Meet Willow: An Exceptionally Mature Maremma Guardian Ready for Your Farm

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.

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.