Jun 19, 2025 | *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, Dog Health & Wellness, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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 5, 2025 | *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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, *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, *Top Posts, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Available Maremmas, Bringing Home Your Maremma, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Puppy Program, Puppy Training & Socialization |
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 | *Maremma Breeding Program, All About Puppies, Clicker Training, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program, Puppy Training & Socialization |
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 6, 2025 | *Maremma Breeding Program, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Clicker Training, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, Karen Pryor Academy, LGD Training, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hi Reader, I’m bursting with excitement to share some incredible news with you today! After a year and a half of intense study, practice, video submissions, and assessments, I’ve...
May 4, 2025 | *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, *Top Posts, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, Karen Pryor Academy, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program, Puppy Training & Socialization |
I’m beyond thrilled to share some exciting news with all of you today. After a year and a half-long journey of countless hours of study, practice, video submissions, and assessments, I’ve officially completed the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer...
May 1, 2025 | *Client Stories & Testimonials, *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Bringing Home Your Maremma, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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 | *Client Stories & Testimonials, *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Available Maremmas, Bringing Home Your Maremma, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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 | *Client Stories & Testimonials, *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Available Maremmas, Bringing Home Your Maremma, Dog Behavior, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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 | *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Available Maremmas, Bringing Home Your Maremma, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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 | *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, Available Maremmas, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs |
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 | *Maremma Breeding Program, Available Maremmas, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs |
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 | *Maremma Breeding Program, Available Maremmas, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs |
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 | *Maremma Breeding Program, Available Maremmas, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs |
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 | *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Available Maremmas, Bringing Home Your Maremma, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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 | *Maremma Breeding Program, *Planning Ahead, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Available Maremmas, Bringing Home Your Maremma, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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 | *Maremma Breeding Program, Available Maremmas, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs |
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 | *Maremma Breeding Program, Available Maremmas, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs |
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...
Jan 18, 2025 | Livestock Guardian Dogs, *Maremma Breeding Program, *One Thing, *Starting With Maremmas, *Top Posts, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Book Reviews, Bringing Home Your Maremma, Clicker Training, Dog Behavior, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, Karen Pryor Academy, LGD Training, Prancing Pony Puppy Program, Puppy Training & Socialization |
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, *Starting With Maremmas, *Top Posts, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Bringing Home Your Maremma, Dog Behavior, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, LGD Training, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Livestock Integration, Prancing Pony Puppy Program, Puppy Training & Socialization |
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, *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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...
Dec 12, 2024 | *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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 | *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, *Top Posts, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, 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, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, Dog Behavior, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Livestock Integration, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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...
Dec 5, 2024 | *Client Stories & Testimonials, *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, Dog Behavior, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs |
Meet Oliver, the excellent chicken guardian. Oliver is a dog from our first Maremma litter, born in 2017. When Oliver’s owners came to me for an LGD, they had never bought a dog from a breeder because they strongly believed in rescuing dogs. However, they needed...
Nov 7, 2024 | *Client Stories & Testimonials, *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Bringing Home Your Maremma, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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, *Starting With Maremmas, *Top Posts, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Bringing Home Your Maremma, Dog Behavior, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, LGD Training, Livestock Integration, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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, *Maremma Breeding Program, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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...
Oct 10, 2024 | *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Clicker Training, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, LGD Training, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program, Puppy Training & Socialization |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hello Reader, I hope you’re having a good week. First up, I have exciting news to share. I have a new WordPress website just for the Maremmas and dog training! I have wanted to build this for...
Aug 29, 2024 | *Client Stories & Testimonials, *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Available Maremmas, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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 | *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, Companion Maremmas, Finding Your Maremma, 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...
Aug 8, 2024 | *Maremma Breeding Program, All About Puppies, Dog Behavior & Training, Dog Health & Wellness, Finding Your Maremma, Grooming Dogs, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program, Puppy Care, Puppy Training & Socialization |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hi Reader, I had grand plans to write an awesome blog post for you this week. A few days ago, someone emailed to ask if Maremmas can be kept as pets. She said there was a lot of conflicting...
Aug 1, 2024 | *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Bringing Home Your Maremma, Dog Aggression, Dog Behavior, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, LGD Training, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Livestock Integration, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Puppy Training & Socialization |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hi Reader, Guess what I have been doing all night? Writing the first in a new series of blog posts inspired by my readers! Why have I been at this all night, you ask? See, I have two problems. I am a...
Jul 25, 2024 | *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Clicker Training, Dog Aggression, Dog Behavior, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hello Reader, I hope you’re having a great week. It’s been a busy week for me, so I am just dropping in to say a quick “hello” and share a new page I made on my website with...
Jul 9, 2024 | *Starting With Maremmas, Dog Behavior, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, LGD Training, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Livestock Integration, Prancing Pony Maremmas News |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hello Reader, I hope you had an awesome Fourth of July! Mine was great, other than a scare when my husband texted me while I was at the fireworks show to say he thought he saw one of my Maremmas run...
Jul 2, 2024 | *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Bringing Home Your Maremma, Dog Behavior, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, LGD Training, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Livestock Integration, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program, Puppy Training & Socialization |
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 | *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Available Maremmas, Finding Your Maremma, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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 | *Maremma Breeding Program, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Available Maremmas, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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 | *Client Stories & Testimonials, *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Available Maremmas, Bringing Home Your Maremma, Finding Your Maremma, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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 | *Maremma Breeding Program, Clicker Training, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, Karen Pryor Academy, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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 9, 2023 | *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, All About Maremmas, All About Puppies, Bringing Home Your Maremma, Clicker Training, Dog Behavior, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, Karen Pryor Academy, LGD Training, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Livestock Integration, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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 13, 2023 | *Maremma Breeding Program, *Starting With Maremmas, Clicker Training, Dog Behavior, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, Karen Pryor Academy, LGD Training, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony The Prancing Pony Farm Newsletter Hello Reader, How is your week going? Mine is busy but great! After a few months of anticipation, I finally started the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional program this week! If you...
Oct 5, 2023 | *Maremma Breeding Program, Clicker Training, Dog Behavior & Training, Finding Your Maremma, Karen Pryor Academy, LGD Training, Livestock Guardian Dogs, Prancing Pony Maremmas News, Prancing Pony Puppy Program |
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,... 
