How an Ethical Breeder Helped Save Seven Livestock Guardian Dogs Who Lost Their Home

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!