Last Updated on November 20, 2025 by Kim Crawmer, KPA CTP, LFDM

Prancing Pony Farm

We Make Livestock Guardian Dog Ownership Joyful and Stress-free

Hi Reader,

I want to tell you about a client who did something last weekend that honestly filled me with so much respect and admiration.

Amy brought home two puppies.

Now, that might not sound like a big deal. But here’s the thing: it was the second time Amy made this exact decision. And both times, it was the harder choice—but the wiser one.

Let me back up.

Almost two years ago, Amy came to me after one of her adult Great Pyrenees died unexpectedly. She had one aging female named Rosie left, and she needed help. Most people in that situation would grab one puppy to fill the gap. But Amy understood something crucial:

A single puppy paired with one older dog isn’t fair to anyone.

Not fair to the puppy who needs an appropriate play partner. Not fair to the older dog who doesn’t want to babysit a rowdy puppy 24/7. Not fair to the livestock who may become chew toys when the puppy gets bored.

So Amy brought home brothers—Luke and Max. It worked beautifully. Until Luke ended up needing surgery and months of recovery at my farm on flat terrain instead of Amy’s hilly property. Eventually, we all agreed Luke needed to stay on flatter ground for his long-term wellbeing, and he went to another wonderful client family nearby.

But that left Max lonely again. And Amy had to wait months for the right genetics—she specifically needed puppies from one of my males who produces smooth coats (her property has terrible foxtail problems that require that specific coat type).

Fast forward to last weekend. Amy came to pick up one puppy—Henry.

And then she paused. She’d watched Max struggle without Luke. She’d seen the behavior challenges that come from loneliness. She’d dealt with a bored adolescent dog pestering an aging female and showing too much zoominess with her goats and sheep.

So Amy made that wise decision again: she brought home two puppies.

Henry and Jack are now settling in together, playing with each other instead of pestering Max and Rosie, and learning what it means to be livestock guardian dogs from their excellent mentors.

Was it more work? A bit. (Though not as much as most people think.) More expensive? Yes. The easier choice? Absolutely not.

But it was the right choice. For the puppies. For the adult dogs. For the livestock. For Amy’s long-term success.

The “Two Puppies are Too Hard” Myth

I hear “I can’t get two puppies—it’s too much work” all the time. And I understand that concern. But you know what’s actually more work?

Years of dealing with a lonely, bored, destructive dog. Behavior problems that stem from isolation. An older dog driven crazy by a pestering puppy. Livestock at risk from an under-stimulated guardian.

Two puppies entertain each other. They learn together. They develop confidence together. And yes, they’re more work at first—but Amy’s proven twice that it’s worth it.

Right now, I have two of Henry and Jack’s littermates available—one male and one female, 13 weeks old, absolutely perfect age, already well-socialized with our livestock and adult dogs.

If you’ve been thinking about livestock guardian dogs but kept telling yourself you’d “start with one,” I want you to consider Amy’s story.Consider what she chose twice when she could have taken the easier path.

The wise decision isn’t always the easy one. But it’s always worth it.

Want to talk about whether a pair of Maremmas is right for your farm and family? Just hit reply, fill out our puppy application, or book a call with me—I’m here to help.

Kim

P.S. These available puppies won’t last long. And the families who say they’ll “come back later for a second”? Most don’t. Life happens. If you’re planning to have working livestock guardian dogs living outside full-time, don’t set yourself and your first dog up for unnecessary struggle. (Companion situations are different—happy to discuss that separately!) Let’s talk about the right start for your working LGDs.