Around here, Mother’s Day means celebrating moms of every species — and we have a lot of them. 💜
Maremma Moms, the Heart of Prancing Pony Farm
Our Maremma moms are the heart of this entire program. Every puppy that has gone out to protect a flock, sleep under the stars next to a herd of goats, or become a beloved family companion — every single one of those dogs exists because of these beautiful, devoted girls. Without our Maremma moms, none of this would be possible. The dads contribute too, of course — but that’s what June is for. 😄
I have always believed that goat moms have to be among the most devoted mothers in the animal kingdom. If you’ve ever watched a doe with her kids, you know what I mean. Her babies will bounce on her, stand on her back, climb directly over her face — and she just lays there patiently chewing her cud like nothing is happening at all.
And then there are the moms who just… keep going. I have one right now who is still nursing a “baby” who is over a year old and actually bigger than she is. This kid (yearling, actually) literally has to get down on her knees to get under her mother. And the mother does not mind one bit.
As a human mom who nursed her own children for a good long while, I cannot even imagine nursing a child who was bigger than me. But goats? They just don’t care. They love their babies, full stop.
I hope you’re seeing some of that same devotion in your own herd or flock this spring. It never gets old.
Speaking of goats, my son-in-law, who is not an animal person, once asked me, “Why goats?” As in, why did you choose to breed goats, of all the animals out there? Because goats are amazing! 🐐🐐🐐 They are my second favorite animal, after dogs, of course! 💜🦮
I’ve loved goats since I got my first bottle baby Nubian from a goat dairy as a teenager. I dreamed of having a farm full of horses and goats since I was a child. I had the horses since I was 14, but it took me until I was 50 to get my dream farm so I could have all the goats (and other farm animals) I wanted, and then some. I’ve had it for 10 years now, and I enjoy it every day, despite the hard work. So if you don’t have your dream farm yet, don’t give up. You’ll get there, and some dreams are worth the wait!
Celebrating Human Moms, too
On the human mom side — I’m one of the lucky ones this year. I have six grown kids and 16 (and counting!) grandchildren, including two brand-new ones who arrived in the last few months. About half my family lives nearby here in California, so this weekend we’re heading out to dinner together to celebrate. We’re trying a Japanese restaurant that my son-in-law manages in a nearby town that we’ve been meaning to get to for a while, so that’s a little adventure in itself.
We usually go to the restaurant he manages that’s closer to us. This is the one I recommend to clients who drive in to pick up puppies from out of state, so if you’ll be making the puppy pick-up trip soon, be sure to put Toshiko Japanese Cuisine on your dinner list. David is an amazing chef and the food is excellent! Tell them I sent you!
If you don’t have your mom around anymore, I’m thinking of you this weekend. Mother’s Day can be bittersweet, and that’s worth acknowledging.
A Quick Farm Update Before I Let You Go
Last week was absolutely extraordinary. I had clients reserve 10 Maremma Sheepdogs in a single week — eight puppies and two adult dogs. I’m pretty sure that’s a business record, and I’m still a little stunned by it.
Puppies Are Moving Quickly – Don’t Wait to Reserve Yours!
What last week’s puppy rush means is that I have just a couple of older puppies still available – girls only. I’m expecting more puppies soon — with reservations already coming in for that upcoming litter.
Here’s something I want you to hear clearly, because I’ve had several conversations this week with people who are interested but haven’t committed yet: my puppies are selling faster than ever, and boys are especially hard to come by.
My litters have been running 2–3 times as many girls as boys for a couple of years now. (I wish the goats would catch on. 😆) In my current litter of eight, there are only three boys. If you’re hoping for a male-female pair (which is the ideal combination for working LGDs), you need to get on the list as soon as possible. I’ve already watched people miss out on the gender combination they needed simply because they waited while others were planning ahead.
I’ve been talking to several people this week who are interested in the next upcoming litter. But interest doesn’t hold a spot — a paid reservation does. The Master Reservation List works in order of when the reservation fee was received. Every person who gets on that list while you’re still thinking about it moves ahead of you in line.
The person currently at the front of my list for the next litter? She made her reservation two months ago. She hasn’t bought her farm yet. She hasn’t found her livestock yet. She’s moving to a whole new state. But she knew she wanted two of my puppies, and she made sure her spot was secured while she figures the rest out. That’s smart planning — and it’s exactly what I’d encourage you to do too.
If you’re even thinking about adding a Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdog to your farm or family in the next year, now is the time to hold your place in line.
Wishing all the mamas out there — of every species — a weekend full of rest, love, and maybe a little peace and quiet (even if the kids are bigger than you now).
With so much love from the farm,
Kim
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