Five Maremma Sheepdogs Placed in One Week — What Real LGD Success Looks Like

Quick Take:
Five Maremma Sheepdogs placed in one week — including a client who almost bought elsewhere, a cross-country transport success, and proof of what properly raised LGDs actually look like in real homes.

Some weeks at Prancing Pony Farm are steady and predictable. And then there are weeks like this one — five Maremma Sheepdogs out the door, a ground shipping trial I’d been putting off for years, a client quote that stopped me in my tracks, and a whole lot of dog bathing.

If you’ve been following along, you know this is the kind of week that reminds me exactly why I do this work. Let me catch you up.

Why Choosing the Right Maremma Sheepdog Breeder Matters

Shep: “Worth Every Penny. Thank You. We Love Him.”

Early last week, a man named Jacob drove eight hours — each way — to pick up a Maremma Sheepdog puppy and bring him home to a sheep and chicken farm near the Oregon border. He named him Shep. No particular reason.

What made this placement stick with me wasn’t the distance. It was the road that led him here.

Jacob had been referred to me by a board member at the Maremma Sheepdog Club of America, who told him I was an excellent breeder. He reached out, we talked — and then he pushed back on my pricing. My puppies are $3,500, and he pointed out that another California breeder was selling dogs with similar genetics for $1,800. Nearly half the price. He told me he could get two dogs for the cost of one of mine, and he eventually decided to go with the other breeder.

No problem. I canceled his invoice and wished him well.

A couple of weeks later, he texted me again.

That other breeder had told him he was asking too many questions.

I want you to sit with that for a moment. I certainly had to. Frankly, I was shocked. Too many questions?! How is someone new to livestock guardian dogs supposed to succeed with them if they can’t ask questions? Why would any breeder tell a potential puppy client something like that?

When Jacob reached out to me again, I could feel the difference in how he communicated — more careful, almost like he was bracing himself, waiting for me to react the same way as the other breeder. I didn’t. I told him he could ask all the questions he wanted. He did.

I answered every single one.

He reserved his puppy right away, paid immediately, and made that eight-hour drive to get him a few days later. The day after getting home, he sent me this:

“Worth every penny, thank you, we love him.”

After all of that. After the price comparison, the near-purchase somewhere else, the bad experience with a breeder who didn’t want to be bothered. He came back. He drove eight hours. And he told me himself what that puppy is worth to him.

I also loved these details from his update: Shep is not afraid of gunshots — but he is afraid of ATVs. And his companion dog, a mixed-breed female who is apparently “a biznach which is actually good,” is teaching him not to chase chickens, not to steal things, and basically training him to be a proper farm dog. She is, Jacob informed me, handling his education.

That’s not a problem. That’s a normal puppy learning to live in his new world, with a mentor who has strong opinions about appropriate behavior. He’ll figure out the ATV and learn not to chase chickens. He already has people who love him and another dog buddy to teach him the ropes. And when he grows up he’ll keep her safe, along with the livestock.

This is what I mean when I say you get what you pay for. Not in an arrogant way — in a practical one. Part of what you’re paying for when you buy from me is a breeder who will answer your questions. All of them. For the life of your dog. That’s not a bonus feature. That’s the foundation of everything I do.

Shipping Large Livestock Guardian Dogs + What to Expect With Adult Dogs

Julian and Mabel Head to Pennsylvania

Also last week, Julian — a three-year-old neutered male at 115 pounds — and Mabel, a seven-month-old female at 88 pounds, left for a large sheep ranch in Pennsylvania. (135 acres and 170 sheep, plus new lambs and a few goats to keep things interesting. ☺️) Their new owner, Melissa, had the wisdom to get two dogs instead of one, knowing her 8-year-old Maremma, Squeaky, needed backup and eventually a successor.

Julian and Mabel are a great match — his gentle, steady temperament paired with her more outgoing, confident personality. They know each other, they get along well, and traveling together mattered more than people might realize. More on that in a moment.

Ground shipping revisited.

For the first time in years, I shipped dogs via ground transport. I almost always prefer air shipping — it’s faster, lower-stress, and over quickly. But Julian simply doesn’t fit in the largest airline-approved crate. He’s too tall, too big. So I researched ground transport companies carefully, vetted several options, and found one I felt genuinely good about. They had all the proper licensing and qualifications, the best reviews of anyone who bid on the job, and a private transport option — meaning Julian and Mabel would ride alone, no other dogs, which was important to both Melissa and me.

The transport team sent me photos and updates multiple times a day throughout the trip. The dogs arrived safely, ahead of schedule, and in good condition. For this first trial run, I couldn’t have asked for more. If this company continues to prove reliable, I plan to offer ground transport as a regular option going forward. It opens real doors — for large dogs who can’t fly, and for placements during the summer embargo period when airlines won’t accept dogs at all.

Adult dogs need time — and that’s completely normal.

Mabel dug out of her enclosure on the second day at her new home. Mabel, who has never dug out of anything here. She’s not a digger. But she was stressed, she was confused, and she did what a stressed dog does — she tried to find her way back to what was familiar.

That’s not a bad dog. That’s a dog.

Julian has lived here since he was born. He knows this farm, me, my family and employees, my animals. For him to get into a vehicle with strangers, travel across the country, and land in a place that looks, smells, and feels completely different from everything he has ever known — that is genuinely scary. These are not robots. They are living creatures with emotions and attachments. When you decide to get older dogs instead of puppies, you have to be patient with that process.

The good news: both dogs are settling in. It just takes longer with adult dogs than with young puppies — and that’s completely normal. Melissa knew this going in, and her patience is going to make all the difference.

If you are ever considering an adult Maremma Sheepdog or LGD, please go in with realistic expectations. They will adjust. They will bond. They will work. But give them time.

What to Expect When Dogs Move Homes

Normal:

• Restlessness or pacing
• Temporary escape attempts
• Changes in appetite
• Increased vocalizing

Not Normal:

• Persistent panic or shutdown
• Aggression escalating over time
• Refusal to eat for multiple days
• Injuries from repeated escape attempts

What Well-Socialized Maremma Puppies Should Actually Look Like

Meredith’s Puppies: “I Really Wasn’t Prepared for How Easy This Would Be”

Also on that same very full Friday, Meredith drove down with her husband and two kids to pick up two puppies (named Frosty and Sofia by the kids) from my November litter for her goat and horse farm in California.

She had done her homework — multiple phone calls, emails back and forth, real research — and she was ready. What she wasn’t quite ready for was how smoothly it all went.

The day after getting home, she sent me a string of messages that made my whole week.

“These dogs are great! I am so impressed. They’re cautious, but super curious. Super easy to introduce our companion dogs. Could care less about the animals.”

She told me she had been mentally prepared to spend hours in the pen with them every day, actively shaping behavior. Instead, they just settled in. Her kids rode their bikes past the puppies — they barked once, and never again. People who want to interact with them get a friendly greeting. People who don’t get ignored. Exactly right.

“I really wasn’t prepared for how easy this would be!”

And then my personal favorite: “Honestly, the hardest part is getting them into the barn at nighttime!” 

That’s it. That’s the whole challenge. Getting puppies who were raised sleeping outside with goats to come inside at night, because Meredith is wisely keeping them protected until they’re older and better prepared to handle a predator encounter on their own. They’re not problem dogs. They’re not difficult. They’re just very committed to their outdoor lifestyle.

She also told me the puppies have become the new favorites in the neighborhood. Of course they have.

This is what properly bred and socialized Maremma Sheepdog puppies do. The work happens here, before they ever leave my farm. By the time they go home with you, they’re already familiar with goats, horses, children, companion dogs, and the general busyness of farm life. They don’t move into a new home and panic. They move in and get to work.

Planning Ahead: Four New Reservations

On top of everything else, this month brought four new reservations — and I want to highlight one of them because it’s a perfect example of something I talk about constantly.

One of those reservations came from a veterinarian in Iowa who is still searching for her farm. She’s moving to New York and doesn’t have her property yet. She knows what she’s looking for, she knows what livestock she plans to keep, knows she needs two LGDs, and she knows she wants a trusted breeder lined up before any of it is in place.

The other client is starting an Alpaca farm and has her two puppies reserved, so they’ll be ready once she’s ready to bring home her alpacas.

That is exactly the right way to do this.

The best time to reserve your Maremma Sheepdog is before you urgently need one. I breed based on demand. If I don’t know someone will need dogs in six months, I may not have them ready when you come back asking. Planning ahead is one of the single biggest factors in a successful LGD placement — and both of this month’s new clients used my new on-site reservation system to do just that. More on that system soon.

What’s Coming Next: A Grooming Series for Spring

One more thing before I go — stay tuned, because I’m starting a grooming series just in time for spring.

I have a comprehensive grooming overview on the blog already, but I’m expanding it into smaller, focused topics: ear care and ear infections, skin issues and wound care (LGDs are always getting lumps, bumps, and bites), flea and parasite prevention, foxtail dangers, and more. I’ll be publishing multiple posts over the coming weeks, and my email list will be the first to know when each one goes live.

This time of year, I hear from a lot of clients with grooming questions — just last month, I had a call from a client who owns a vineyard in Northern California asking exactly these things about the two pups they bought from me a few months ago. That content deserves its own dedicated space, and I’m finally giving it one.

For my puppy clients specifically: this type of content is also going to be a cornerstone of the membership community I’m building for you. Blog posts are free for everyone and always will be. But I’m working toward a dedicated space for PPF puppy clients with deeper resources — guides, videos, and ongoing support built around exactly these topics. If you reserve a puppy now or in the near future, you’ll get access as soon as it launches. More on that as it comes together.

For now: get on the email list if you haven’t already, and you won’t miss a thing.

These Stories Started With One Smart Decision.

Getting on the Master Reservation List before you’re ready isn’t just about securing a spot — it’s about starting the relationship, the preparation, and the process at the right time. For $500 applied toward your purchase, you’ll hold your place in line and have direct access to me while you get ready to bring home your Prancing Pony Maremma.

Learn About the Master Reservation List →

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