Happy New Year From Prancing Pony Farm - Plans for 2024!

Happy New Year! I know it's a bit late, but things have been busy here at Prancing Pony Farm, especially over the holidays. But I wanted to update everyone on what's been going on over the last year and what's coming up this new year. There's lots to tell, but I will just hit the highlights. Otherwise, this could go on forever. 😆

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I have Officially Passed the Halfway Point in the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional Program!!!

I am in unit 3 of the 4-unit program. Things are getting intense! I am learning advanced dog training skills, which will significantly benefit my Maremma clients in the future. Video submissions are required with most lessons, and those assignments get more challenging as we go along. Some lessons also require a large number of videos. In a recent lesson, there were five videos due. That was tough! There are also writing assignments with most lessons and quizzes with every lesson. Whew!😅

This program is, without a doubt, the most challenging project I have ever undertaken, and I have had to make a lot of sacrifices in other areas (things I'm not doing that I usually would) to keep up with the program. But I know it will be well worth the sacrifice because it will uplevel my ability to train my Maremma puppies and support my puppy owners like nothing I have ever done in my professional career as a Maremma breeder. And this is only the beginning. I am already planning the subsequent dog training courses I will enroll in after graduating Professionals. More about that later!

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2024 Kidding Season on Hold

Because of the extreme time and work commitment required for me to complete the KPA DTP program, we will not be having a Spring 2024 kidding season. Initially, I had planned to delay the start of the kidding season until after graduation. Then I discovered we will have TWO new grandchildren born in the spring! Both of these will be born on the East Coast, and we will be traveling to visit them, along with my traveling to the Professionals workshop in April. In the end, there wasn't a way to fit kidding season into that mix, so all of our does get a vacation, at least until the fall. (I may have a minor fall kidding season.) 

At first, I was sad about not having any baby goats this year, and I didn't know if I could resist breeding a few does. But I stuck to the plan and feel better about this change every day. Baby goats are a lot of fun but also a lot of work. Since I won't have that workload keeping me busy after graduation, I should be able to catch up on many other projects that need my attention. I will also have lots of time to practice all the dog training skills I am learning through KPA with my Maremma puppies. 

We won't have baby goats for sale this spring, but we have adult goats and yearlings available. Check our Goats for Sale pages for more info!

Adult Goats for Sale

Yearling Goats for Sale

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PennHip, OFA Hips and Elbows and DNA Testing

One of the most essential things a breeder can do to prevent producing puppies with debilitating health problems is to perform health testing on their breeding dogs. To be clear, some conditions, such as hip dysplasia, have environmental causes, and genetic and health testing alone won't prevent all problems. But that's no excuse for breeders to pretend these problems don't exist and ignore their vital role in protecting the puppies they produce and their future owners. 

I plan to write more about this topic soon, but most Maremma breeders have largely ignored health testing. The MSCA Code of Ethics only requires hip testing, while elbows and DNA are not addressed at all. (Most Maremma breeders do no health testing at all, or not enough.) The MSCA used to require proof of hip testing for a breeder to advertise puppies, but that requirement was removed due to pressure from breeders who feel health testing is "too expensive" and an "unfair burden" to them. (What about the burden to the unsuspecting people who buy sick or crippled puppies from these breeders?) Let the buyer beware - not all breeders advertising on the club website sell sound puppies from properly health-tested parents!

In my breeding program, I have always PennHip tested my breeding dogs. I added DNA testing a couple of years ago. I tried to add OFA hips and Elbows over two years ago, but due to a big mix-up between my vet and OFA, I had yet to receive the results on the three dogs I had tested. But after years of waiting patiently, not only was my vet finally able to straighten that issue out and get me the results on those dogs, but she also became certified to do PennHip exams on dogs!

I've wished for, dreamed of, and prayed for this for years! Now, my trusted vet can not only help me select the best breeding candidates for my program, but I can also PennHip test my puppies in future litters, which will give me even more valuable information about the overall health of my dogs. 

A complete OFA/PennHip panel is roughly $800-900 per dog. DNA testing is around another $200. I'm not made of money, so it won't happen overnight, but bit by bit, I am rounding out my dogs' health testing. I've PennHip/OFA tested four young breeding candidates in January. I will be testing more soon. I also have DNA test kits on hand to test more dogs. 

My goal is for all of my breeding dogs to have PennHip, final OFA hips and elbows, and DNA testing completed soon, which will be my standard for future breeding candidates. This way, I can make the best breeding decisions possible and maximize my chances of producing sound puppies who can do the job they were bred to do. ​

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Taking Reservations for 2024 Maremma Puppies and Older Started Livestock Guardian Dogs

We will be updating the website with our planned litters for 2024 soon. Since I will not have a kidding season, I will have lots of time to devote to puppies! I am also excited to practice all these new dog training skills I'm learning on some new pups! If you're looking for an amazing Maremma puppy or juvenile or adult dog, fill out our contact form for more info!

I also plan to post a lot of training videos and blog posts featuring our puppies once I finish Professionals so stay tuned for that and more farm news!

Reserve My Maremma!