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 curse. Today, we’re proud to introduce you to Willow, a remarkably mature young guardian from our carefully bred Maremma lines.

A Foundation Built on Health and Genetics

Willow’s parents have undergone comprehensive health testing, including PennHip and DNA screening. This investment in genetic health isn’t just an extra precaution—it’s essential to developing dogs who can work effectively for years without being sidelined by preventable genetic conditions.

When you bring home a puppy from health-tested parents, you significantly reduce the risk of heartbreak and expense from hereditary conditions that often force working dogs into early retirement.

Exceptional Maturity and Temperament

What truly sets Willow apart is her remarkable maturity with livestock for her age. She displays a calm, confident demeanor more typical of a much older dog, requiring minimal supervision after initial introduction and acclimation to new livestock—a rare and valuable quality in a young guardian.

Willow is friendly and affectionate with people, making her an effective protector and a joy to work with. Her training foundation already includes:

• Basic clicker training
• Manding (politely requesting attention)
• Targeting behaviors
• Voluntary eye contact
• Sitting for attention

She walks well on a long line and harness and has experienced various environments beyond her home territory. While not crate trained, she’s accustomed to spending time in kennels for feeding.

Livestock Experience

From birth, Willow has been raised alongside goats, developing the proper respect and protective instincts needed in a guardian. Her experience extends to horses, mini horses, mini donkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and barn cats—giving her valuable exposure to the varied livestock she may encounter in her working life.

Her generally well-mannered behavior around livestock shows a natural aptitude for guardian work, translating to less training time and frustration for her new owners.

Adaptability and Socialization

One of Willow's standout qualities is her adaptability—she's very easy-going when facing new environments, making her a versatile choice for different farm settings. She has been extensively socialized with children of various ages and has experience with non-Maremma companion dogs and cats.

This combination of adaptability and thorough socialization creates a well-rounded guardian capable of handling the varied situations that arise on a working farm, from visitors to new animals.

Is Willow Right for Your Farm?

Willow would be well-suited to virtually any farm environment thanks to her adaptable nature. She works best as part of a guardian team but has the confidence to succeed as a solo guardian in the right situation with proper support.

The ideal home for Willow would provide:

• Secure fencing
• Ongoing positive training
• A clear working role with livestock
• Regular human interaction
• Ideally, another compatible guardian dog (though not essential)

Reserve Willow

If you’re interested in bringing Willow home to your farm, we encourage you to contact us to begin the reservation process. Our puppies are in high demand, and we carefully match each one with the right farming situation to ensure success.

Prancing Pony Farm is located in Central California and specializes in breeding and training Livestock Guardian Dogs using force-free methods. All our breeding dogs undergo comprehensive health testing to ensure we’re producing the healthiest, most capable working partners possible.