The curly-haired puppy and the 7-year-old who walked her 🐕👧

Prancing Pony Farm

Ethically bred, professionally trained livestock guardian dogs and family companions

Livestock Guadian Dog Consulting

Hi Reader,

On Sunday, my 7-year-old granddaughter Penelope insisted on walking Lyria, a 60-70 pound, 6-month-old Maremma who'd never been on leash in our neighbor's orchard before.

Most breeders focus on adult socialization and assume that's sufficient. It's not.

Children move differently than adults. They sound different. They behave unpredictably. To a dog who's never experienced children during critical socialization windows, kids can seem threatening or prey-like.

For an 80-120 pound livestock guardian dog with strong protective instincts, uncertainty around children is dangerous.

Sunday's Puppy Socialization Day

Four of my grandchildren came over: Scarlet (13), Colette (10), Penelope (7), and Genevieve (4). We worked with two litters—tiny 3.5-week-olds and our 8-week-old featured litter (now 9 weeks!).

What we did:

Gentle play with young puppies while I cleaned their stall
"Redecorating" with fresh toys (always way more than necessary!)
Clicker training and handling practice with older puppies
Grooming table time (brushing, ear cleaning, nail trims)
The favorite part: painting each puppy with livestock marking paint in hearts and patterns
That orchard walk that proved everything works

Throughout all this, puppies experienced:

High-pitched voices and giggles
Unpredictable child movements
Gentle but less coordinated handling
Excited energy balanced with calm expectations
Bluey on TV, Taylor Swift music (Swifties!), and Post Malone

This wasn't just cute kid time—it was intentional development work.

The Proof From Hawaii

Remember Caia, our puppy who went to Hawaii? Last week her family sent photos of her meeting a young child during a walk.

Her response? Calm, gentle, completely appropriate.

This wasn't her first experience with children—it was the natural continuation of what she learned from my grandchildren during her critical weeks here.

My Philosophy

Anyone who visits my farm—friends, family, goat clients, the new neighbor with her 6-year-old—will hear me ask: "Do you want to play with my puppies?"

This isn't just sharing cute animals (though that's fun!). It's because every positive interaction shapes these puppies' lifetime capabilities with humans of all ages.

Want to understand why child socialization is non-negotiable for working livestock guardian dogs?

Read: Child Socialization: Why it's Crucial for Family Farms

You'll see photos and videos from Sunday's session, learn what can go wrong without child exposure, and understand why farm families need guardians who naturally understand children.

Continue the Foundation at Home

Proper puppy socialization is just the beginning. When your livestock guardian dog comes home, you need the tools to continue building on this foundation—especially if you have children.

That's why I'm now offering The DIAL Method® - a science-based program that helps you understand what your livestock guardian dog actually needs, whether they're working livestock or living as a companion.

This is especially valuable for families with children because it helps you:

Understand your LGD's independent nature and work WITH it
Set up routines that support their livestock guardian dog instincts while keeping kids safe
Create clear communication between your dog and your entire family
Meet their breed needs in ways that fit your actual life with kids
Teach your children (and you) how to safely and appropriately communicate with dogs

If you have multiple dogs (LGDs, herding dogs, family pets), The DIAL Method® helps you understand ALL of them—which is crucial when different breeds need to coexist with children.

Learn more about The DIAL Method® →

Current Litter

These 9-week-old future livestock guardians show remarkable gentleness and confidence with children of all ages—from 4-year-old Genevieve to visiting teenagers.

They're learning that children are simply smaller, more energetic humans—normal, safe, and wonderful.

Only a few spots remain.

Reserve your child-friendly livestock guardian dog

Questions about our socialization approach? I love hearing from families who value proper LGD socialization—just hit reply!

Talk soon,

Kim

P.S. - That image of Penelope confidently walking "her" curly-haired puppy through the orchard while both learned together? That's exactly what proper socialization creates—dogs and humans who trust each other completely. 💕