I have owned Maremma Sheepdogs since 2016 and have been breeding since 2017. I have had the honor of placing my puppies in many wonderful homes throughout the United States and Canada. Our puppy families absolutely adore their dogs and many of them stay in contact with me, even as far back as my first litter. I hear from some of them several times a month or more. Others send me occasional updates and photos. People are busy so I understand if not everyone has time to keep in touch. But I really appreciate those who do. I never tire of hearing how my pups are doing, how they serve their owners as Livestock Guardian Dogs or companions, and how much they are valued and loved. I especially love receiving photos of the dogs with their human and animal families. This connection is so special and makes me feel that I still know these dogs, even though I have not seen most of them in person since the day they left my farm. 

For a long time I have wanted to start a blog post series about the amazing dogs I've bred and the lives they live out in the world, in their various jobs and families. I wanted to give people a glimpse of what life looks like for these cute little puppies after they leave my farm. The dogs I've bred are living and working in such a wide variety of homes, from small one acre urban homesteads to huge ranches of hundreds of acres. They guard everything from chickens and goats to Emus and Dressage Horses, and everything in between. A few guard only their human families or the other family pets. All are wonderful dogs, doing important work and very beloved by their owners. There are a lot of great stories to tell so I knew this new series would be both educational and entertaining for my readers.

​However, life sometimes goes differently than planned when you own animals. Sometimes as a breeder, we are called to mourn with our clients instead of celebrating. That was the case recently when one of my puppy families lost their dog tragically and unexpectedly to bloat, or Gastric Dilation-Volvulus. Her name was Jess, and she was an incredible Livestock Guardian Dog and much loved member of her family. She was only 4 years old when her life was so cruelly cut short. So in order to honor Jess and raise awareness about bloat in dogs, I am writing my first post in this new series about her.

Jess was owned by my client, Randy and his wife, Stacey. They raise Soay sheep, a small breed of sheep which they use for fire abatement. (The sheep eat down the excess vegetation around their house and property, reducing the risk of forest fires.) They run a flock of around 60 sheep in bear and mountain lion country in northern California. Bears and lions are some serious predators, but thanks to Jess and her other Maremma partners Randy and Stacey have never lost a single sheep.  

Randy and Stacey first visited my farm in 2019, when their family came to choose two pups from my third litter of Maremmas Sheepdog puppies. The parents of the puppies were my first two unregistered Maremmas, Olaf and Genevieve, whom I still own today. Accompanied by Randy and Stacey were their daughter, Shelbie, who was soon to be leaving for college, and their two adorable and sweet granddaughters, Sadie and Lily.

I immensely enjoyed the couple of hours the family spent visiting with the puppies and me. They met parents Olaf and Genevieve, and one-year-old big sister, Polar. (Polar was born in 2018 in Olaf and Genevieve's second litter.) They asked many thoughtful questions and discussed the merits of each puppy with me and each other. They intended to buy two puppies for their farm, but choosing two from a litter of nine was no easy task! But eventually, the family did choose their pups, a brother and sister they would later name Jack and Jess. The puppies were not quite ready to leave yet, so they came back 2 weeks later to pick them up. I enjoyed occasional updates about the pups from Randy after that, as well as photos of the dogs with the family and the sheep.

In 2021, Randy returned to purchase an MSCA registered breeding male for his farm. Like me, Randy greatly valued his unregistered Maremmas, but had decided to transition into breeding MSCA-registered dogs. He also purchased a breeding female from another MSCA breeder around the time that he bought his third puppy from me. Randy came by himself to pick up his new puppy, whom he named River.

Again, I really enjoyed my time talking with Randy. He is such a nice person and we share so much of the same goals and values in relation to Maremmas, including a deep love and respect for the breed. He told me how much he adored Jack and Jess and what excellent LGDs they were. He also told me that Jess was his particular favorite of all his dogs and pure perfection as an LGD. I feel the same way about Polar, whom I consider my best LGD, so this made me very proud to hear. 

Randy sent occasional updates about Jess, Jack, and River over the next few years. He later told me that he had made the decision to spay the breeding female he had bought from the other breeder. He said that while he loved her and would keep her, her temperament was much harder to manage than Jess, Jack and River's and required a lot of extra training. He didn't want to risk passing that temperament on to puppies or causing difficulties for potential owners, so he spayed her. I applauded him for making the right decision for the breed and future puppy owners.

He told me that all three dogs he had bought from me were outstanding LGDs. He calls them, "Plug and Play", a term I love and that describes perfectly what I have seen in Polar and the other pups I've bred. He also said that he had decided that he was going to breed Jess to River, even though the puppies would not be eligible for registration and, thus, would not sell for as much money as puppies from his other female would have. He chose Jess as a breeding dog instead of his registered female because her temperament was perfect, and he knew that temperament was what mattered most in an LGD. Once again, he placed what truly mattered over profits. This showed his true character and commitment as a breeder. Jess went on to produce two litters, sired by River.

I also appreciated Randy sharing the news of Jess's death for another reason. I knew that bloat was a health risk in all large breed dogs, but I had never really researched it much, so I didn't know much about the illness or how much of a risk it was for Maremmas.

I have had two other puppy owners over the years who reported to me that they found their young, healthy dogs dead, with no idea what happened. The last time they saw the dogs they were fine. Then they were gone. Both owners were understandably devastated. I wondered both times if their deaths could have been due to bloat. Both dogs were full siblings to Jess. One was a year older (from the same litter as Polar) and the other was from the same litter as Jess and Jack. Of course we will never know what those dogs died of, but after hearing the news about Jess I am even more inclined to think it was bloat.

But now that I knew that a dog I bred had succumbed to the disease, I decided it was something I should research. Randy shared some information his vet had given him, and I also did my own research. Below are a few things I learned that might be useful to owners of Maremmas or any other breed. And just maybe this information can help save other dogs like Jess. 

Bloat, or gastric dilation and volvulus (GDV), is one of the most dangerous and painful conditions a dog can get and is fatal if not treated. One article I found during my research called it "The mother of all emergencies." No one knows exactly how many dogs in the US are diagnosed with bloat, but some estimates are as high as 60,000 cases per year. Unfortunately, many dog owners know little to nothing about this condition until it is too late, and they have lost a beloved dog to it. If you would like to maximize your chances of preventing your dog from succumbing to this terrible illness please read on.

What is bloat?

​Bloat is a condition in which food or gas stretches the dog's stomach, causing extreme pain. Sometimes the stomach twists, causing even more damage and sure death if not treated quickly. Dogs that weigh more than 99 pounds have a 20% risk of bloating. (That means most Maremmas are at risk.) Deep-chested breeds are most at risk, but any dog of any breed can bloat. ​​

​Below is a link to a list of the breeds that are most at risk for bloat. While Maremmas are not specifically mentioned (probably because they are a less common breed so most vet practices never see one) they are similar in conformation to many of the listed breeds, including Great Pyrenees.

Factors that are believed to increase the risk of bloat are:

• Increased age
• Having close family members who have bloated (A genetic predisposition)
• Eating too quickly
• Overeating
• Feeding from a raised bowl
• Exercising after eating
• Feeding dry food with oil as one of the first four ingredients
• Drinking a lot of water in a short period
• Stress and anxiety (Reduce stress for your dog, if possible. This is another reason to always keep LGDs in compatible pairs or teams and to use positive training methods only.)

Signs of bloat:

• Restlessness
• Anxiety
• Distress
• Pacing
• Distended or swollen abdomen
• Excessive drooling
• Extreme panting
• Unsuccessful attempts at vomiting
• Inability to stand
• Collapse

If you suspect your dog is bloating, you should immediately rush him to the vet. Bloat can be fatal if not treated within an hour or two of the onset of symptoms. The treatment is complicated and may require emergency surgery, among other measures. Sadly, despite heroic efforts, 30% of dogs who receive emergency treatment will die anyway. Taking preventative measures is worth trying because bloat is so life-threatening and challenging to treat. ​

If you have horses you may think that bloat sounds similar to colic in horses. I did. But what I learned is that bloat is actually much more dangerous and a bigger emergency than colic. Whereas some horses get over colic with mild intervention by their owners, bloat always requires immediate medical treatment. If you suspect your dog is bloating get him or her to the vet immediately.


Some factors that might decrease the risk of bloat are:

• Adding table scraps, canned food, or other supplements (goat milk, water, broth) to the dry dog food
• Feeding a dry food with a calcium rich meat meal in the first four ingredients
• Feeding two or more smaller meals instead of one large meal per day
• Not allowing the dog to drink too much water at once
• Restricting exercise for 1-2 hours after meals
• Avoiding raised food bowls unless medically indicated
• Using slow feeder bowls if your dog bolts their food
• Not allowing your dog to overeat​
• An easy-going, relaxed temperament. (Reduce stress for your dog, if possible. This is another reason to always keep LGDs in compatible pairs or teams and to use positive training methods only.)

Randy still owns Jack, Jess's littermate brother; River, the other dog he bought from me; and Prairie, the spayed female he purchased from another breeder. He also is blessed to still own three of Jess's puppies. He will keep one of them so that her legacy lives on in her absence. He said, "We miss her and can't believe she's gone." ​

If you own a Maremma or other large breed dog, I urge you to research bloat, and take whatever preventative measures you can to prevent this terrible illness from taking the life of your precious dog. I know I will be making some changes with my dogs, just as Randy is. Below are some links to get you started on learning how to protect your dog:
​

• Bloat, the Mother of All Emergencies (Veterinary Partner)
• Bloat (Or GVD) in Dogs: What it is and How Is it Treated? (AKC)
• Bloat in Dogs (Pet MD)
• What is Gastric Dilation-Volvulus (Bloat)? (Veterinary Medical Center)

I have just spent the last week (August 8-12, 2022) enjoying a "working vacation" (tax deduction, yay!) at the Karen Pryor Academy National Training Center (The Ranch) in Washington State, where I attended the Training for Professionals: Across Species course with 12 other students. It was a wonderful week filled with hands on training sessions and live demos with various types of animals, in class lectures, videos and much more. I myself worked with goats, mini donkeys and alpacas and saw demos with those animals as well as dogs.

There were students from as far away as Colombia and Hawaii. Among the students were dog trainers and breeders and trainers that work with marine mammals, zoo animals and even chickens! Besides the coursework itself it was very educational just talking with all the students about what it's like working with these various species. It was also a very positive, encouraging and uplifting environment for humans with everyone supporting and inspiring each other to learn and grow in their skills so we can all go out and make a better world for animals and humans.

Before I was even halfway through the course my wheels were spinning with ideas I could implement at home, especially with my goats, which I had always wanted to clicker train but hadn't tried. While working with my training partner, Corgi, a Nigerian Dwarf wether, I quickly saw the value of using dog training platforms to train goats and I went back to my hotel and ordered 6 of them from Blue-9 Training to use with my goats and Maremma puppies. They arrived before I even got home so I will be setting them up and trying them out ASAP. 

Previously to going to this course I had never been north of California so being able to visit Washington as well as Oregon was a wonderful experience, especially in August when the California Central Valley, where I live, is an oven!

In April 2021 I began going through a relentless coordinated attack on my business, my reputation and me as a person by a few very cruel individuals. I love what I do and have worked very hard to get where I am so this experience was extremely difficult and caused me unbelievable stress and severe PTSD symptoms. Eventually I had to hire an attorney to help me fight these people but even with my attorney it was a very hard battle that I often felt I would never win. It was truly the most difficult experience I’ve ever been through, and I am a stage 3 cancer survivor so that’s saying a lot. (At least cancer isn’t personal.) During the middle of this experience a friend encouraged me sign up to attend the Across All Species clicker training course at the Karen Pryor Academy Ranch in Washington, with her. The course would be held in August so the timing was perfect, as kidding season was over and I had no young puppies to care for. It would be a great way to further my education with training my Maremma Sheepdogs as well as my dairy goats. I had long been interested in learning to clicker train goats but I'd never really tried it. This course would be focusing on all different types of animals but the main practice would be goats, so I knew it would be perfect for me. I really wanted to attend but I was concerned that I should not invest the money in this course, in case I needed the money for legal fees. The course itself was $1200 and there would be airfare, hotels and a lot of other expenses. So although I really wanted to take the course I was very torn. In June I received an email from my friend, in which she "pestered me" in her words, to attend the course. She reminded me that this course was being held at a perfect time for me and that might not happen again because it is not always held at the same time every year, and it's not often that things line up so well for me to be able to get away from the farm. Then she told me about a similar circumstance she had been in where she was going through a tough situation and was having trouble deciding whether to attend the KPA Professionals Course or not. She said that she thought about it and there were two things that she decided:

1.She needed the distraction. 2. She refused to have her goals be a casualty of her situation. She told me that she fought HARD for every shred of that coursework and looking back, it means more to her to have earned that certification because of it.

What she said really struck me. I knew that I DEFINITELY needed the distraction and that, despite what I was going through, I had to put my animals' needs, my education, my business and my mental health first. Like my friend, I had goals to improve my skills and knowledge as a trainer so that I could better serve my animals and my customers and I was NOT going to let anyone stop me from achieving those goals. I had to step out in faith, spend the money to go to this course and let the other stuff take care of itself.

So off I went to the beautiful state of Washington, where I have never been. Some of my "issues" were still going on as I was leaving on the plane to fly out, and some of them were still going on while I was there. I really had to fight to keep my focus on being in this course and not letting these other distractions ruin what I was there to do. It was not easy, I will tell you that. I had turned off commenting on my blog before I left home, to prevent further attacks there and so I wouldn't be compelled to reply. But staying off of social media in the evenings was super hard and I didn't always manage it. But every day I went to class and was surrounded by people who live to train animals in positive and kind ways. Not only was I learning how to train through hands-on training with all different types of animals, demonstrations on different types of animals and in-class instruction and videos, but I myself was being immersed in a positive reinforcement environment. Everyone there was encouraging and kind and truly focused on not only helping animals but on helping each other. There were people from all walks of life, different parts of the country as well as out of the country. People from different backgrounds. Dog trainers, people who work with sea mammals and zoo animals, people who train chickens, dog breeders, doggy daycare owners and all different kinds of people. What we had in common was our love of animals and dedication to helping them and the people who care about them. Thirteen students and several instructors and assistants together for 10-12 hours a day, for 5 days in a row and no drama whatsoever. The longer I was in that environment the more I began focusing on what really matters, instead of worrying about this other stuff. I began to get excited about all I was learning and all the ways I could see myself implementing what I was learning into my breeding and training program (dogs and goats) as well as ways I could help my customers and others learn how to be more successful with training and communicating with their animals. By the time the last day of class came to an end I was more excited and optimistic than I've been in months.

On Saturday I drove with my friend to visit her ranch in Oregon (another state I’d never been to) on the way back from WA. On the drive I told her that I know without a shadow of a doubt that if I had not let her "pester" me into taking this course I would still be immersed in all that other drama and stress, in a bad place and not able to get out. She had been absolutely right. I had NEEDED this course, in more ways than one, and like my friend, refusing to let my goals be a casualty of my situation will pay off, big time. And I will value what I learned even more because of what I had to go through to get here and because of how hard I had to work to stay focused.

I spent Saturday afternoon visiting  my friend's beautiful 360 acre Oregon ranch. I met every single one of her 27 Maremmas, meaning I petted, talked to and spent time with each and every one of them. Twenty-seven Maremmas! Twenty-seven smiling "White Dogs", as she calls them. I also visited her companion dogs as well as the three Maremmas and several other dogs owned by another friend, who we visited along the way. It was a day filled with dogs, as well as goats (including several of my Mini Nubian wethers that I had given my friend a few months ago), mini donkeys, mini cows, mules, horses, ponies and sheep. It was a great day and a great ending to a great week! And tomorrow I'll fly back home to California where all my smiling Maremmas, goats, horses, companion dogs and other animals will be waiting for me, along with my family and friends. And I'll go forth and use what I learned this week, as well as my newfound focus, to make the world a better place for all of them.

Me with my training partner, Corgi, on the last day of the course. I learned so much working with this smart little guy and can’t wait to implement what I learned with my own goats! I already have 6 training platforms waiting for me at home, to use with my goats and dogs, because as soon as I used one with Corgi I knew they would be invaluable tools for training my animals. Of course I ordered purple! 💜

Me getting a Maremma fix with Hannah and Milan, two wonderful dogs. Milan (the one who climbed on the table with me) is the sire of two of my dogs, Marisa and Pax, so getting to meet him as well as some of my other dogs’ parents was so great. 💜

On the way home from the Training for Professionals: Across Species course at The KPA Ranch I got to visit a friend's beautiful Oregon ranch. This was a dream come true and equally as exciting as the course. I met each and every one of her amazing Maremmas, as well as her other dogs, her donkeys, goats, cattle, horses and mules. It was a great day!

Doing a little grooming table training with dried chicken. The dogs love this game!

There's so much to see on the ranch, and so many wonderful dogs and other animals to meet!