Every week, as part of my Novice to Expert online LGD training course, we hold weekly live Zoom sessions where questions are answered and a dynamic learning process takes place. Graduates of my courses often attend to offer support to new students, and to share their stories of successes and challenges. When time allows, we use videos to take a deep dive into what drives behavior and learn even more; students contribute videos of their dogs, and I often use my own. Students a

Boundary training does not work - here's why!

This is a graphic of the homepage for my online livestock guardian dog training courses. The best reason to enroll in my online livestock...

I do not use, or promote, training methods that dogs fear or will work to avoid. Puppies are born perfect. And yet, in the case of LGD...

This four month old pup is well on her way to a successful career as a guardian dog. #bensonmaremmastraining, #positivereinforcementlgdtr...

#Bensonmaremmastraining, Words can hurt. They have consequences. People have a choice to read and believe or move on. Dogs don't have...

#bensonmaremmastraining, Scientific principles govern how dogs learn; not traditional lore, not trendy opinions, and not even if you love...

#bensonmaremmastraining, #lgdtraining, #lgdpuppytraining At first glance, starting out with only one LGD can seem like the conservative...

#Maremmasheepdogtraining, #positivereinforcementtrainingforlgds Well, maybe not what you think. There is a graphic out there that depicts...

These five-week-old pups spend the day with their sheep and head back into the safety of the stall at night. Puppies have what I think of...

Learned aggression toward livestock - learned and preventable! The #1 reason LGDs fail is people. The good news is that people can learn to support their dogs! Most people who have LGDs value them, either personally or in what the dog can do for them. Most mistakes that people make with their dogs are just that; they are mistakes. Understanding how dogs learn and how they are impacted by the choices an owner makes can really help the dog meet the owner’s expectations. This h

I think as often as I get inquiries about my pups from people who have never owned an LGD I get inquiries from people who have one,...

Livestock guardian dog breeds have existed for centuries and work in all corners of the world. These very specialized dogs have little...

"This is a short video of Luna, a 5-year-old Maremma, and Stella, a 15-month-old Nigerian Dwarf who was new to the property. Her...

I am often asked this question by potential LGD owners trying to do their due diligence in researching LGD breed traits and assessing...