I want to tell you about something I’ve been working on for a while, and I’m genuinely excited to share it with you.
If you’ve been around here for any length of time, you know that a huge part of what I do — maybe the biggest part — is just talking to people. Answering questions. Helping folks figure out if a Maremma is right for them, what they’re really getting into, and how to set themselves up for success.
Most of the people who find me are in research mode. They’ve fallen down the Maremma Sheepdog rabbit hole, they’re intrigued, and they want to know everything. Where did this breed come from? What are they really like to live with? Are they right for my farm — or my family — or both?
And here’s the thing I’ve noticed over the years: the internet does not make that easy.
There’s no good book on the Maremma Sheepdog. Not a real one — written by someone who actually knows the breed. There are a couple of decent books on livestock guardian dogs generally, or books that mention the Maremma alongside other working breeds, but nothing focused specifically on this dog. A couple of older websites have some information, but they’re outdated, and what exists more recently is pretty thin. Most are very spammy, full of popups unrelated to the breed.
Social media, YouTube and TikTok are where most people go for info, but honestly? Most of what circulates there ranges from incomplete to just plain wrong. I’ve spent years on the phone with people trying to untangle misinformation they picked up somewhere online.
So I decided to fix it.
Maremma Sheepdog Breed Information: A Resource the Internet Was Missing
The Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdog breed page is live.
This is the resource I always wished I could point people to. It covers the breed’s origins, their temperament and traits, what working life looks like for them, what family life looks like, health considerations, what to expect — the real picture, not a sanitized marketing version.
I want to be upfront: this page is a living document. What’s there now is solid and comprehensive, but I’m already planning to expand it. Certain topics — breed history, training, health — deserve even more depth than a single page allows, so over time I’ll be building out additional pages that branch from this one and link back to it. I’ll also be writing breed-specific blog posts that I’ll connect to the page as they publish.
My goal is simple: I want the Prancing Pony Maremmas website to be the most useful, most honest, most thorough resource on the Maremma Sheepdog that exists anywhere. We’re not there yet, but we’re on our way.
And if you’re still trying to figure out whether a Maremma might be right for you, our Should You Get a Maremma Sheepdog? Quizis always a great place to start. It takes about two minutes and gives you a really clear picture of where you stand.
(Psst — I also just finished another page that some of you have been quietly wondering about. I’m going to give it a proper introduction next week, but if you want to sneak a peek, it’s right here. More on this very soon.)
Prancing Pony Mushroom
Maremma Sheepdog Training Resources: What’s Coming to Prancing Pony Farm
The breed page isn’t the only thing I’m building.
Next up — and I’m genuinely excited about this one — is a comprehensive Maremma Sheepdog training page. If you’ve ever tried to find my training recommendations by digging through old blog posts, you know it’s a bit of a scavenger hunt. I’ve got good content scattered all over the site: posts on livestock introduction, clicker training, emergency recall, working with your dog’s natural instincts. But blogs by nature are not organized in a way that takes someone from “I’m getting a puppy next month” to “my dog is thriving.”
That’s what this page is going to do. Think of it as a roadmap — from before your dog comes home all the way through integration and ongoing training. It’ll include my recommended books and courses, links to my best blog posts organized by topic, and a clear path forward no matter where you are in the process.
Here’s the part I really want you to know: part of this page will be available to everyone, regardless of where you got your dog. And part of it will be a private resource hub specifically for PPF puppy families — with checklists, guides, videos, and tools you can access anytime, not just when I happen to be available by phone.
Beyond the training page, there’s more coming — dog health and care resources, photo galleries, and a whole lot more. The Prancing Pony Maremmas website is becoming less of a “look at our dogs” brochure and more of an actual resource center: for people who got their dogs from me, for people who got dogs elsewhere, and for people who are still figuring out if this breed is right for them.
New Prancing Pony Maremmas
Maremma Sheepdog Puppies Available: New Genetics, New Litters
It has been a big couple of weeks around here — new puppies arriving, and puppies heading out to their new homes.
We had a pair go home on Tuesday — a boy and a girl from Cameo’s February litter. They’re heading to a brand new alpaca farm, which is honestly one of my favorite kinds of placement. Their family is still in the setup phase, getting everything ready before the alpacas arrive, so these two are going to grow into their job right alongside the herd. They’ll also have grandchildren to play with and a family dog as a bonus companion. That’s a really good life for a Maremma.
And on the new arrival front — I have something exciting to share.
I’ve never made a formal announcement about our new stud, but these new litters feel like the right moment. Meet Pippin (Pastore Transumante Scanno) — our imported Maremma Sheepdog stud who joined our program last year. He came to us with OFA Excellent hips, which if you know anything about health testing, you know is the top rating — not just good, excellent. We’ve been looking forward to seeing what he brings to our program, and is will be exciting watching these pups mature.
The puppies look fantastic. New genetics, strong health behind them, and everything we hoped for. We’re so excited to watch them grow.
Reservations are open now, and these pups will be ready to go home in late August through early September. We already have some spots reserved, but we do still have boys and girls available. If you’ve been thinking about adding a Maremma Sheepdog to your farm, this is a great time to get on the list — and a particularly exciting one.
If your timeline pushes later into the fall, or if you’d prefer your puppy to have a little more age and training before coming home, our Extended Stay Program was built for exactly that. Your pup stays here, keeps training and socializing, and comes home on a schedule that works for you.
I also have two six-month-old females available right now — beautiful, well-socialized girls who are past the baby stage and ready to get to work. Once they’re placed, the next available dogs will be from these new litters.
Bruno and Bella, two Prancing Pony Maremmas, and their favorite human. 💜
Can a Maremma Sheepdog Protect My Family? (Not Just My Livestock)
On Friday, I have two more pickups. Each family is getting one puppy — one boy, one girl — and both placements are a great reminder that these dogs don’t fit neatly into one box.
The boy is going to a family with four other companion dogs, kids in the house, and some light livestock responsibilities. That pup is going to be busy, loved, and absolutely not lonely. He’s stepping into a full life from day one.
The girl’s story is a little different, and honestly, it’s one of my favorites from this litter.
This family lives on a small rural property. Where they live, there are predators — coyotes, bobcats, possibly bigger. They’re planning to add livestock eventually, but that’s not why they called me. They got a Maremma puppy because they have a young son, and they want him protected when he’s outside exploring the property. They want a dog that will follow him around, stick close, and make sure nothing comes out of the tree line after him.
That is a completely legitimate job for a Maremma Sheepdog. And it’s one that surprises a lot of people.
These dogs have been protecting children and families for centuries — it’s not separate from their livestock guardian instinct, it’s the same instinct. The family is the flock. In the early years of my program, I used to turn away families who wanted dogs for this purpose because I believed they had to have livestock. I’ve learned better since then. In fact, Oliver, one of the very first puppies I ever placed — back in 2017 — had chickens to guard, but his primary job was protecting the three young children on that property. He did both. They do both. There’s no difference to them, except maybe that they are more protective of the children than the goats and chickens. They know what really matters.
My own house Maremma, Titus, does this same job every time my grandchildren visit, sleeping at the foot of their bed all night. It’s just what they do.
This little girl is going to grow up alongside their son. By the time she’s full-grown, she’ll be his shadow, his protector, his best friend. They get the whole puppy experience — all the chaos and joy of raising her from a young puppy — and she grows into exactly the dog they need. That’s a pretty special thing.
I talk a lot about paired LGDs for working situations, and I mean every word of it. But I also want to be clear: I’m not in the business of turning away good families that can give one of my puppies a loving home. There are circumstances where a single Maremma Sheepdog can thrive — and these two Friday placements are great examples of that. (So is Oliver, and he’s one of the reason’s I’m open to single-dog homes. He’s a very loved and happy dog.)
Is a Maremma Sheepdog Right for Me If I Don’t Have Livestock?
These two Friday pups sit in an interesting middle space — not quite full-time working LGDs, not quite pure companions. Somewhere in between, doing exactly what their families need.
And that actually leads me right into something I have coming for you next week.
If you’ve been quietly wondering whether a Maremma Sheepdog could work for your life — even without a farm, even without a single chicken — I want you to stay tuned. Next week I have something specifically for you. Something I’ve been putting together for a long time, and I think a lot of you have been waiting for it.
In the meantime, if you don’t want to wait, I’m always happy to talk through your specific situation and interest in adding a Maremma to your life. Book a call here and let’s figure out together whether a Maremma is the right fit for your family.
Talk soon,
Kim
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