Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdogs and Mini Dairy Goats
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    • The Prancing Pony Farm Difference - How We Raise and Train Our Maremma Puppies >
      • Meet the Breeder
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      • Maremma Testimonials
      • Our Puppies with Their New Families
      • Our Maremmas and Children
      • Puppies Everywhere! All the places our puppies reside!
      • The Importance of Early Socialization in LGD Puppies
      • Critical Learning Periods in Puppies
      • Puppy Placement Policies
      • How Many LGD's do I Need?
      • Breeding Candidate Puppies
      • Vaccine and Parasite Protocol for Our Maremma Puppies
    • Our Maremma Sheepdogs >
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        • Simba
        • Sevro
        • Pax
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        • 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
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"Failed Livestock Guardian Dogs" or "Failing Our Dogs"

7/22/2022

 
Spend any time patrolling the internet and you will find people complaining about the "problems" they have with their LGD's. Some are committed to making things work and are just reaching out for advice and help. Others not so much. There are people who are dumping their dogs in rescue because it doesn't live up to their expectations. They see LGD's as cheap, expendable "products" and are happy to throw their dog away and start over if things don't go according to plan.

Others are calling their dogs "a failure", "bad dog" and "a disappointment". They seem to revel in criticizing their dogs to get attention, which is disgusting and sad. What makes this even sadder is that these are often PUPPIES that are being called failures. Everyone knows that LGD's can take 2 years or sometimes more to reach maturity and to be totally safe with stock. So why is it ok to call a 9 month old puppy a "failure" for being a puppy?

The first step in setting the puppies up for success lies with the breeder. Puppies have critical learning periods in the first weeks and months. If breeders don't take advantage of these periods the dog will never live up to its full potential. It might be an "ok" LGD, but not likely a "great" one. Puppies should have intensive socialization with stock from as early as possible. At our farm every dog and puppy we own lives with other dogs and livestock 24/7. Dogs are social creatures and they need to have their needs for socialization met in order to thrive.

Puppies should also be trained with positive socialization methods and only allowed to be around other dogs and stock that are kind to the puppies. Using harsh training methods or harsh treatment by other dogs and stock on puppies teaches puppies to be either fearful or to bully other animals, or both. Neither is what you want to nurture in a LGD.

But no matter how careful and conscientious the breeder is in their socialization of their puppies the job doesn't end there. The new puppy owner has the responsibility to continue this nurturing training and treatment of the puppy once it gets home. Other than the first few days the puppy should be with livestock full time asap. Of course with poultry, accommodations will have to be made to keep the birds safe, but the puppy should have another dog as a companion and some type of mammal to guard if at all possible. The puppy should not ever be locked up by itself for extended periods of time. This is counterproductive to what you're trying to accomplish with your puppy. You will only frustrate the puppy, which will lead to "bad" behavior.

If you are experiencing problems with your puppy the first place to turn is your breeder. A reputable breeder will provide lifetime support to their customers. They can tell you how your puppy was trained before it left their farm and can give advice on how to integrate the puppy with your new stock. Good breeders love their puppies and their customers and want everyone to be happy so don't be afraid to reach out to them.

If you need more help I suggest you seek professional help. And by professional help I don't mean some self-described "expert" with no real background or training. I mean a professional trainer with certifications in dog training and behavior and who specializes in LGD's and positive reinforcement training. Hands down the expert in this area is Cindy Benson, of Benson Maremmas. She is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner, former Maremma breeder and author of books on training LGD's. She can do zoom training sessions with you and your dog and get you back on track asap.

I would like to challenge everyone who owns one of these wonderful dogs to never, ever think of your dog as a "failure" or a "disappointment" and to challenge others to do the same. Advocate for these dogs. When you hear people blaming the dog for human failure, laziness and ignorance speak up and set them straight! Dogs come to us as clean slates. It's our responsibility to help them live up to their potential. It starts with breeders and continues with owners. And if there is any "failure" along the way it is not our dogs who have failed. It is us who have failed our dogs.
These are six of Marcella's puppies, at 4 months old, enjoying a fun game of tag with their puppy mentor, Marisa. LGD puppies need to have at least one LGD companion in order to be happy and healthy and so that they can channel that boundless energy in an appropriate manner.
Gaelle Robins link
7/25/2022 05:35:03 am

This is great and really inspiring. I couldn’t agree more, you’ve summarised lack of socialisation was a direct reason for Maremma’s being rehomed perfectly. Breeders have a huge responsibility, along with finding the right homes.

We socialised our first litter so they’d be use to being either LGDs or Companions and I have even bigger plans for the second litter. The pups speak for themselves.

Kim
8/1/2022 06:21:25 pm

Thank you! Breeding LGD’s is a lot of work but IMO if a breeder doesn’t want to do it right they shouldn’t breed. Or perhaps should find a companion breed, because lives will be at stake with these LGD puppies. It’s not fair to do things partway.

Kim
8/3/2022 10:30:41 pm

https://youtu.be/oTrb0ROWTQ0


Comments are closed.

    Author

    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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Click the links below for information on our dairy goats or Maremma Sheepdogs.
​We are located in Lemoore, California.
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Click the link below to download a free digital copy of our Maremma Sheepdog Training Manual. Print copies are included with each puppy purchase. 
Free Maremma Sheepdog Training Manual
  • Home
    • Contact us
    • About Us
    • Veterinarian's Letter of Recommendation
    • Farm Visits
    • Virtual Farm Tour
    • Employment & Volunteer Opportunities
    • Prancing Pony Farm Families FaceBook Group
  • Prancing Pony Farm Blog
    • Dairy Goat Blog
    • Our Prancing Ponies
    • Fun Farm videos
  • Mini Nubian & Nigerian Dwarf Goats for Sale
    • Baby Goats For Sale
    • Adult Goats for Sale
    • Breeding Plan Goats
    • Our Farm Vet's Letter of Recommendation
    • Goat Application and Questionnaire
    • Shipping Goats
    • Goat Sales Policies
    • Goat Stud service info
  • MSCA Registered Maremma Sheepdogs for Sale
    • Available Maremma Puppies & Planned Litters
    • Available Juvenile & Adult Dogs
    • Maremma Application and Questionnaire
    • Maremma Sales Policies
    • Shipping Maremma Puppies
    • Maremma Visitor Policy
    • Bringing Home Your Prancing Pony Maremma Sheepdog Puppy
    • Training Your Prancing Pony Maremma Sheepdog
    • The Prancing Pony Farm Difference - How We Raise and Train Our Maremma Puppies >
      • Meet the Breeder
      • Our Puppy Parlor
      • Veterinarian's Letter of Recommendation
      • Maremma Testimonials
      • Our Puppies with Their New Families
      • Our Maremmas and Children
      • Puppies Everywhere! All the places our puppies reside!
      • The Importance of Early Socialization in LGD Puppies
      • Critical Learning Periods in Puppies
      • Puppy Placement Policies
      • How Many LGD's do I Need?
      • Breeding Candidate Puppies
      • Vaccine and Parasite Protocol for Our Maremma Puppies
    • 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 >
      • Maremma Sheepdog FAQ's
      • Maremma Sheepdog Open Forum Facebook Group
      • Feeding our Maremma Sheepdogs
      • Goat Milk for Healthy Dogs and Puppies
      • Grooming Maremma Sheepdogs
      • Housing Maremmas
      • Favorite Dog Products
      • Whelping Supplies for LGD'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 >
      • 2022 Mini Nubian Kids
      • 2022 Nigerian Dwarf Kids
      • Fall 2021 Nigerian Dwarf Kids
      • Spring 2021 Nigerian Dwarf Kids
      • Spring 2021 Mini Nubian Kids
      • 2020 Nigerian Dwarf Kids
      • 2020 Mini Nubian Kids
      • 2019 Fall Kids
      • 2019 Spring Kids
      • 2018 Fall Kids
      • 2018 Spring Kids
      • 2018 Mini Nubian kids
      • 2018 Nigerian Dwarf kids
      • 2017 Spring Kids
  • Prancing Pony Farm Online Store
  • Goat care & Info
    • Goat care articles
    • Clicker Training Goats
    • Useful Animal Products & Links
    • Supplies for Goats
    • Favorite Goat products
    • Annual Disease Testing of Goats
    • Bringing Home Your New Goat
    • Health concerns of your new goat
    • Feeding Our Mini Dairy Goats
    • Feeding Mini & Dwarf Baby Goats
    • Housing Does & Kids
    • Goat Parasites
    • Pneumonia in Goats
    • Goat Hoof Trimming
    • Milking Dairy Goats
    • Our Dairy Goat Milking Parlor
    • Disbudding Mini & Dwarf Goats
    • Nigerian Dwarf Goats
    • Mini Nubian Goats
    • Mini Nubian Ears
    • Dairy Goat FAQ's