Six months ago, I got an email that started with: “I know this is crazy, but I live in Hawaii…”
Sarah wasn’t wrong—getting a dog to Hawaii is a bit crazy. The quarantine requirements are extensive, the timeline is long, and the process is daunting. But when you fall in love with the right breed and find the right breeder, sometimes “crazy” is just another word for “totally worth it.”
When You Know, You Know
Sarah and Casey had met a Maremma in their Hawaii neighborhood and fallen head-over-heels for the breed. But living on an island presented some serious challenges. Could they even find a Maremma breeder willing to work with them? And even if they could, how would they navigate Hawaii’s strict quarantine requirements?
After researching (and even considering breeders in Australia), Sarah found Prancing Pony Farm. We had a long phone consultation where we talked about everything—the breed, their goals, their lifestyle, and yes, the logistics of getting a puppy to Hawaii.
The timeline was the hard part. The quarantine process takes approximately six months because of required rabies vaccinations, titer tests, paperwork, and more. Sarah knew she wanted the youngest puppy possible, so instead of taking one from my current litter, she placed a reservation for the next available puppy.
The Long Wait (Made Sweeter by a Special Visit)
When our April litter arrived, Sarah and Casey were thrilled. We eventually chose their puppy—a beautiful girl they named Caia—and the countdown began.
Then came the sweetest surprise. A couple of months later, Sarah and Casey were already traveling to California (Sarah was having surgery in Northern California), and they asked if they could drive down to meet their puppy, even though they couldn’t take her home yet.
Of course I said yes.
They drove several hours to spend an afternoon with three-month-old Caia, knowing they’d have to leave without her. Sarah later told me that getting to meet her puppy made the whole surgery experience a little less scary. Sometimes the best medicine really is puppy snuggles.
Tuesday: Pickup Day!
After months of paperwork, vet visits, and planning, Sarah and Casey flew back to California Tuesday to finally bring Caia home. They stayed overnight near the farm and arrived bright and early, buzzing with excitement.
Caia—now just shy of six months old—was thrilled to see them again. We had a wonderful visit, lots of photos, and plenty of puppy kisses before they loaded up and headed to San Diego to visit family before their flight.
Here’s what surprised me most: This is Sarah and Casey’s first dog as adults. Sarah is 36, Casey is 40, and they waited until they were truly ready—until they had the time, resources, and commitment a dog deserves.
A Maremma as a first dog? Some people would say that’s ambitious. I say it’s perfect when you have the right mindset, the right puppy and a breeder who can support you and your dog on your journey from adorable puppy to trustworthy and loyal livestock guardian dog and companion.
The Real Test: From Farm to Airbnb Without Missing a Beat
Here’s where Caia’s story really showcases something I’m deeply committed to: raising livestock guardian dogs that can adapt to ANY situation.
The texts started rolling in as soon as they hit San Diego:
“We made it!! Caia was such a good sport..”
“Everyone was so in love with how gentle she is.”
“She played with their little lab..she was so polite. She never even barked once.”
“She got to relax…and sleep at the feet of Casey’s aunt’s wheelchair.”
And then this one, which absolutely melted my heart:
“It was such a special day, I cried out of joy. 🥹”
Think about this for a second: Caia spent nearly six months of her life living outdoors with goats, chickens, and other Maremmas on a working farm. Then suddenly she’s in a car for hours, staying in an Airbnb in a residential neighborhood, meeting new people of all ages and abilities, encountering unfamiliar dogs, and navigating completely new environments.
And she just… adapted. Like it was no big deal.
Today, she’s sleeping at the foot of their bed, playing with toys, taking walks in the neighborhood, going out to potty on cue, and charming everyone she meets.
This doesn’t happen by accident.
Why Socialization Makes All the Difference
A lot of livestock guardian dog breeders take one of two approaches:
Approach 1: Raise puppies in the house or backyard like companion dogs. These puppies are great with people and adaptable to home life, but they often lack the instincts and skills to actually guard livestock effectively.
Approach 2: Raise puppies exclusively with livestock in the barn or pasture. These puppies develop strong livestock guardian dog instincts, but they’re often nervous or overwhelmed in everyday situations—vet visits, car rides, meeting new people, or adapting to life changes.
I believe both approaches leave dogs and families unprepared for real life.
My approach is different. My puppies live with livestock from birth—they’re out there with the goats and chickens, learning their job, developing their instincts. But they also spend significant time in what I call the “puppy parlor”—a specially designed puppy rearing facility with solid floors, walls, kitchen cabinets and appliances, dog grooming equipment and house-like surroundings. They meet people of all ages. (My grandkids, clients, farm visitors, adult family members.) They experience different sounds, textures, and environments. (Including TV, music and sound effects on the puppy parlor TV.) They watch cars, fire trucks, garbage trucks, delivery trucks and farm vehicles driving by on our busy country road. They interact with dogs of other breeds (My 3 companion dogs and family members’ dogs) barn cats, and of course a variety of livestock and several different adult Maremmas.
They learn that the world is a safe, interesting place—whether that world is a pasture, a living room, or an Airbnb in San Diego.
Why This Matters (Beyond Caia’s Story)
Here’s something I’ve seen happen too many times: A family gets a farm. They get a livestock guardian dog. Life happens—job changes, health issues, family circumstances—and they have to sell the farm.
And they think they have no choice but to rehome their dog.
I’ve watched families agonize over this decision. I’ve seen dogs get rehomed when their families desperately wanted to keep them, but didn’t think it was fair to keep a “farm dog” in a non-farm setting.
It’s not only fair, it might be the right choice because a well-loved Maremma bonds just as deeply with their family as they do with the livestock and the farm. And I believe if you give many of them a choice, they would prefer to stay with their human family, even if it means leaving the farm.
I decided I didn’t want rehoming to be the only option for my puppy families.
So I raise puppies who can absolutely thrive as livestock guardians—that’s their primary purpose, and they’re excellent at it. But if life circumstances change, these dogs can transition to companion life without falling apart.
I’ve had families from my earliest litters who ended up selling their farms and converting their Maremmas into full-time pets. (I have a full-time “house Maremma” of my own.) The dogs adapted beautifully—and that was before I was even intentionally breeding and raising for this kind of flexibility.
Now that I’m deliberately socializing for adaptability, I’m even more confident that my dogs can handle whatever life throws at them.
No shade if someone does choose to rehome their livestock guardian dog when circumstances change—sometimes that really is the best choice. But I want my puppy families to know they have options. Your Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdog can be a working livestock guardian AND a beloved family member. And if the farm part goes away, the family member part can absolutely stand on its own.
What’s Next for Caia
Today, Caia flies home to Hawaii. It’s about a five-hour flight, no different than the countless puppies I’ve sent to the East Coast. Because she met all the pre-arrival requirements, she’ll be cleared by the quarantine vet at the airport and go straight home—no facility stay required.
Sarah has set up a beautiful space for Caia to guard their chickens (and maybe someday, goats). But Caia will also be a beloved family member—what I call a “family farm dog.” These dogs thrive when they have a job and a family to love.
Sarah has already enrolled in a positive reinforcement training course (Susan Garrett’s program—excellent choice!), and she’s even offered to write a guest blog post about the Hawaii import process to help others who might want to bring a dog to the islands.
Caia’s new mom gives us a tour of her future home in Hawaii — a sunny, tropical pasture where she’ll live with chickens and eventually roam the whole property once the fencing is complete. You can practically feel the island breeze and her bright future.
Why This Story Matters
This isn’t just a cute puppy story (though it definitely is that). It’s a reminder that:
- The right dog is worth the wait. Six months of paperwork and planning didn’t dampen Sarah and Casey’s excitement—it deepened it.
- First-time dog owners can absolutely handle Maremmas. When you’re committed, educated, open-minded, and choose the right breeder, you can succeed with any breed.
- Geography doesn’t have to be a barrier. With the right support and guidance, you can find your perfect dog—even if that dog is 2,500 miles away.
- Proper socialization creates dogs who can handle anything. From pastures to Airbnbs, from livestock to Labs, from farms to flights—these dogs are ready for real life.
I can’t wait to follow Caia’s island adventures. And I’m so grateful to Sarah and Casey for trusting me with their first-ever dog and even more for giving one of my Maremma puppies a wonderful home and an exciting new life. 💜
Want to follow your own Maremma puppy journey? Whether you’re next door or across the ocean, whether you need a livestock guardian or a family companion (or both!), I’m here to help you find the right Maremma for your life. Browse our available puppies or contact me to learn more.
FAQs
Q: Can you really import a dog to Hawaii?
A: Yes! It requires advance planning (about 6 months), rabies vaccinations, titer testing, and veterinary paperwork, but dogs that meet all requirements can go straight home without facility quarantine.
Q: Are Maremmas good for first-time dog owners?
A: With the right commitment, mindset, and breeder, absolutely. First-time owners often do wonderfully because they don’t have preconceived expectations—they accept the dog as they are and approach training with fresh eyes.
Q: Can a livestock guardian dog adapt to life without livestock?
A: When raised with proper socialization (both livestock work AND varied life experiences), absolutely. My dogs are bred and raised to be excellent livestock guardians first, but also adaptable to life changes. I’ve had families successfully transition their dogs to companion-only life after selling farms and I have families who have thrived with companion Maremmas from the start.
Q: What is a “family farm dog”?
A: It’s a livestock guardian dog that has a job (guarding chickens, goats, etc.) but is also integrated into family life. Many Maremmas thrive in this role, especially on small farms or homesteads where they can be both working dogs and beloved family members.
