Protecting your livestock guardian dog means safeguarding your peace of mind.

You’ve done everything right. You researched reputable breeders and invested in health-tested parents. You brought home a beautiful Maremma Sheepdog puppy with a comprehensive health guarantee. You prioritized proper nutrition, socialization, and training for your puppy. Yet despite all your careful planning, there’s still one crucial protection you might be overlooking—one that could save you thousands of dollars and endless heartbreak.

Even the Best Breeding Can’t Prevent Every Problem

While purchasing from a reputable breeder who conducts comprehensive health testing is absolutely critical—and something I cannot emphasize enough—it’s important to understand that ethical breeding practices, while dramatically reducing risk, cannot eliminate every health threat your livestock guardian dog might face.

The reality is that some conditions, illnesses, and accidents simply cannot be prevented, even with the most responsible breeding practices. Debilitating conditions like hip and elbow dysplasia can still occur in puppies from parents with excellent genetic testing and outstanding scores. This happens because the genetics of these diseases are complex, involving multiple genes, and because environmental factors play a significant role in their development.

The same principle applies to other health conditions, whether hereditary or not. Dogs can develop all kinds of problems throughout their lives, and livestock guardian dogs face unique risks that most pet dogs never encounter.

The Special Risks Facing Livestock Guardian Dogs

Your LGD faces hazards that suburban house dogs never worry about:

Environmental dangers are constant. These dogs live and work outdoors in all weather conditions, around livestock, wildlife, and farm equipment. They encounter sharp fencing, machinery, and terrain that can cause cuts and broken bones.

Gastrointestinal issues are especially common. LGDs live alongside wild and domestic animals in conditions that expose them to parasites, contaminated water sources, and various pathogens that indoor pets rarely encounter. Giardia is a common issue for livestock guardian dogs who spend a lot of time drinking from and playing in the ponds, puddles andwater troughs these parasites thrive in.

Confrontations with predators are part of the job. While we hope our livestock guardian dogs will deter threats without physical confrontation, fights with predators, wild animals, or even other dogs can result in serious injuries requiring expensive emergency veterinary treatment.

Greater exposure to diseases comes with the territory. Working outdoors means increased exposure to ticks, mosquitoes, other disease vectors, and contact with wildlife that may carry various illnesses.

The Most Vulnerable Time: The First Year

The statistics are sobering when it comes to puppy health risks. Puppies are significantly more likely to experience health problems than adult dogs, with the highest risk period occurring within the first year of life.

Parvovirus alone affects more than 330,000 puppies annually in the United States. Without proper treatment, mortality rates can reach up to 91%, and even with intensive veterinary treatment, survival rates typically range from 85-95%. Treating parvo can easily run into the thousands—outpatient treatment can cost several hundred dollars. In contrast, in-hospital treatment can range from $2,000 to $10,000 if the puppy requires intensive care.

Puppies between six and 20 weeks old are most at risk for parvovirus. They’re also vulnerable to distemper, parasites, and accidents as they explore their world with typical puppy curiosity and fearlessness.

Orthopedic problems typically manifest within the first five to six months of life, and many other genetic conditions become apparent by the time a dog reaches one year of age. This makes the puppy’s first year absolutely critical for health monitoring and potential intervention.

Real Stories, Real Costs

Over my years as a breeder, I’ve seen firsthand how quickly veterinary bills can mount, even with the most careful planning:

• The fence injury: I once had a dog break a leg jumping a low fence, requiring weeks of stall rest and rehabilitation.
• The mysterious cut: I came out to the barn one night to find that one of my dogs had degloved her entire thigh. This required immediate emergency treatment and sutures. We never determined what caused it, but the emergency vet bill was over $2,200.
• The suburban nail: My son’s companion dog cut his belly open on a tiny nail protruding from a tree stake in his suburban backyard—a hazard so small he never noticed it. The emergency surgery to repair the damage cost $1500.
• The squeaky toy: Our boxer, Luna, once became deathly ill with vomiting and other gastrointestinal symptoms. The vet first diagnosed pancreatitis, but when Luna’s symptoms worsened we took her back in. The vet saw a blockage in her intestines on the X-ray and began emergency surgery to discover the culprit. Imagine her surprise when she heard a squeak while palpating Luna’s intestines. She has swallowed a squeaker out of a dog toy, whole! That squeaker almost killed our sweet Luna, and cost us $3600 to save her life.
• Dog fights: While we hope our LGDs get along with each other rather than fight, I’ve had dogs injured in altercations with each other. And of course, fights with predators are always possible, such as the well-publicized case of Casper the Great Pyrenees, who fought off a coyote pack. These fights require emergency treatment for bite wounds and lacerations.
• Unexpected Hip Dysplasia: In 2021, I imported a promising 9-month-old Maremma stud dog from Italy. He came from a breeder with a stellar reputation (I know many people who have bought great dogs from him), out of parents with excellent hip scores, and his preliminary hip scores were excellent. Imagine my shock and dismay when I had PennHip testing done on this dog at 2 years old, only to discover that he has hip dysplasia. I had the dog neutered and watched all my dreams of bringing new Maremma lines to America and my breeding program go down the drain. (To be clear, this wasn’t anything the breeder did wrong, and I didn’t blame him for what happened. It’s just how it goes with dog breeding.)

These aren’t hypothetical scenarios—they’re real experiences that demonstrate how quickly a healthy dog can require expensive emergency care or need lifetime care for chronic conditions like arthritis.

When Health Guarantees Aren’t Enough

Even the most comprehensive health guarantee from a reputable breeder has limitations. A responsible breeder will typically offer to refund the purchase price or replace a puppy with health issues, but this doesn’t necessarily cover the veterinary expenses you’ve already incurred.

Here’s a common scenario: You discover your six-month-old puppy has hip dysplasia, requiring surgery. The procedure will cost $5,000, and your puppy will need ongoing pain management. Your breeder, honoring their health guarantee, offers to refund your $3,000 purchase price or replace the puppy. They offer to take the puppy back or allow you to keep the puppy, your choice. You love the puppy, so you want to keep it.

You choose the refund, which helps with the puppy’s vet bills, but it doesn’t fully cover that $5,000 surgery. And what about the ongoing medication costs? Breeders cannot be expected to pay veterinary bills exceeding the dog’s original purchase price. Even the most ethical breeder offering the most comprehensive health guarantee faces practical limits.

This is exactly where pet insurance becomes invaluable. With proper insurance coverage, you could receive the refund or replacement from your breeder AND cover your veterinary expenses through your insurance policy. You get the best of both worlds: accountability from your breeder and financial protection for unexpected medical costs.

The True Cost of Veterinary Care in 2025

Veterinary costs have risen dramatically in recent years. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the cost of veterinary services in urban areas jumped 7.9% between February 2023 and February 2024. A veterinarian from Utah shared that in the 1990s, surgery for a dog might have cost around $2,000, but today, the same case could involve advanced imaging like MRI or CT scans, board-certified specialists, and a full surgical team, bringing the total closer to $10,000.

Common emergency costs you might face include:

• Broken bones: $2,000-$6,000 depending on complexity
• Bloat (gastric torsion): $3,000-$8,000 for emergency surgery
• Parvovirus treatment: $2,000-$10,000 for hospitalization
• ACL repair: $3,000-$7,000 not including diagnostic imaging
• Foreign body removal: $2,000-$5,000 depending on surgical complexity

One in three pets (including livestock guardian dogs) will need emergency treatment each year, making these scenarios more common than most people realize.

Pet Insurance: Your Financial Safety Net

Pet insurance reimburses you for a percentage of covered veterinary expenses after you pay a deductible. The average pet insurance cost is about $62 per month for dogs, but your actual cost will vary based on your dog’s breed, age, location, and the coverage options you choose.

Most policies reimburse 70-90% of covered expenses after you meet your annual deductible, which typically rangesfrom $100-$1,000. For example, if your dog needs a $4,000 surgery and you have an 80% reimbursement policy with a $500 deductible, you would pay $1,200 out of pocket ($500 deductible + 20% of the remaining $3,500).

Insurance Company Options Worth Considering

Based on my experience working with clients and the companies’ reputations in the veterinary community, here are two standout options:

Trupanion: The Breeder-Friendly Choice

Trupanion offers several unique advantages that make it particularly appealing for livestock guardian dog owners:

• Direct payment to veterinarians: Trupanion is the only pet insurance company that can pay veterinarians directly at the time of checkout, eliminating the need to pay large bills upfront and wait for reimbursement.
• No payout limits: Unlike many other insurance companies, Trupanion has no payout limits, no matter how many times you need to use your pet’s coverage.
• Lifetime per-condition deductibles: Trupanion’s policies have lifetime per-condition deductibles rather than annual deductibles, meaning you only pay the deductible once for each condition during your pet’s lifetime.

Breeder Support Program: Trupanion’s Breeder Support Program allows breeders to send puppies home with a special “Go Home Day Offer” that waives waiting periods and provides 30 days of free coverage. As a participating breeder, I can provide this code to my puppy buyers, giving them a full month to evaluate the coverage at no cost.

Figo: The Value Option

Figo Pet Insurance offers competitive coverage with attractive discount opportunities:

• Costco discount: Costco members receive a 15% discount on Figo pet insurance premiums, making it one of the most cost-effective options available.
• Good Dog breeder discount: Breeders listed on Good Dog (like myself) can offer discount codes to their puppy buyers.
• Quick claims processing: Figo processes over 80% of claims within 2.6 business days.
• Useful mobile app: Figo’s Pet Cloud app offers claims filing, 24/7 live vet chat, and a place to store your pet’s medical records.

The Critical First Year: Why Timing Matters

At minimum, I strongly recommend maintaining pet insurance coverage throughout your dog’s first year of life.This is statistically the period when your dog is most likely to encounter health problems, and it’s when many genetic conditions first manifest.

Benefits of first-year coverage include:

• Protection during the highest-risk period for infectious diseases
• Coverage for accidents as your puppy explores and learns
• Early detection and treatment of genetic conditions
• Peace of mind during the adjustment period

If budget allows, consider lifetime coverage. While the first year is critical, livestock guardian dogs face ongoing risks throughout their working lives. Many clients find that the monthly premium cost is small compared to the peace of mind and financial protection it provides. A livestock guardian dog is not a pet. It’s an investment in the safety of your livestock. If your LGD gets ill or injured, it puts your livestock at risk of predation. Therefore, a health insurance policy on your LGD protects your dog and your livestock.

Getting Started: A Simple Process

Most pet insurance companies make enrollment straightforward:

1. Get quotes online from multiple companies to compare coverage and costs.
2. Enroll as soon as possible after bringing your puppy home—most conditions require a waiting period before coverage begins.
3. Read policy details carefully to understand what is and isn’t covered.
4. Keep thorough records of your dog’s health history and veterinary visits.

If you’re purchasing a Maremma puppy from me, ask about the Trupanion breeder code for your free 30-day trial. (The offer needs to be activated within 24 hours of picking up your puppy.) Even if you ultimately choose a different company, this gives you immediate protection during the crucial transition period.

Your Peace of Mind is Worth the Investment

A livestock guardian dog represents a significant investment—not just financially, but emotionally. These dogs become integral parts of your farm operation and often beloved family members. They’re responsible for protecting your livestock, your property, and your peace of mind.

Pet insurance isn’t just about the money, though the financial protection is certainly valuable. It’s about ensuring that you never have to choose between your dog’s health and your financial stability. It’s about being able to say “yes” to the best possible care without hesitation.

Your livestock guardian dog will spend years protecting what matters most to you. Isn’t it worth investing in their protection too?

The Bottom Line

Even with the most responsible breeding practices, comprehensive health testing, and the best care, unexpected health issues and accidents can happen. Pet insurance provides the financial safety net that allows you to focus on what matters most: getting your dog the care they need.

Whether you choose Trupanion, Figo, or another reputable company, the important thing is to have coverage in place before you need it. Waiting until problems arise means you’ll face pre-existing condition exclusions that could leave you without coverage when you need it most.

Your livestock guardian dog is counting on you to protect them, just as they protect your farm. Pet insurance is one of the most important investments you can make in their health, your peace of mind, and your farm’s security.

Ready to protect your livestock guardian dog investment? Contact me for information about Trupanion’s or Figo’s breeder program discount codes, or research options through Costco if you’re a member. Remember: the best time to get pet insurance is before you need it.