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 bought a puppy from us (or are considering doing so) you can rest assured that the first two are covered.
We have selected our breeding stock from outstanding working dogs with the genetics that produce great LGDs. And our puppies are given the best start possible as future Livestock Guardian Dogs as well as members of their future families. We have a very careful and intentional puppy training and socialization program, which includes intensive early socialization with livestock as well as positive reinforcement training and socialization with humans (including children) and exposure to a wide variety of sights, sounds and experiences.
What happens in the first 12-16 weeks of a puppy’s life is vital to their success and a breeder can make or break a puppy as a LGD or companion dog.
Therefore we do our best to give our puppies an outstanding start and are always looking for ways to improve our program. If you haven’t yet decided to buy a puppy from us you can go here to learn more about our Puppy Training and Socialization Program.
The third component is what happens after you bring your LGD home.
There’s much more to it than simply bringing home a puppy and putting it in with your livestock. Through the use of positive reinforcement training and a carefully set up environment you can help shape your puppy into the LGD he was born to be.
Below are all the recommended courses, books, blog posts and other resources we recommend to help you raise and train a LGD that’s literally worth its weight in gold.
Your Number One Resource for Training Your LGD
Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Foundations Course
This course is the number one resource we recommend for all of our puppy owners and all Livesstock Guardian Dog Owners. (Or owners of any breed.) Before you can train your LGD to livestock you have to learn the science of how dogs think and how to best communicate with your dog. Through this excellent course you will learn step-by-step how to train and communicate with your dog using Positive Reinforcement and you’ll have fun while you do it! Highly Recommended.
And no, we do not earn a commission if you buy the course. We just know it works!
Read the blog posts below to learn more about why we recommend this course so highly.
How to Safely Acclimate Your New LGD With Livestock
When you bring home your new Maremma we suggest you keep them in a smaller area like a barn stall or kennel the first night, so they can gradually get use to their new environment. After that you can gradually increase their available space until they are relaxed and comfortable in their new home.
Introductions to other dogs and livestock need to be done in a safe and controlled manner, allowing plenty of time for everyone to feel comfortable with the new arrangement. Below is a blog post and video on safely acclimating your new LGD with your livestock.
Other Helpful Dog Training Courses
- UnChase! For the Rural Dog This course helps with the number one behavior LGD owners struggle with – chase behavior. You will learn how to set your new LGD up for success from day one, and to train them NOT to chase livestock using positive reinforcement methods. Do this course after Foundations. (This course was designed for companion dogs so it needs to be adapted a bit for LGDs, but right now it’s the best course available to help train dogs not to chase.)
- Training Livestock Guardian Dogs to Chickens – A Step-by-Step Guide This is a really good (free) overview of how to train LGDs to chickens (or any poultry) using positive reinforcement methods.
Must-Read Dog Books
- Reaching the Animal Mind: Clicker Training and What it Teaches us About All Animals – Karen Pryor
- Don’t Shoot the Dog – Karen Pryor
- On Talking Terms With Dogs – Turid Rugaas – SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR ALL DOG OWNERS!
- When Pigs Fly: Training Success With Impossible Dogs
- Bones Would Rain From the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships with Dogs – Suzanne Clothier
- For The Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend – Patricia McConnely
- Livestock Protection Dogs: Selection, Care and Training – Orysia Dawydiak
Positive Reinforcement Training Only Please!
At Prancing Pony Farm, we are huge advocates of Positive Reinforcement training for all animals. Punishment-based training only causes animals to mistrust and fear you, whereas Positive Reinforcement creates a partnership built on communication, love, and respect with your animals.
LGDs, unlike typical dogs, possess unique traits. Bred over millennia to be independent thinkers, they guard livestock from serious predators, often with minimal human supervision. These dogs have had to make life-or-death decisions to ensure the safety of their charges. These inherent traits remain a crucial part of modern-day LGDs, particularly in breeds like the Maremma Sheepdog, which haven’t been overbred for pet or show purposes. This distinctiveness underscores the necessity for a specialized approach like positive reinforcement training.
What’s more, LGDs are big, strong, powerful dogs with the tenacity and ferocity to fight off apex predators. Humans who think they can “show the dog who’s boss” will likely get seriously hurt! Your dog will learn not to trust you and will not be safe to handle. A wild, uncontrollable LGD is not an asset to anyone; it’s a liability.
Positive Reinforcement Training is a powerful tool that can help you earn your dog’s trust and loyalty in a safe and enjoyable manner. While you can’t change a tiger’s stripes – or a Maremma’s independent nature – a dog that loves and trusts you is more likely to exhibit behaviors you appreciate. The beauty of this approach is its versatility-the basic principles apply to all animals, from cats and horses to goats and goldfish. So, no matter what kind of animals you have and love, positive reinforcement is the way to go!
