Last Updated on May 9, 2026 by Kim Crawmer, KPA CTP, LFDM
YOUR MAREMMA MATCH:
A Pair of Experienced Adult Maremmas
Proven livestock guardian dogs with established working ability and mature judgment. Skip the years of development and start with dogs who are ready to protect your livestock now.
Why Adults Are Right for Your Situation
Adult Maremmas (2+ years, often 3-6 years old) are fully formed livestock guardians. Their personalities are established. Their judgment is mature. Their working style is consistent and proven. What you see is what you get — and that's exactly the point.
What Experienced Adults Brings
- Proven working ability with specific livestock species — tested in real-world conditions, not theoretical
- Fully developed decision-making — they know the difference between a real threat and a passing car
- Calm, confident presence that deters predators immediately
- Consistent, predictable behavior — no surprises about temperament or personality
- Years of prime working life still ahead — Maremmas commonly work well into their senior years
While a puppies take up to 24 months and an adolescent takes 6-18 months to reach reliable maturity, adults are already there. You're not investing in potential. You're investing in proven performance.
What the Transition Looks Like
Even the most experienced adult dog needs time to adjust to a new farm. A dog who's spent years on one property needs to learn your livestock, your routines, your property, and your family. That's not a flaw — it's how bonding works.
Week 1-2: Orientation
Your dogs are taking it all in. They may seem reserved or cautious. Everything familiar is gone and everything is new. Give them a secure space, introduce livestock gradually, and let them set the pace.
Week 2-4: Settling
Their personalities emerge on your farm. They're figuring out the rhythms of your property. Guardian behaviors start appearing — positioning near livestock, alerting to perimeter activity, patrolling.
Month 2-3: Integration
This is home now. Bonds with your livestock are forming and deepening. They're adapting their working approach to YOUR animals and YOUR property. This is the payoff.
The critical difference: An adult's transition is about adjusting to a new PLACE, not about growing up. Their skills are already there. Their judgment is already formed. Once they settle in, you have reliable working guardians.
Every adult we place comes with a personalized transition plan and direct access to me throughout the process.
A Critical Note If You Have Companion Dogs at Home
This comes up frequently, so let's address it directly.
If you have pet dogs — especially small companion breeds — and you're hoping to bring home an adult Maremma who will seamlessly integrate with them, please read this carefully.
Livestock guardian dogs are bred to be territorial and protective. They are large, strong, and hardwired to assess other animals as either "belongs here" or "doesn't belong here." A dog who has spent their life guarding livestock and has not been continuously socialized with small companion dogs since puppyhood may see your Chihuahua, your Yorkie, or your Dachshund (or even your larger dogs) as something very different from a friend.
This is not a temperament flaw. It's biology. And ignoring it can result in serious injury or death to your companion dog.
I will not place an adult Maremma into a home where it's expected to immediately integrate with existing companion dogs — especially small breeds. It would be irresponsible to do so. I have dogs that live happily with companion dogs of all sizes, including my own house Maremma who adores my three small dogs. But those relationships were built from puppyhood through extensive, deliberate socialization. They were not created by introducing a 2-year-old working dog to a 15-pound Shih Tzu and hoping for the best.
If having your Maremma live harmoniously with your companion dogs is important to you, here are your realistic options:
Start with puppies. A Maremma puppy raised alongside your companion dogs from 12 weeks will grow up viewing them as family. This is by far the safest and most reliable path. Many of our clients have exactly this setup — working or companion Maremmas living peacefully with small dogs — and nearly all of them started with puppies.
Consider a young adolescent. Dogs in the 8-9 month range have sometimes integrated well with existing companion dogs, depending on the individual dog's temperament and socialization history. It's not guaranteed, but it's possible. I can help you evaluate whether a specific young dog is a good candidate.
Keep them completely separate. If you're set on an adult Maremma and you have companion dogs, you must have the ability to keep them safely separated at all times — separate spaces, secure fencing, no unsupervised interaction. If the dogs eventually become friendly through gradual, controlled introductions, that's a bonus. But you cannot plan on it or count on it.
What you cannot do is bring home an adult Maremma who has never lived with small dogs and assume it will work out. I will ask about your companion dogs during your discovery call, and this will be part of the conversation about which age is truly right for your situation.
Why Two Adults, Not One
After placing over 150 Maremmas, the evidence is overwhelming: single working LGDs struggle with loneliness, stress, and behavior problems that have nothing to do with training and everything to do with being a social pack animal in isolation.
With adults, this matters even more. A dog leaving a farm where they've worked alongside other dogs for years and suddenly finding themselves completely alone is experiencing something close to solitary confinement. Everything familiar — their territory, their pack, their people — is gone at once. A companion going through that transition with them makes an enormous difference.
A bonded pair who already work together is the gold standard. If a bonded pair isn't available, we can match two compatible adults or pair an adult with a well-matched adolescent — like we did with Marcella and Juliette (more on them below).
The most common problems with single dogs:
- Excessive barking — the #1 complaint from LGD owners, and the #1 reason neighbors threaten to have dogs removed
- Chasing or roughhousing with livestock — because they have no appropriate outlet for play and social needs
- Escape attempts — driven by loneliness and the need to find companionship
- Anxiety and stress behaviors — which compound over time and erode working ability
An Experienced Dog Is Not a Discount Dog
This comes up almost every time: "Why would I pay the same price — or more — for an older dog as a puppy?"
When you buy a puppy, you're buying potential. When you get an adult, you're buying certainty. The temperament is proven. The working ability is demonstrated. The judgment is mature. And all of those years of professional development, health testing, socialization, and real-world experience represent significant value.
You're also buying time. All those months of puppy development, adolescent boundary-testing, and gradual maturation? Already done. In our case, done by a certified professional trainer who has invested years into that dog's development.
Adult Maremmas start at $4000 and may be priced higher depending on age, training, and proven working ability.
How the Best Adult Placements Happen: Marcella & Juliet's Story
Our client Payton lives in Nebraska with her husband, four young children, and livestock that needed protection. She placed a reservation on our Master Reservation List months before she was ready — she knew she needed dogs, but her farm was still coming together.
When the timing was right, Payton told us she wanted older dogs. With four small kids at home, she didn't want to spend 18-24 months managing puppy training and development on top of everything else. She wanted proven temperaments she could trust around her children and livestock from day one.
That's a completely reasonable request. It's also one of the hardest to fill.
We had an one-year-old named Juliet — exceptionally mature for her age, completely trustworthy with livestock, and wonderful with children. But Payton needed two dogs, and we didn't have a second adolescent who'd be a guaranteed fit.
Then we realized: Juliet's mother, Marcella, was six years old and one of the most gentle, trustworthy dogs in our program. She'd helped raise abandoned kittens. She was 100% reliable with livestock. She was incredible with children. And she and Juliet already had a proven, bonded relationship — mother and daughter, living together since Juliet was born.
A six-year-old proven mother and her mature one-year-old daughter. Both exceptional with children. Both completely trustworthy with livestock. Already bonded. Going to a family I had been talking to for months and trusted completely.
I retired Marcella from the breeding program early. It wasn't a hard decision — the match was too perfect to pass up.
Payton's four children were waiting at the airport when the dogs arrived. The videos she sent were exactly what you'd hope for — kids overjoyed, dogs gentle and calm, an immediate connection. Marcella and Juliet settled into their new farm and family like they'd always been there.
Here's what matters about this story:
Marcella was never listed on our website. We weren't advertising a retired breeding female. If Payton had been refreshing our available dogs page waiting for the right listing, this placement never would have happened.
It happened because Payton was on our reservation list. She'd been in conversation with me for months. When the perfect dogs became available — dogs we wouldn't have offered to just anyone — I already knew exactly who they should go to.
The Master Reservation List Advantage
Adults and older adolescents from our program are rare. We don't mass-produce started dogs. When they become available, it's usually because of a specific circumstance — a dog transitioning out of our breeding program, a placement that creates an unexpected opportunity, a dog whose development path opened the perfect match for a specific family.
The families who get first access to these dogs are the ones who've already started the conversation by being on our Master Reservation List.
How the Master Reservation List works:
A $500 reservation fee holds your place on our list. You're not committing to a specific dog — you're committing to being part of the conversation. Here's what that gets you:
- First access when adult or older adolescent dogs become available — before they're listed publicly, sometimes before I've even decided to place them
- A relationship with me where I understand your situation well enough to recognize the right match when I see it
- The reservation fee applied toward your final purchase — it's not an extra cost, it's an advance on your investment
- No pressure and no expiration — if the right dogs don't become available for six months or a year, your reservation holds
Some of our best placements have gone to families who reserved months before the right dog appeared. They weren't in a rush. They just made sure they'd be first in line when the timing was right.
Payton did exactly this. She needed two dogs, knew her timeline was flexible, and reserved two spots months before she actually needed them. When a mother-daughter pair became available — including a breeding dog I had recently decided to retire— she got the first call. By the time anyone else knew those dogs were available, she had already said yes.
Another client reserved two older and TBD dogs months before she needed them. She eventually brought home Romeo and Pele, a one-year old brother and sister pair that was absolutely perfect for her new farm.
That’s what being on the Master Reservation List looks like in practice.
Important things to know before you decide:
There’s no timeline guarantee. I genuinely cannot predict when the right dog will become available — it could be weeks or many months. This works well for people with flexibility. It doesn’t work well for people with a hard deadline.
The narrower your requirements, the longer the wait tends to be. If you’re open on age, gender, and working history, your chances of a good match improve significantly.
If a dog is offered to you and you pass, the offer goes to the next person immediately. Your reservation holds your place in line, not access to any specific dog indefinitely.
The reservation fee is non-refundable, but it can be transferred to a puppy reservation if you decide to go that route instead.
If your timeline is flexible and you’re serious about getting the right dog rather than just any dog, the Master Reservation List is the smartest move you can make today.
Keep in Mind
This recommendation is based on your quiz answers, but seven questions can't capture every nuance of your situation. If part of you is drawn to the idea of raising puppies from the beginning, or if an adolescent — partway through development but still adaptable — sounds appealing, those instincts are worth exploring. The right answer is the one that fits your specific farm, family, and goals.
These results are a starting point for the conversation, not a prescription. If you want to talk through the options, that's exactly what our free discovery call is for.
Why Families Choose Prancing Pony Farm
- MSCA Code of Ethics Breeder
- Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP)
- Licensed Family Dog Mediator (LEGS Applied Ethology)
- Over 200 Maremmas placed in working and companion homes
- Health-tested breeding program with two-year guarantee
- Lifetime breeder and trainer support included with every dog
Why Choose Maremmas?
Not all livestock guardian dog breeds are created equal. Discover why Maremmas are perfect for busy homestead families—and why our dogs are exceptional.
How it Works
Wondering what it’s like to work with a breeder who is also a certified professional trainer? Learn about our processes and how we guide you every step of the way before and after the sale.
Available Maremmas
Ready for a puppy? In need of an older Maremma? Or planning ahead for the future? Click the link below to see our available pups and dogs and upcoming litters.
Ready to Find Your Adult Maremma Match?
Your next step is a free consultation call, booked right through our application form. Bring all your questions — that's exactly what the call is for, and there's no commitment required.
Not ready yet? No pressure. You’re on our email list now, and you’ll receive helpful information over the next week, plus our weekly Thursday newsletter. When the timing is right, we’ll be here.
Why Ethical Livestock Guardian Dog Breeding Matters Despite Challenges
“I hate your business,” my husband tells me whenever challenges arise in my Maremma breeding program. Despite the financial strain, sleepless nights, and endless responsibility, here’s why I continue this work—and what it means for the families who trust me with their livestock’s protection.
Why Smart Planning Makes All the Difference: Your Guide to Maremma Success
The families who get perfect livestock guardian dogs all share one secret: they don’t wait until they desperately need a dog to start looking. Discover why the best Maremma placements happen months before the dogs go home, and how smart planning turns livestock protection dreams into reality.
Last Chance: Why You Need to Reserve Your Livestock Guardian Dog This Week
One urgent call changed everything: “My livestock guardian dog died suddenly yesterday—now I have nothing protecting my herd from coyotes.” This farmer’s nightmare could have been avoided with one simple step, and it’s the same mistake that costs livestock owners thousands every year.
Reviews From Our Amazing Clients
first the dog: cotton candy is a little over 2.5 years old now, and i can honestly say that she has been a very effective LGD since 6mo of age. while she's a sweet and playful big puppy around humans, she has always been very serious about her guardian duties, even when she first showed up as a 3mo pup. she is very nurturing with my barn cats, gentle with the chickens, alerts me when the horses get into mischief, and knows exactly what to do to make skittish goats relax. she's a super quick learner.
now, we have to realize that this wonderful dog is a product of the breeder's hard work and dedication. in addition to good breeding, kim put in a lot of work socializing her puppies with all sorts of farm animals and people, as well as starting their training using positive reinforcement methods. i have another LGD who came to me as an 8wk old, and didn't get the same kind of training and socialization kim gives her puppies. while he is a very good natured and smart dog, he required WAY more management throughout his puppyhood and adolescence. he turned out to be a great LGD. but if you don't have the time or skills to start an LGD on the right path, you would be doing yourself a huge favor by getting a well-started puppy from kim.
kim's puppies come with lifetime support, and that is not a mere sales tactic. in the 2+ years i've had cotton candy, kim has been a great resource on how to understand, communicate with, and care for not only cotton candy, but also my other LGD. she even shares tips on goat husbandry. in the past year, kim completed a professional dog trainer certification program so that she could not only better support her own puppy clients, but also help other LGD owners develop better relationships with their dogs. she is now working on an online course on LGD care and training, which will be made available free of charge to her puppy clients (and for a fee for non-clients). consider how much time, effort, and kim's own money she puts in to continuously improve the lifetime support that comes with the purchase of a dog, the choice is obvious when deciding where to get an LGD.
And it definitely shows in the quality of her puppies. The dogs we brought home are loving, well socialized, and adaptable. We have them caring for our flock of macaws, and even at only 9 months old they are not reactive to the birds even when they fly, but come immediately if the macaws sound a warning call. They get along well with other dogs and people, but are very alert to potential threats. These are our dream dogs and we are so grateful to Kim for all the time and effort that went into giving these dogs that perfect start so that we could enjoy and cherish them for the rest of their lives.
When we decided to start our little homestead we decided on the Maremma Sheepdog based on their typical dispositions. After considerable research, I picked Prancing Pony based off reviews and from what I learned about their facilities and practices. But they had two things against them - they are located in California and the price tag was steep.
I ended up purchasing a Maremma that was on this side of the Mississippi. I’m not going to bash anyone here, this is only for comparison sake - but the breeder understood this would be our first LGD and had glowing reviews about the girl she was selling. I trusted that they understood our situation and where we were in our journey. But what we got was a beautiful loving dog who has proven repeatedly that she can’t be trusted with any of our livestock or pets.
By the time we brought her home, I was already in talks with breeders (again) trying to find her partner and went back to Prancing Pony for talks about their offerings. Fast forward a few months, and a couple of hiccups, I could not be more pleased with our boy Daxo. I do have regrets that I didn’t get two from her when I first considered it.
Listen, they’re not cheap, I get it. There’s likely added expense with shipping... I get that too. Knowing what I know now, going through the experience of having a dog that just didn’t fit our lifestyle is so exhausting AND costly. Our boy literally came as a Plug-N-Play model, he’s just THAT good because Kim listened to our wishlist and understood our needs. Will we go anywhere else for our third attempt? Absolutely not.
The reason I decided to invest in an LGD from Kim is because she sets up her puppies for success as LGDs from the day they are born. I have a small farm and needed a dog who can live with and/or guard a variety of animal species. Most breeders I’ve talked to have some of the animal species, but none had all. Kim happened to be the only one. And that’s not an accident. Kim actually goes out of her way to acquire animals just so that her pups are well prepared to take on any job in their new homes. She also spends time teaching her pups basic skills via positive reinforcement. When I picked up my pup at 13 weeks old, she knew how to give me attention and target. She also understands that it’s her good behavior that earns her praise and treats, and is very motivated and quick to figure out what I want from her. Since she has been on my farm, she has made my adolescent Great Pyrenees a much happier and mentally mature dog. She has not chased a cat or chicken (it doesn’t mean she hasn’t thought about it. One does need to pay attention and redirect BEFORE the pup does something undesirable). She’s been in and around horses and are very good at reading their body language and staying out of harm’s way (not that my horse try to hurt her, but they’re just so much bigger). And most amazingly, she’s already showing guarding behavior with my goats! At less than 4 months old!
I also wanted to vouch for the validity of the puppy lifetime support policy that comes with the sale. Since I’ve brought the puppy home, I have been in daily communication with Kim. She was at a clicker training workshop the week following my puppy pickup and had class from morning all the way through evening. She still found time to answer my texts to make sure the pup is settling in well. I’ve received advice on integrating the pup with my resident LGD, fencing, introducing her to the goats, worming, vaccination, etc.
Having purchased my first LGD pup from an oopsie litter from a hobby farm, and now the second pup from Kim, I can see for myself what a difference a well bred, well started pup makes. Kim’s puppies aren’t cheap, but they are such a worthwhile investment!
2 YEAR UPDATE:
The pup I purchased from Kim in 2022 just turned 2. She has been a great LGD. I had an adolescent Great Pyrenees before I bought CC from Kim. Though my GP worked his butt off, I still had a chicken go missing and a barn kitty mauled by coyotes (kitty recovered).
As soon as CC joined the farm at 3 months of age, she immediately showed guarding instincts, protecting my goats while sleeping in the barn with them at night. When she was about 6 months, I took my GP in for his neuter surgery. For about a week she had to work the whole property while my GP was on kennel rest. It was a nerve wracking week as I live in coyote country with the occasional visit from mountain lions. Amazingly, I lost nothing. The streak has continued to this day. Since CC joined the farm, I lost nothing to predation.
Not only did CC form an effective team with my GP as LGDs, she has also saved his life by telling him off when he approached a rattlesnake last summer. One night I heard the dogs bark at something, then all of a sudden turn against each other. I rushed out the door to see what was happening, only to hear the distinct rattling sound. Then I saw my GP move towards that sound, and CC T-boning him, growling, to tell him to stay away. Thanks to CC's amazing instincts, I was able to remove the snake before anybody got bit (my cats and goats were all curious about it at that point).
This update wouldn't be complete without a comment on Kim, CC's breeder. 2 years in, and I am still in regular contact with her. She promised lifetime support, and has gone beyond that - she even answers questions regarding my GP or my goats, in addition to anything concerning CC's training, well-being, etc.
I highly recommend Kim and her dogs!
Dave
Dogs are incredible as well 😍
Not only does Kim have dogs from two top-notch Maremma breeders in her breeding program (Benson Ranch and Unfinished Acres) but she raises her litters with Puppy Culture, a program I have used with my own German Shepherds. AND she has an amazing Puppy Parlor that allows the puppies to be raised around goats and other animals from birth.
So what you get when you buy a Maremma puppy from Prancing Pony Farm is a pup with excellent breeding (including all the essential health testing on both the sire’s and dam’s sides), raised with all of the benefits of Puppy culture (which gives puppies confidence when they encounter new experiences) and exposed to livestock from Day 1. That’s a terrific foundation to build upon.
Kim spent many hours in conversation with me, answering my questions about introducing the puppies (yes I got a pair!) to my pack of German Shepherds and about the pros and cons of having one puppy or two. Every question I had she was happy to answer (I had many!) and she shared resources I hadn’t previously discovered. She listened closely to my description of my home, my animals and my lifestyle and suggested two of her male puppies; as a matchmaker she was spot on.
I have been immensely impressed with the puppies I purchased from Kim. They are bonding easily with me and my family, with my GSDs and with the livestock (horses, goats and chickens). They are good-natured, affectionate and VERY smart and even at just 5 months old are showing their guardian traits. Although they look almost identical and both have great temperaments I can see differences in their personalities with one more of an observer who waits to engage and one more likely to investigate actively - that difference will work well when they are working together.
Bringing a LGD puppy home means making a commitment to build on the foundation they’ve received with their breeder, working one-on-one to develop a partnership and to shape their lives with their stock. Puppies from Prancing Pony Farm are set up for success from day one and in the hands of a good shepherd will develop into trustworthy, responsible and awesome protectors.
If I decide to add another Maremma [or two] to my pack I know where I will be going to find the perfect match for my boys Arthur and Merlin.
I appreciated that she also took the time to vet us to make sure the animals were going to a good home. She was not looking to unload them. She even requires we sign a contract that we get certified in positive reinforcement training and follow guidelines for their healthcare.
A little while after the puppies were born, she let us know that a few from one litter had umbilical hernias (harmless and not uncommon when a mother licks the umbilical cord excessively). She gave us the option to purchase the pup or wait for another litter. She was completely transparent in the entire process. As expected, there is no problem with the hernia.
I am seeing reviews on here from people who have never even communicated with her or purchased from her, so just a reminder to be discerning when reading reviews.
1. Health testing for the parents.
2. Parents are on site and proven LGDs.
3. Early socialization for puppies with livestock, adults, and kids.
4. Proper veterinary care for parents and puppies.
5. Careful selection of parents for genetic diversity, guarding ability, health, and confirmation.
6. Tons of support during the puppy buying process and afterwards. Kim is always responsive and takes time to help me through any issues I've encountered with our pups, offering advice and support.
We love our dogs that came from Prancing Pony Farm. They were among the first members of the family to join the farm, because we knew the importance of having well-bred LGDs to protect our stock. We have not had a single issue with predators on our farm, and we live in an area with coyotes, bears, foxes, wolves, hawks, etc, etc. They guard sheep, pigs, chickens, guinea fowl, and ducks.
I'd be remiss without acknowledging the dispute between PPF and Gold Shaw Farms, so I will just say, my husband and I always enjoyed Morgan's content, but we were really disappointed with how he's portrayed Abby and Kim. Our two girls came from the same litter as Abby. They are energetic, happy, and healthy puppies. They require training and patience. What we have experienced with them is not out of the realm of what we were expecting when we got two puppies. I think Morgan's judgement of Abby is based on his experience with Toby and has been unfair to Abby and his judgement of Kim has been inflammatory and uncalled for.
I suspect most people who are looking for a LGD already have experience purchasing dogs and stock, so know what to look for in a reputable breeder. That said, if this is your first time or your first LDG, consider what's most important to you and do your own research. You can't go wrong with someone who ticks all of those boxes and offers support to her buyers.
Even though I am new to goats and LGD, Kim the owner, has really dedicated her time to teaching me about how to raise them. She is always available to answer my questions and provides me with the expertise knowledge. I am sure she is like that with all of her clients, always willing to help.
I bought 2 Maremma LGDs and 18 goats. Yes 18 goats! I go to bed at night knowing my LGDs are protecting themselves and my 18 precious goats.
Now, I am waiting to buy another male maremma LGD since she brought a male Maremma from a Italy. Kim is always making sure her registered LGDs, ND and Mini Nubians have the best genetics possible. I fully trust my LGDs in my fields, I bought Chloe at close to six months old, and I appreciate so much that she had additional training time. In fact, the next LGD I would buy from Kim will be arriving to my farm with additional training time as well.
Prancing Pony Farm has the best quality of LGDs and goats. I will highly recommend Prancing Pony Farm if you are looking for a diverse genetics in Maremma LGDs, Mini Nubians and Nigerian Dwarfs.
I now have a 1 month old Nigerian Dwarf, and I am still getting Kim’s help to assure my kid goat grows healthy. I am just very happy I chose Prancing Pony Farm when I did. Kim is the best out there!
Kim has a top of the line welping house complete with incubators and on call mobile veterinarian.
If you are looking for a well trained Maremma puppy, this is the place to get them. Kim goes the extra mile with early clicker training, and lots of live stock exposure from day one with her puppies.
You will see how much care goes into these amazing live stock guardian dogs, if you buy from her. They are ready to go to work right away.
Thanks Kim we love our new LGD.
