fence with zip ties a breeze. This method only works for part of the day, but if you install it in the right spot, the animals can lay in the shadow cast by the sun. We use this as a backup for additional shade in a pasture, not as the only shade source.

Our Favorite Solution for Fast and easy (But More Costly) Shade

We've found that dog kennels with canvas roofs and sides provide the best shade for our Maremmas and dairy goats. We have several of these, and they can serve multiple functions. They can be used as mini "barns" for the goats or Maremmas. They provide shelter from rain, cold, and heat. We can put the goat minerals in there during the rainy season to keep them dry. They are an excellent place to feed the dogs so the goats can't steal the food, which can lead to resource guarding. And they are great when we need to temporarily contain an animal or group of animals, such as when we need to work in the pasture without the animals getting in the way. We have kennels for this purpose in most of our pastures and plan to add others eventually.


You can buy kennels from places like Tractor Supply or Lowes. We have a few of these, but the quality could be better, and they are not very easy to assemble. Our favorite kennels come from K9 Kennel Store. These kennels are much more expensive than the ones bought locally, and the shipping is costly, but the quality is worth it. They assemble with pins, like the corral panels used for horses, so it takes mere minutes to put them together or take them apart. They come in different sizes, or you can buy individual panels and use whatever you need to make different sizes and configurations. I prefer to buy configurations that use 4' and 6' panels since they are easier for me to move than the 8' panels.


You can also buy canvas roofs and side covers that provide additional shade or protection from the weather and keep the rain and sun off. These are super easy to put up and take down as needed. Much, much easier than the ones from Tractor Supply or Lowes! 


There are many other ways to provide shade for your livestock guardian dogs and goats. If you are handy with carpentry work or can hire someone to build a structure, you can provide something nice. I'm not talented in that area, so I have devised other measures that work well for us. But eventually, I would like to have some more permanent structures built. Structures that are a few feet off the ground and can double as climbing structures for the goats and shade structures for the dogs and goats would be perfect.

Digging to Keep Cool

Another way most dogs like to keep cool is by digging holes. If you provide them with a place to do it, they will take care of it themselves. Usually, they will find a shady, sandy spot or a spot that is already mostly bare dirt, and they will dig themselves a nice little Hobbit hole. Then they will lay in it to keep cool. If you don't have such a spot, you could give your dogs a sandbox in a shady area or build a sandbox with a roof so they have a nice soft spot to dig and lay. 


Since we don't have grass and only have an endless supply of dirt, I don't have this problem. My dogs make their own Hobbit holes to keep cool in. Usually, I manage to step in these holes when I'm out in the pastures and have fallen flat on my face many times because of these "Maremma death traps." Texting and walking in a pasture is almost as dangerous as texting and driving.
Maremma Sheepdog digging

Water, the Essential Element for Keeping Animals Cool

Water is crucial for hydrating and keeping your Livestock Guardian Dogs and other anaimals cool when temperatures soar. They should have easy access to plenty of water, and you should refresh it as needed.


You may find that your Livestock Guardian Dogs like to submerge themselves in the water because it keeps them cool. (Most of my Maremmas love water, but a few don't. )Because of this, you will need to change your water regularly. The dogs will pollute the water so that no one wants to drink it, especially if you own goats, who are more picky about having clean water than dogs. 


What works well is to provide drinking water for the animals and "swimming" water for the dogs in two separate containers. You can use a child's wading pool for the dogs, but using a shallow trough for horses or livestock works better. These are sturdier than wading pools and are easier to empty and clean. And they hold up better to dogs and livestock than children's wading pools do.
For providing drinking water, you want to use smaller containers to discourage the dogs from using them for wading. The easiest way to do this is to use a flatback horse bucket of approximately 20 quarts. Then you attach an automatic waterer designed for livestock to that bucket. (You can find these on Amazon or Tractor Supply, usually for less than $20.) Attach that to a hose and clip the whole thing to a fence or other stable object. That way, the water will continually fill, but the bucket is small enough that the dogs cannot usually play in it. The animals will always have clean water, and then you provide separate water for the dogs to swim in. These smaller buckets are also easy to dump, scrub, and clean periodically to keep algae and other nasty stuff out. 


You can use the automatic waterers to fill the swimming water or fill those with a hose. But those need to be dumped and cleaned up more often because the dogs will get them quite dirty when using them. The animals sometimes choose to drink from them, but that is their choice. I do always provide separate water so that they have clean water available. 


If you own ducks or geese that share a pasture with your Livestock Guardian Dogs or other livestock, you'll have to dump and clean the water at least daily. They make a terrible mess of the water, and it's not fit for other animals to use or drink. I will cover keeping poultry cool later in this article. 🐓🦃🦆


Of course, you can always have however many buckets you need and fill them with a hose by hand, but I have a lot of animals, so this method works much better for me. I prefer to put as much on autopilot as I can. This way, I only need to check that everything is working instead of filling the waters daily.

Automatic Waterers

In addition to the portable automatic waterers described above, I love a great tool called a Lixit. You can find these on Amazon and sometimes at pet stores or hardware stores. They attach to the faucet, and the animal learns to lick the end of it and make the water come out. I install Lixits in all of my pastures so that the animals can always access clean water in addition to the water provided in other containers. My goats, in particular, love these and prefer them over drinking out of buckets. (Remember what I said about goats being picky about clean water? 🐐) Most of my pasture faucets are 5' off the ground, so I use a 3' leader hose to bring the Lixit to a better height for drinking and zip-tie it to the nearby fence. ​

Another really great option we use for water is a product called a Nelson Waterer. These stainless steel automatic waterers are a bit expensive but they hold up very well to the wear and tear of dogs and livestock.

Putting it All Together

Usually, I get a four-way hose splitter and put that on my faucet. Then I have hoses going to the different water troughs and containers. I have one hose for the swimming water, one hose for the small bucket that the animals drink out of, one hose for the Lixit, and one extra hose for cleaning out buckets, filling other water buckets, and whatever else I need.


To keep your hoses from blowing out and causing the water to overflow, you can put a pressure regulator (designed for drip irrigation systems) on your faucet before you attach everything else. You can get these from Amazon or any hardware store. Make sure all your rubber washers are good quality and in good condition, and if you need to, you can also use plumbers' tape to minimize leaks. 


The Zero-G brand cloth hoses last much longer than rubber hoses, and the dogs are less likely to chew on them. I've also found some metal hoses on Amazon that hold up to most chewers. But a determined chewer will even chew these up, so be aware! (Ask me how I know! 🤦🏻‍♀️)

Electrolytes, Ice Packs and Animal Popcicles

In hot weather, electrolytes are crucial for animals. They help by replenishing fluids, balancing hydration, facilitating muscle function, supporting nerve signaling and cooling mechanisms, and maintaining organ function. Adequate electrolyte intake helps animals cope with heat stress and stay healthy.


Electrolytes are especially beneficial for goats (sheep, cows, or other dairy animals) if they are in milk. They can help prevent production from dropping due to dehydration. There are species-specific electrolytes for different animals. You can use them interchangeably, or you can get an all-species electrolyte. These powders look like Kool-Aid, and you mix them into the water. 


The brand I like best for my goats is Goat and Sheep BlueLite, from Premier 1 Supplies. This brand is the best one on the market, and the goats go crazy for it. For horses, I usually use Red Cell or a similar brand. For poultry, I use a poultry-specific brand.


There are electrolytes made for dogs, but I only use them if I have a sick dog, and it won't hurt the dogs to drink the ones for goats or other livestock. But they may or may not like it. Whenever I offer electrolytes, I put them in a separate bucket and offer them plain water in addition to the electrolytes. I do this to ensure the animals still drink even if they don't care for the electrolytes, and so the automatic waterers don't dilute the electrolyte solution.

​If the weather is especially hot you can use cooler ice packs and float them in the water. You can make homemade ice packs out of empty soda bottles or milk jugs. Before we built our puppy parlor we used the ice packs in the whelping box to keep puppies cool in the summer. It was still too hot, which is why we built the Puppy Parlor.

You can also make "popsicles" for your animals, using things like frozen broth or goat milk for the dogs and some combination of fruit or vegetables for goats, sheep, horses and poultry. Lay the "popsicle" in a dog dish or feed bucket so it doesn't all get wasted as it melts.

Misting Systems and Fans

Misting systems and fans can be a great way to keep livestock guardian dogs and other animals cool. Fans can be as simple as a box or stand fan pointing in the right direction. Or you can get fans with built-in misters. Just be sure to keep cords out of reach of your animals, as they can get electrocuted if they chew on the cords. Fans are especially helpful for cooling animals in a more enclosed building like a barn or chicken coop.


You can also install a mister system along a fence, a dog kennel, a barn wall, or some other spot. Misters provide a fine mist of water and can be put on a timer to come on and off automatically. We have used these in the past. Some systems are better than others, so definitely do your research here.


Of course, goats will not appreciate any of these methods of using water to help them cool off other than the drinking water and the electrolytes. Goats hate getting wet. They don't like rain. They don't like swimming, and they don't like misters. They would rather be hot than get wet, so if you own goats, the misters are only for the benefit of your Livestock Guardian Dogs. Your goats will watch the dogs having fun in the water and wonder if they have lost their minds.

Take a Siesta Approach to Life

Dogs are intelligent creatures. Most farm animals are smart, too. They will take a page from a book of many cultures and take a nice siesta during the hottest parts of the day. I suggest you go with this natural flow of things and allow them to do that. If you have activities such as training or husbandry care like trimming hooves, grooming, or anything else, it would be best to do that in the early morning or late evening hours. 


If you have a cool building to work in, that might be a good option. But I don't suggest working with the animals outside when it is too hot. That will be harder on them and you. Allowing them to rest and stay cool during the hottest hours reduces stress on them and you as the owner.


We do most of our barn work at night, right before it gets dark and on into the night. Some people prefer to get up early to do their chores, but that doesn't work for me, so we do things this way. We also have our Puppy Parlor and an air-conditioned dog grooming trailer that we can use if we need anything done during the day. But for general outdoor activities, we do all that after it cools off.

Grooming Helps Keep Dogs Cooler

Keep your Livestock Guardian Dog cool and comfortable with regular grooming. Grooming removes mats, tangles, and loose fur and improves air circulation around their skin, allowing heat to escape more easily. Plus, maintaining clean coats helps prevent the buildup of dirt and debris, ensuring good airflow. Grooming controls shedding and reduces the risk of heat-related illnesses like heatstroke. Help your loyal LGD beat the heat and stay healthy with proper grooming.

Keeping Poultry Cool

Summertime can be challenging for poultry, as birds can be more susceptible to the heat than mammals. All of the steps already discussed apply to farm birds. Here's a recap, plus a few extra tips.
 
  • Provide shaded areas for birds to retreat from the sun. Use shade cloth, trees, or some of the recommended shelters. Keep the waterers in the shade to cool the water and refresh them periodically.
  • If your birds are in a coop, be sure it has good ventilation. You can use fans to circulate the air, but keep them at a safe distance from the birds.
  • If your birds are free range, make sure they have easy access to shade.
  • Provide plenty of cool water. Your birds will need access to cool water throughout the day. Consider using a large waterer, and add frozen water bottles to help keep the water cool. 
  • Ducks and geese should have extra water for swimming. You can use the recommendations made earlier in this post. Remember to change the water often and ensure the birds don't pollute the water for the Livestock Guardian Dogs and other animals.
  • Misters are an excellent way to decrease the temperature and keep your birds cool. You can install misters around your coop or run area and set them to a timer to provide periodic cooling bursts. ​
  • Your birds will be more comfortable if they can keep themselves clean, so providing a dust bath is a good idea. If you have a dusty barnyard like us, your birds will make their own dust baths. Otherwise, a shallow pan filled with sand or dirt will encourage your birds to keep themselves clean and can also help keep them cool.

Conclusion

Don't let the summer heat endanger your Livestock Guardian Dogs and their charges. It's easy to keep them cool and comfortable if you follow the tips shared in this blog post. Provide shade, fresh, clean water, and consider scheduling activities for cooler parts of the day. By taking these measures and being proactive about your animals' well-being, you'll ensure that all of your animals remain happy, healthy, and protected all summer long. ​
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If You're In Santa Barbara, Stop By the Zoo and Say Hello to the Four Prancing Pony Farm Zoo Goats!

7/1/2023

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​Growing up as a city kid in Memphis, Tennesse, one of my favorite places to go was the Memphis Zoo. Later as a mom of six kids, visiting the Zoo was a favorite family activity. As a Navy family, we have visited big and small zoos all over the United States. And as grandchildren started coming along, going to the Zoo with them was also lots of fun. Zoo memberships are a great way to support your local zoon and enjoy many visits throughout the year without breaking the bank. 

Undoubtedly my favorite part of any zoo is the petting zoo. I know most people go to the Zoo to see wild animals and I enjoy that, too. But since I wanted to live on a farm since I was a little kid and didn't achieve that dream until I was 50 years old, the petting zoo was an excellent way for me to get a little up close and personal time with the types of farm animals I hoped to one day own. And without a doubt, my favorite animals in the petting zoo were the goats. I could have spent hours watching and petting those fascinating creatures. Of course, my family usually had other ideas, so I didn't get to spend that long with the goats, but I took whatever time I could!

Now that I have a farm of my own and more goats and other farm animals than I can count, I tend to spend more time visiting the wild animals when I visit a zoo, but I still believe petting zoos are lovely places. Where else can city kids like me meet, pet, and interact with real farm animals? How many of those kids grow up, like I did, to own farm animals of their own?
As much as I love and value zoos and zoo petting zoos, I can not begin to describe how excited I was earlier this spring when I checked my voicemail to find a message from Dr. Julie Barnes, DVM, the veterinarian at the Santa Barbara Zoo! I listened in disbelief when she told me that the Zoo was interested in purchasing some of my Mini Nubian kids for their petting zoo. That was one phone call I returned in a hurry, believe me! The idea that so many people from all over would be meeting some of my goats at the Zoo was very exciting.

After much discussion, it was decided that the Zoo would purchase four Mini Nubian kids from my farm: two doelings and two wethers. The two doelings are sisters, and the two wethers are brothers. Maggie and Loki are the parents of the doelings, and Dixie and Loki are the parents of the wethers. So technically, all four kids are siblings! ☺️
Since the Zoo is accredited, specific processes and procedures had to be adhered to. The first is that biosecurity test results on the parents are required. Since we keep a clean, tested herd, that was no problem. The kids also needed to be bought from a herd enrolled in the USDA Scrapie ID program, and the kids needed to be properly identified with USDA Scrapie ID. Also, no problem since we are enrolled in the program and use USDA Scrapie microchips on our goats. A site inspection would also be done when the zoo staff came to pick up the goats, with some minor paperwork to be filled out.
A few weeks later, the exciting day arrived when two staff members, Kristen and Patrick, drove from Santa Barbara to pick up their new kids! Seeing the SUV covered in painted butterflies and Zoo signs pull into my driveway was beyond exciting. Then meeting Kristen and Patrick and showing them around my farm was so cool. We drove around on my golf cart so they could see the herd in the back pasture without disturbing our Maremma Sheepdog Livestock Guardian Dogs at work or risking biosecurity. Then we went to the pick up area near the Puppy Parlor, where the Zoo kids were waiting to head off on their new adventure. Kristen Facetimed Dr. Barnes so she could inspect the kids while Patrick got things set up and ready for them. Of course, I took lots of photos as we got the kids ready to go. Then they were loaded up for the trip and on their way back to the Zoo! 
Dr. Barnes let me know when everyone safely made it to the Zoo and updated me on how they were settling in. She told me that the kids would go through a quarantine and acclimation period for a while before they were put on public display in the petting zoo. I agreed that I would not post anything about them until I got the green light to do so by the marketing department. In the meantime, I was given frequent updates on how the goats were doing and how much of a hit they were with the staff. Finally, the day came when Dr Barnes texted me to say the kids were now on display, and I was free to share about them. 
So there you go; I am proud to announce that The Santa Barbara Zoo is now home to four Prancing Pony Farm Mini Nubian goats! So if you go to the Santa Barbara Zoo, stop by the petting zoo exhibit and say hello to my babies for me!
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If you would like to become the proud owner of your own Prancing Pony Farm goats just click on the button below and reserve your kids today!
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Does Feeding Alfalfa Hay Cause Urinary Calculi (Kidney Stones) in Goats?

6/28/2023

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Jardine Meadows Jessie, Mini Nubian doe, eating alfalfa hay
Jardine Meadows Jessie helping herself to some yummy alfalfa
​If I feed my goats alfalfa hay, will it cause Urinary Calculi (kidney stones)?

This is the number one question I get asked by new goat owners. I get this question in one form or another so often that I have been meaning to write a post about it for years, but I kept forgetting. But when two clients recently asked me the same question two days in a row I finally decided I needed to write that post. So here goes!

Most people believe that the answer to the question is yes. Most of them are terrified to feed alfalfa, or at least to feed too much of it. Even veterinarians will often say alfalfa causes Urinary Calculi. But that is one of the biggest urban legends out there about feeding goats, and one that truly drives me crazy!
We go through tons and tons of alfalfa a year. My goats love it, as you can see!

The simple answer is that feeding alfalfa hay to goats doesn't generally cause Urinary Calculi. Urinary calculi is primarily caused by too much phosphorus in the diet. Grain, grass hay, and forage hay are all high in phosphorus. Feeding grain is the fastest way to cause stones since it is very high in phosphorous. Here at Prancing Pony Farm, we only feed grain to does when milking them. Bucks, dry does, and kids do not get any grain except for an occasional treat or bribe to get them to come into the barn. 

​Alfalfa is really good for goats, especially dairy goats. It's rich in calcium, with a ratio of 4:1 on average. Ideally, you want a balance of at least two parts calcium to one part phosphorus in the diet. Adding alfalfa can supply this needed calcium and help prevent kidney stones from forming. It's high in protein, calories, and other nutrients, eliminating the need for grain to put weight on most goats. Goats love it so they readily eat it. The only problem with feeding too much alfalfa is that some goats will get fat. But that's from overfeeding more than the type of hay used. When my bucks start looking pregnant I know it's time to cut back on the alfalfa! 😂
Feeding goats is hard work!

Some say that while goats need at least a 2:1 calcium-to-phosphorous ratio, feeding straight alfalfa will cause another type of kidney stone. I don't know if that's true, and I haven't seen it in my herd. People want to focus on one ingredient as the culprit in the diet when it's not that simple. Other mineral imbalances and dehydration can also cause Urinary Calculi. (Just like in humans.) So I recommend people use quality minerals and ensure their goats have fresh, clean water. Balance the grass hay with some alfalfa, and don't feed grain.

An alfalfa/grass mix is ideal for most people, especially for pet goats or males, who don't need excess calories. For my herd, I feed primarily straight alfalfa. That's because it's the most economical and best nutrition for breeding goats. Grass hay is too expensive here, so I don't use that for my goats at all. I was feeding grass hay to my ponies and my donkey for a while, but even they get straight alfalfa now. Occasionally I'll buy a little forage hay for variety, but the goats and horses tend to waste that. I prefer to feed alfalfa and have them eat it all.
Besides milking, this is how we use grain, and it doesn't take much!

I have been feeding straight alfalfa for seven years and have never had a goat with kidney stones. I heard the same thing about horses long before I had goats. I heard that if you fed horses too much alfalfa, they would get kidney stones. But most of my horses have eaten nothing but alfalfa most of their lives. And most of them have lived into their 30s. None of them have ever had kidney stones, either.

All my goats get alfalfa hay and Craftsmin organic loose minerals from Holistic Livestock Supply. I also add Premier One Supply's vitamin A, D, and E premix, to combat vitamin E deficiency. Because of the California droughts and our general weather patterns (we get rain only a few months of the year), we don't have green forage here most of the year. Even alfalfa can't supply enough vitamin E so adding the premix in helps. If I feed any grain to my milking does, it's usually whole oats, crimped barley, or COB, and used sparingly.

And that's how I feed my herd. Of course, wethers are more at risk for Urinary Calculi than does or bucks. I don't own any wethers so I can't share any experience there. I can only share what I do and how I feed my herd of bucks, does and kids. I urge everyone to research and do what works for them and their goats. ​
Goats will help themselves to yummy alfalfa!
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It's Your Dog. There is No One "Right" Way to Raise, Train and Own a Livestock Guardian Dog, Even My Way.

6/23/2023

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I will probably ruffle some feathers with this post, but something has been bothering me for a while, and I need to share my thoughts in my own rambling way. As a breeder and trainer of Maremma Sheepdogs and an advocate of the breed, I have been very vocal in how I believe Livestock Guardian Dogs should be raised and socialized as puppies. I firmly believe that LGD puppies should get a very early start with livestock and continue that way until they are grown. Puppies have critical socialization periods in the early weeks, and taking advantage of those periods by having them immersed with livestock at that age can ensure their future success as LGDs. 

I feel strongly about this issue because I have acquired puppies from breeders who raise their dogs as companion dogs in those first weeks and months. These pups were raised in houses, backyards, and patios, with no livestock exposure until they came to my farm at 3-4 months old. I have seen the effect of this lack of early livestock exposure on their training (it's a lot more work to train them) and how those dogs turned out compared to how my puppies turned out. I firmly believe that how I raise my pups is the best practice for LGDs, and what is advocated on some Facebook groups is terrible advice. I even wrote a blog post entitled "Debunking the Shepherd Way Myth of Livestock Guardian Dog Training."

I stand behind what I said in that post. However, I need to clarify what I mean by how I raise my puppies. I also have probably not understood what others mean when they refer to themselves as "shepherds."

After I wrote that blog post, I had an interesting discussion with someone in my Maremma Sheepdog Open Forum Facebook group who advocates the "Shepherd Way" of training. And I found that she and I had a lot more in common than we thought. So there is more of a communication issue than a conflict of beliefs here.

I have one adult Maremma named Titus, who is a companion dog. He lives inside my house full-time with my other three companion dogs. I bred him, and he was raised outside with the stock until he was 5 months old. He's been a house dog ever since. He is perfectly house-trained, leash-trained, and crate trained. He has gone on many walks in regular neighborhoods, to the dog park many times, to the vet, to the groomers, and on long car trips. None of this happened before he was 5 months old, but he quickly adjusted to this companion dog life.

​The "companion home" discussion is an issue for another post, which I hope to write soon. For years I turned down any requests for companion homes for my puppies. I did this primarily because of what other breeders said or what I read on Facebook. I now realize I missed out on many great homes for my pups for no good reason. And since I started saying "yes" to the occasional request for companion puppies, I have learned even more about these fantastic dogs. Choosing to keep one of my puppies as a companion dog has taught me even more. They really can thrive in pet homes. In the right home with a dedicated owner. Just like in working homes. It's primarily the commitment of the owner that matters. But again, that's a topic I plan to expand on another day.
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Other than Titus, the rest of my Maremmas live outside with the livestock 24/7. They never come inside my house. But that is mainly because my house is several hundred feet from my barn and not attached by any fence. I would have to put them on a leash and walk them to my house to bring them inside. That is too much work when I am busy caring for a farm and running a business. But if my property were set up differently, I imagine my other Maremmas would come in to "visit" occasionally. Probably the goats, too. 😆

But because my dogs live outside, does that mean I'm not "shepherding" them? While I'm not too fond of the term, it's probably a relatively accurate description of my role with my dogs. I don't have an "off-farm" job. I run a business breeding dairy goats and Maremmas. I spend several hours a day outside taking care of my animals. I even sleep outside sometimes if puppies or goats are being born. Therefore I spend plenty of time bonding with my puppies and my dogs. I have no need to bring them into the house to bond with them because we bond outside. That is probably the main area where I differ from the "Shepherd Way" advocates.

I am NOT an advocate of the "hand-off" method of LGD training. Not at all. I utilize and advocate only positive training methods with my puppies. I also raise my puppies using Puppy Culture and Badass Breeder methods. I have a very carefully laid out puppy socialization program, exposing the puppies to sights, sounds, new people, and activities. This ensures that the puppies will be resilient and well-adjusted and thrive in various homes, including working or companion homes or something in between.

Another point I should make is that I sell puppies at 12 weeks or later. Most are in the 4-8 month range when they leave here. And I primarily sell puppies in pairs or to homes with another LGD, so there are no "8-week-old puppies alone in a barn" coming from my farm. Most of my pups are 50-60 lbs or more when they leave my farm. They aren't tiny babies.

​And if someone insists on owning a single LGD, I make it very clear that they will have to spend a lot of time with their puppy to compensate for the deficit. All of my dogs work in pairs or teams so I do not advocate single dogs alone with the livestock.
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But the actual topic of this post is not how I manage my own dogs or socialize my puppies. That's just the backstory. My point here is that even though I believe what I am doing is right for my dogs and the puppies I breed, it is not the only way for people to manage their dogs. I am not of the "my way or the highway" camp. 

Obviously, if someone does not feel comfortable doing things the way I do or cannot do them, then my trying to force them to be just like me will not help them. And my goal as a breeder is always to help my puppy owners succeed with their dogs. I worry that people may have read my post and thought that if they did things any differently than the way I recommend, I would be mad at them or criticize them. And nothing could be further from the truth. 

Many of my puppy families do things differently than I do. I have had families who raised their puppies in the house for part of the time initially. Some may continue to let their dogs come and go indoors. Some clients bought their dogs as LGDs and later sold their farms. Their dogs transitioned to the companion dog life with no problem. 

Many of my families do fun and cool things with their dogs, like taking them on vacation, camping, to the beach, or on family trips. One family takes their dog regularly to their vacation home in the mountains. He goes on hikes with them to protect them from mountain lions. That's an excellent use of their dog and fun for dog and family alike!

The simple fact is that all these dogs have thrived under their owners' management. They succeeded because their owners were committed to making things work. They just made things work in the way that worked for them. I do not have a problem with that. Why should I? The dogs are happy, the people are happy, and, I assume, the livestock is safe in the dogs' absence. That is all that matters.
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There is a person in the Maremma industry that I used to have a lot of respect for. I will call her "the Maremma guru" because that describes what she seems to believe she is. She is always talking about "what is true for white dogs" as if she is the only one that knows that truth. She seems to think she speaks for the Maremmas in much the same way that the Lorax speaks for the trees.

There are a lot of people in the LGD community that don't agree with her; people who have a much longer history and more experience with these dogs than she has. But she came onto the scene and declared herself the expert, refuting what people who had decades of experience said. I foolishly believed everything she said for a long time. I drank deeply from her particular brand of koolaide.

I used to tell people she knew more about the breed than anyone in the US. I promoted her tirelessly, referred many people to her for help and even had many links to her business on my own website. We had a lot in common and a lot we agreed on. There are still things we agree on.

But the more I got to know her, the more I realized that there was a lot that we disagreed on. There was a lot I felt like she was dead wrong about. (Like the Companion Maremma issue.) I no longer believe she knows as much as either of us thought she did. No one is right about everything. Being able to admit that is important. Eventually we parted ways and we are both better off for it. I know I am, anyway.

One thing I thought I had in common with her was this belief that the "Shepherd Way" was wrong. But as I talked to other people, I realized that I had more in common with advocates of the Shepherd Way than I thought and less with her. And I realized that being a shepherd is not a bad thing or a good thing. It's simply how some people describe their interactions with their dogs. It's a funny term, but I don't have a problem if people want to use it.

When the Maremma guru and I were still friends, she used to refer people to me occasionally to buy puppies. In almost every instance, she told me that she was "sending someone my way" because they were "not good enough" for her dogs, but they would be "fine" for me. I was always unsure about how I should take that. 🤔 It seemed like a backhanded compliment. But I appreciated the referrals.

Most of these people she "sent my way" never contacted me, but a few did buy dogs from me. The first time it happened, she later told me, "I can't believe you sold him a puppy." She didn't like the guy, and I think her referral was a test. Apparently I failed the test. I told her he was a very nice guy with a lovely farm, his other LGD needed a partner, and his sheep required protection. And I told her she shouldn't have referred him to me if she didn't want me to sell him a puppy. 🤷🏻‍♀️ That ended the discussion.

Another time she referred someone to me to buy a puppy as a partner for her adult LGD. She told me the client used an invisible fence, and I "would have to discuss what to do about that" with her. Again, this seemed like a test. I talked to the client. She told me she has an easement that requires her neighbors to drive through her property to get to their house. This means she can't have a gate across her road. She uses only positive training with her dogs and cats but uses an invisible fence to keep them safe. I have a couple of fence jumpers, so I understand that dilemma. A hotwire at the top of my fence was the only solution I found that worked. And an invisible fence makes sense for this client. It certainly is better than a dog getting out. Being hit by a car is as aversive as you can get. 😢 I gladly sold her the puppy, and she's been one of my best clients yet. I hear from her almost weekly, with frequent photos and updates. I may have failed the Maremma guru's test, but my puppy won, big time, in getting a wonderful home, invisible fence and all.
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​Another person was referred to me by the Maremma guru around the same time as the invisible fence client. The Maremma guru had sold dogs to this new client's neighbors and repossessed them later. (She did this frequently whenever a new owner did something she disapproved of.) I knew about that situation because the Maremma guru told me about it without remorse. And why, you might ask, did the Maremma guru repossess the dogs? What terrible thing did the clients do? She told me they "made the dogs into pets." Meaning they let them in the house occasionally. Shocking, I know.

When my new client came to me, she was extremely nervous about buying dogs, partly because she had seen what the Maremma guru had done to her neighbors. She told me it was traumatic, with lots of begging, crying, and screaming when the dogs were taken away. I was later told by another party that those people had bought the dogs from the Maremma guru in the first place because their previous dog had died. Of course, that made the whole situation all the more traumatic. I can't imagine inflicting that kind of pain on people without just cause. And just cause would be something like abuse of the dogs. That was not the case here, from what I've heard.

My new client had already placed a non-refundable $1000 deposit on two pups, but when the dogs were ready to go, she was still having second thoughts. Until the day she took them home, she debated backing out on the sale. She was apprehensive that something would go wrong. And a lot of the reason why she was so worried was because of her neighbor's experience with the Maremma guru.

The client lives in Oregon, so she drove to my farm in California "for a visit and to maybe get the pups." Her visit required two days and an overnight hotel stay. On the first day, she spent five hours at my farm, interacting with the puppies and asking me a million questions. She asked me what she should do if she wanted to go on a trip. Could she take the dogs? Her husband races cars, and they go out of state for his races. She wanted to know if it would be ok if they brought the dogs along. I told her that as long as her livestock would be safe at home, there was no reason not to take the dogs if she wanted them to go. 

This client spent five hours asking me one question after another like she was testing me to see if there would be something I would say that would be a red flag to her. She was worried that she would do something wrong and that I would repossess the dogs like the Maremma guru had done to her neighbors. 

I finally told her that while the Maremma guru and I agreed on a lot and respected her very much, I was not her. I did things very differently and I was not going to repossess her dogs. I told her that once the dogs left my farm, they were no longer mine, and it was not my business or choice what she did with the dogs. I told her what I always say to my clients. "They are your dogs; you can do whatever you want with them. You don't need my permission or my blessing." 

She went to her hotel to think it over. Then she called the following day to tell me she was buying the puppies. She came and got the two she had liked the best and took them home. And she has been a wonderful puppy owner. I don't know if the dogs ever go on race car trips with her and her family. It's not my place to ask. They are no longer my dogs.
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Now I would not advocate anyone doing anything to harm their dogs, and that includes using aversive training methods. But if somebody wants to take their dogs on outings or on vacation or let them sleep in the house with them every night, that is their business. Truly.

This is not to say that I don't believe that my way of training is not superior to how a lot of people manage their dogs. I do. How I train works best for me as a breeder, and it's what works best for my livestock. Having owned dogs raised my way and the opposite way, I would never again buy a puppy from anyone who doesn't raise puppies the way I do. No more patio puppies for me! But that's my personal choice, based on what works for me. 

And I will continue to raise my puppies the way I do while they are under my care because it's the ideal way to raise, train and socialize LGDs. The proof is in the dogs I have produced over the years. But once those puppies leave here and go to their new homes, they are no longer my dogs. And my puppy owners need to do what works for them and their new dogs. 

So don't worry. If you buy one of my puppies and want to do things differently from the way I do, I will not be mad at you. I'm not going to tell you you're doing it wrong. Instead, I will do my best to support you. Because it is not my dog anymore. It's your dog.
Reserve Your Maremma
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    Hi I'm Kim. I have been an avid animal lover all my life but goats and dogs are my favorites so I built a business around them, breeding registered Mini Nubian & Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats and MSCA registered Maremma Sheepdogs. I love sharing my passion and knowledge of these amazing creatures with others.

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