Jun 19, 2025 | Client Stories & Testimonials, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
Dear Reader, This week marks a very special milestone – the first birthday of our wonderful June 2024 litter! 🎂 A year ago, six beautiful Maremma puppies entered the world in our Puppy Parlor, and today I’m thrilled to share how these incredible guardians have...
Jun 19, 2025 | Client Stories & Testimonials, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
This week marks a milestone that fills my heart with pride and joy – the first birthday of our June 2024 Maremma Sheepdog litter. One year ago, six beautiful puppies took their first breaths in our Puppy Parlor, marking the beginning of a journey that would...
Jun 19, 2025 | Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
Your Maremma’s first birthday represents far more than just marking time—it’s a celebration of an incredible transformation from the puppy you first brought home to the developing livestock guardian dog or family companion they’ve become. At Prancing...
Jun 12, 2025 | Bringing Home Your LGD, Client Stories & Testimonials, Dog Health & Wellness, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Starting With LGDs |
Hi Reader, I’m writing this email from our puppy parlor, where Pele—one of our year-old Maremmas—is recovering from surgery that could very well save her life someday. Here’s what happened: Romeo and Pele are littermates heading to their new farm up...
Jun 5, 2025 | Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
Hi Reader, “I hate your business.” Those are the words I often hear from my husband whenever I face challenges in my Maremma Sheepdog breeding business. (And my goat business.) He sees the stress, the late nights, the financial investment, and the...
Jun 5, 2025 | *Ethical Breeding, *Top Posts, All About Maremmas, Available Maremmas, Bringing Home Your LGD, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Puppy Program, Puppy Care & Training, Starting With LGDs |
When Passion Meets Resistance: Reflections on Ethical LGD Breeding “I hate your business.” Those are the words I hear from my husband whenever challenges arise in my Maremma Sheepdog breeding business. He sees the stress, the late nights, the financial...
May 29, 2025 | LGD Training & Behavior, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
Hi Reader, What a whirlwind these past few weeks have been! As I sit down to write this email, my youngest daughter and her family have arrived home in North Carolina, my middle son and his new wife are off on their honeymoon, and the house has that...
May 17, 2025 | Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hi Reader, You might have noticed I missed my usual Thursday email this week. There’s a good reason—I just returned from a wonderful family vacation at Disneyland! 🎊 My youngest daughter and...
May 1, 2025 | Bringing Home Your LGD, Client Stories & Testimonials, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Starting With LGDs |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hi Reader, Happy May 1st! April has been quite a whirlwind here at the farm, and this past week especially has kept me on my toes. Usually, I’d share a detailed blog post with you, but after my 4...
Apr 24, 2025 | All About Maremmas, Available Maremmas, Bringing Home Your LGD, Client Stories & Testimonials, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Starting With LGDs |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hi Reader, I recently received a video that perfectly captures why I do what I do, despite the challenges of ethical LGD breeding. The video came from Dave in Texas. It shows Bear and Chief—two...
Apr 24, 2025 | All About Maremmas, Available Maremmas, Bringing Home Your LGD, Client Stories & Testimonials, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Starting With LGDs |
Why Older Puppies Often Make the Best Livestock Guardian Dogs One of the most persistent myths in the Livestock Guardian Dog community is that puppies must be acquired at the youngest possible age to bond with their new owners and livestock properly. As the owner of...
Apr 17, 2025 | Available Maremmas, Bringing Home Your LGD, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Starting With LGDs |
Hi Reader, I wanted to send a quick update following last week’s email about our Maremma Sheepdog breeding program and reservation process. The response has been incredible! In just one week, we’ve received four new reservations for our future litters...
Apr 14, 2025 | Available Maremmas, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program |
Born: July 26, 2024 | Female | Current Weight: 70 lbs | Expected Adult Weight: 70-80 lbs At Prancing Pony Farm, we believe the source of your livestock guardian dog is the single most important decision determining whether your experience will be a blessing or a...
Apr 14, 2025 | Available Maremmas, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program |
Born: June 20, 2024 | Female | Current Weight: 70 lbs | Expected Adult Weight: 80-90 lbs At Prancing Pony Farm, we believe the source of your livestock guardian dog is the single most important decision determining whether your experience will be a blessing or a...
Apr 14, 2025 | Available Maremmas, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program |
Born: July 26, 2024 | Female | Current Weight: 70-80 lbs | Expected Adult Weight: 80-100 lbs At Prancing Pony Farm, we believe the source of your livestock guardian dog is the single most important decision determining whether your experience will be a blessing or a...
Apr 14, 2025 | Available Maremmas, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program |
Born: July 26, 2024 | Female | Current Weight: 80 lbs | Expected Adult Weight: 90-110 lbs At Prancing Pony Farm, we believe the source of your livestock guardian dog is the single most important decision determining whether your experience will be a blessing or a...
Apr 10, 2025 | Available Maremmas, Bringing Home Your LGD, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Starting With LGDs |
Hi Reader, I hope you’re having a great week. We are in the thick of kidding season and had our first vet emergency last night due to a stuck kid. Luckily, my vet lives literally within viewing distance from my house, so she was there within minutes. We lost...
Apr 10, 2025 | *Planning Ahead, Available Maremmas, Bringing Home Your LGD, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Starting With LGDs |
Planning Ahead: Why Timing Matters When Adding a Livestock Guardian Dog to Your Farm Unlike bringing home a pet dog – where you might only need a few days off work to help a puppy settle in – adding a Livestock Guardian Dog to your farm requires careful...
Mar 28, 2025 | Available Maremmas, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program |
Born: June 20, 2024 | Male | Current Weight: 90 lbs | Expected Adult Weight: 120-130+ lbs At Prancing Pony Farm, we believe the source of your livestock guardian dog is the single most important decision determining whether your experience will be a blessing or a...
Mar 25, 2025 | Available Maremmas, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program |
Born: July 26, 2024 | Male | Current Weight: 80 lbs | Expected Adult Weight: 120-130+ lbs At Prancing Pony Farm, we believe the source of your livestock guardian dog is the single most important decision determining whether your experience will be a blessing or a...
Mar 20, 2025 | Available Maremmas, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hi Reader, I hope your week is going well. My week has been a bit rough. My husband was sick last week with some kind of cold/flu bug, and I thought I had dodged the bullet until Saturday night when...
Mar 13, 2025 | Available Maremmas, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hi Reader, I hope you’re doing great this week. I wanted to share this cute photo I got of one of my 7-month-old Maremma puppies on Wednesday. Kidding season is due to begin any day now, so...
Mar 6, 2025 | All About Maremmas, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hi Reader, It is with a heavy heart that I write to you this week. Our beloved 9-year-old Maremma, Olaf, died Tuesday night. Many of you who have followed our journey for a while know that Olaf was...
Feb 24, 2025 | Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdogs Mini Nubians & Nigerian Dwarfs Livestock Guardian Dog Training Dear [FIRST_DOG_NAME GOES HERE] [SECOND_DOG_NAME GOES HERE] Here’s wishing you a very happy birthday filled with all your favorite treats and lots of hugs...
Jan 18, 2025 | Livestock Guardian Dogs, *Top Posts, Book Reviews, Bringing Home Your LGD, Karen Pryor Academy, LGD Training & Behavior, Starting With LGDs |
There are three key components that are required in order to produce an outstanding Livestock Guardian Dog. The first two – genetics and early training and socialization (or Nature and Nurture) – are the responsibility of the breeder. If you’ve...
Jan 18, 2025 | *How Many LGDS, *Top Posts, Bringing Home Your LGD, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Starting With LGDs |
Ask this question of dog breeders, livestock owners and even pet dog owners and you will get a lot of different opinions, some of them very strong. New puppy buyers are trying to do their research so they can the best thing for their dogs and their stock....
Jan 9, 2025 | Client Stories & Testimonials, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Starting With LGDs |
Prancing Pony Maremmas We Make Livestock Guardian Dog and Dairy Goat Ownership Joyful and Stress-free ABOUT US WHY US? OUR PUPPY PROCESS AVAILABLE PUPS BLOG Hi Reader, When I wake up each day, one of the first things I do is check my phone to see if I missed any...
Jan 2, 2025 | Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
It's a New Year It’s hard to believe that 2025 is finally here. Where did the time go? Looking Back at 2024 Electra had three lovely pups in February. Lucy is now guarding chickens in Massachusetts and Levi and Jocelyn are guarding goats in Texas. Completion...
Dec 12, 2024 | All About Maremmas, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hi Reader, I have something very exciting to share with you today! I was interviewed on The Honest Dog Breeder podcast. If you haven’t heard of this amazing podcast, it’s by Julie Swan, who...
Dec 12, 2024 | Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
Invest in Your Education as a Breeder and Trainer It’s no secret that I am an avid reader and researcher, with one of my favorite topics being dog training and behavior. To be your best at anything, you should always seek to improve yourself through education. ...
Dec 5, 2024 | Client Stories & Testimonials, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hi Reader, Today, I want to share a video that makes me smile whenever I watch it. Meet Oliver, the excellent chicken guardian. Oliver is a dog from our first Maremma litter, born in 2017. When...
Nov 7, 2024 | Bringing Home Your LGD, Client Stories & Testimonials, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hi Reader, I hope your week is going well. Here it’s puppy go-home time! 💜🐶 Earlier this year, my client Amy lost one of her Great Pyrenees, Alexei, leaving her other LGD, Rosie, grieving and...
Nov 6, 2024 | Livestock Guardian Dogs, *Top Posts, Bringing Home Your LGD, LGD Training & Behavior, Livestock Integration, Starting With LGDs |
Ensuring harmony between livestock and Livestock Guardian Dogs is essential for the safety and well-being of all animals involved, and the peace of mind of their owners. In this post I will walk you through a crucial aspect of farm life – safely acclimating...
Oct 24, 2024 | Client Stories & Testimonials, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hello Reader, Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s almost November! Soon, it will be Christmas! Where has 2024 gone?! It’s also hard to believe that the Maremma puppies who were born in...
Sep 5, 2024 | Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hi Reader, I hope your week is going well. Mine is good now, but wow, did it ever start out bad! I have had Maremmas on this farm for nine years, and though a few of my Maremmas are escape artists...
Aug 29, 2024 | Available Maremmas, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Starting With LGDs |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hi Reader, I hope you’re having a great week. We have had a few nicer (cool) days lately so I think it’s safe to say it will be fall soon! I can’t wait. Having a farm and breeding...
Aug 15, 2024 | All About Maremmas, Companion Maremmas, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hi Reader, Last week, I received an email from a subscriber named Renee asking if Maremmas make good companion dogs. I am very passionate about this topic and have been meaning to write about it for...
Jul 17, 2024 | Dog Health & Wellness, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hi Reader, My lovely Italian imported Maremma, Pegaso has an appointment at the vet early Wednesday morning, so he had a quick grooming session Tuesday night. Pegaso is such a beautiful and sweet...
Jul 2, 2024 | Bringing Home Your LGD, LGD Training & Behavior, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Starting With LGDs |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hello Reader, I am sooooo excited about what I have to share with you this week! Probably the number one question I get from EVERYONE – my Maremma puppy clients, my email list, my social media...
Jun 18, 2024 | Available Maremmas, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hello Reader, I hope your summer is going great! I wanted to let everyone know that we’re having a drawing for a free adult dairy goat doe! This will be either a Mini Nubian or a Nigerian...
Mar 28, 2024 | Available Maremmas, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hello Reader, I am super busy getting ready to head to the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional workshop in a couple of weeks but I wanted to take a minute to say “hi” and share some cute...
Feb 29, 2024 | Available Maremmas, Bringing Home Your LGD, Client Stories & Testimonials, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Starting With LGDs |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hello Reader, I hope you’re having a great week. I have been super busy working on the last unit of the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional program. The in-person workshop is in April,...
Feb 8, 2024 | Karen Pryor Academy, LGD Training & Behavior, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hello Reader, Can you believe it’s February already?! I can’t. Time is just flying by! So fast, in fact, that I have found myself on the homestretch of the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer...
Nov 30, 2023 | Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hello Reader, I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. It’s crazy to think it’s almost December, and the Christmas countdown is already on! 🎄 I love the holidays, but not the busyness that...
Nov 9, 2023 | Bringing Home Your LGD, LGD Training & Behavior, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hello Reader, How is your week going? Mine is going great! I am in the second unit of the Karen Pryor Professional Program and learning so much. I am so glad I made the leap and enrolled in this...
Oct 5, 2023 | Karen Pryor Academy, LGD Training & Behavior, Maremma Breeding Program, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hello Reader, How’s it going? Life on the farm has been busy but great. Fall is finally here – yay! Of course, fall on a dairy goat farm means stinky bucks in rut, but oh well,... 
