Hi Reader,

I want to tell you about something I saw last weekend that kind of made my whole day.

We had a full landscaping crew on the property from sunup — mowing every single pasture before foxtail season hits. It was loud. Diesel engines, weed whackers, the works. My bucks in one of the pastures were definitely not fans. They paced the fence and did their whole anxious-goat routine, which is completely fair given that a mower was several feet away from them.

So I came around the corner on the golf cart at almost 5 pm, expecting at least some chaos.

And there were the puppies. In a pile. In the grass. Just chillin with the does and adult dogs in their pasture.

When they heard the golf cart, they scrambled up and ran over to say hi — full wiggly Maremma greeting, very much their brand. We had a little chat. And then they went back to their grass and settled right back down. Like a pile of lion cubs, enjoying a nice day on the savanna.

When they heard the golf cart, they scrambled up and ran over to say hi — full wiggly Maremma greeting, very much their brand. We had a little chat. And then they went back to their grass and settled right back down. Like a pile of lion cubs, enjoying a nice day on the savanna.

That right there is what we're working toward from day one with every litter

The behavioral sequence — notice something, greet it appropriately, return to calm — is one of the clearest indicators of a dog who has been raised in a genuinely busy environment during the windows that actually matter. They're not just "used to noise." Their nervous systems have learned, at the cellular level, that noise is background. That the mower is not a monster. That they can check in and go back to work.

You can't train that in after the fact. You build it during weeks 3 through 16, or you do your best to compensate later.

​

I wrote a full post about this (including more about what actually happened that day, why the bucks reacted differently than the puppies, and what all of this means for your dog search) — link below. I also embedded the video from that afternoon so you can actually see the greeting-and-settle sequence I'm describing.

​Read the full post→

One more thing: a few of these puppies — the ones you just read about — are still available. Including the last boy. (Which is important to know if you were wanting a team, since boy/girl teams do best.) If you've been thinking about it, now's a good time to reach out and apply.

Talk soon,

Kim

Prancing Pony Farm

P.S. Coming up soon I'll be sharing what we were actually doing that day — foxtail management, and why it matters so much for farm dogs. Keep an eye out.

Recent articles

How Calm, Confident LGDs Are Made Read more

How to Raise Incredible LGDs Read more

How Many LGDs Do I Need on My Farm? Read article

Looking for an LGD Breeder Who Actually Answers Your Questions? We believe in education-first breeding. Every Prancing Pony Farm Maremma comes with lifetime support, science-based guidance, and a breeder who's invested in your long-term success.

See What Makes Us Different