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What Does LGD Bonding with Livestock Look Like?

Mar 9, 2022
5 min

What Does LGD Bonding with Livestock Look Like?

#Maremmasheepdogtraining, #positivereinforcementtrainingforlgds Well, maybe not what you think. There is a graphic out there that depicts a Maremma guarding sheep. In the graphic, there is a small flock of sheep with a Maremma close by. The next graphic shows a Great Pyrenees guarding sheep. The graphic shows only the flock of sheep – no dog. Does that mean that Great Pyrenees do not bond with livestock? I don’t think so. I think it reflects a difference in guarding styles on

Natural Fit vs Trained Fit - Selecting the Right Homes for Dogs

Mar 6, 2022
8 min

Natural Fit vs Trained Fit - Selecting the Right Homes for Dogs

#Maremmasheepdogtraining, #positivereinforcementtrainingforlgds In one of the many courses I have taken from Suzanne Clothier, she talks about a "natural fit" and a "trained fit" for dogs. This is an incredibly important concept. A natural fit for dogs is one that requires no training to support them. A trained fit is one that requires frequent time and support from an owner to maintain. Here is an example of a natural fit and a trained fit for me. I live on a ranch, surround

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Mar 6, 2022
7 min

Training Thor - All In Good Time

#Maremmasheepdogtraining, #positivereinforcementtrainingforlgds, #LGDpuppytraining, Thor has been here in training with me for six weeks; he is the black and tan pup among the white Maremma pups. Puppies develop on speed dial so much has changed over this time. The video above is a great example of that. I have partnered Thor with a variety of dogs. I want to build a self-reliant guardian who is tolerant of change. He will go home to an adult Maremma female as his permanent p

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Feb 23, 2022
2 min

Lupine & Sage & The Elk

#maremmaforsale, #Maremmasheepdogtraining, #positivereinforcementtrainingforlgds, Tonight, as I powered through my chores, I saw a sight that brought me right to a stop. A seven-month-old male pup who had only been in the field he was in for a couple of hours was standing down a herd of easily thirty elk – all by himself!!! Watching him do this just took my breath away. You’d think that after 250+ Maremmas over the last few years, I would have seen it all. Not so, as tonight

Strategic Use of Barn and Fencing - Katie S.

Feb 20, 2022
4 min

Strategic Use of Barn and Fencing - Katie S.

#resourceguardingLGDs, #Maremmasheepdogtraining, #positivereinforcementtrainingforlgds This photo is worthy of a blog all its own. It tells a story of proactive management of the dogs as well as the livestock that live with them as well as the other side of the fences. LGDs learn most of what they know from the environment they live in, as young dogs and all through their lives. I think of barns and fencing as training tools. The dogs and the livestock live in an area as a co

Training To Prevent Resource Guarding - Katie S. - Success!!!

Feb 19, 2022
3 min

Training To Prevent Resource Guarding - Katie S. - Success!!!

#resourceguardingLGDs, #shaping, #Maremmasheepdogtraining, #positivereinforcementtrainingforlgds, ***Note: Please read the blog below for information on how Katie uses the area shown in these photos and videos; that low electric wire is NOT there for the dogs and is never "hot" when the dogs are present. Strategic Use of Barn and Fencing - Katie S.: https://www.bensonmaremmas.com/post/strategic-use-of-barn-and-fencing-katie-s Aspen is an adult male Maremma who used to be impa

Going From No and Wrong to Change and Create as a Trainer

Feb 13, 2022
5 min

Going From No and Wrong to Change and Create as a Trainer

#bensonmaremmastraining, #shaping, #Maremmasheepdogtraining, #positivereinforcementtrainingforlgds When I was a child, I heard "no" a lot, and I learned to avoid people who wanted to place limitations on me. I suspect you can imagine what those notes on my school report card often looked like. But when I reflect back on my childhood, the people that I remember the most are the people who invited me to try something new and then made sure I was successful at it. I remember wor

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Feb 13, 2022
4 min

That's a Redirect?! That's Easy!

#shaping, #Maremmasheepdogtraining, #positivereinforcementtrainingforlgds ****Interrupt - Redirect - Reinforce**** Those three words are the answer if you want to change a dog's behavior using positive reinforcement techniques. When I am training dogs, these three words run through my head, over and over, just like a mantra. I suppose there might be limits, but honestly, I think I could get any dog to do anything if I followed that mantra. This training makes sense to dogs; t

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Feb 11, 2022
4 min

Feeding & Manners - Katie S. - Shaping, Blog #2 – Katie’s Videos

#resourceguardingLGDs, #Maremmasheepdogtraining, #positivereinforcementtrainingforlgds This series of videos shows many of the steps of Katie's training for this calm eating behavior. Here are some of the keys to Katie's success. The dogs are fed in the same place every day, in the same order. Katie stays with each dog until the dog is actually eating. This is important because it helps to anchor the dog to the spot and makes it very clear to the dog what she wants him/her to

Feeding & Manners - Katie S. - Shaping, Blog #1 - Katie's Story

Feb 11, 2022
8 min

Feeding & Manners - Katie S. - Shaping, Blog #1 - Katie's Story

#cuesandshaping, #Maremmasheepdogtraining, #resourceguarding, #positivereinforcementtrainingforlgds, ****Suzanne Clothier, one of my favorite canine behavior clinicians, talks about a "natural fit" and a "trained fit". A natural fit is a situation that a dog feels comfortable in without much support from humans. A trained fit is a situation where the dog requires a lot of training support to be sustained in an environment in a way that is comfortable for him. A natural fit is

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Feb 6, 2022
7 min

Training Client: Bella & Livestock Selection

#Maremmasheepdogtraining, #positivereinforcementtrainingforlgds, In this video, you are watching Bella's first moments around a cow. I'd like to point out a few things: Notice that Bella is not afraid of the cow and in fact, barely notices the cow. Bella is all about movement and ownership of property; the cow is just extra here and of little interest to her. Part of the reason for this is that the cow did not move when Bella arrived; Bella likes movement. Bella showed no int

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Jan 27, 2022
5 min

Influencing Behavior - Turning Scary Into a Party!

#Maremmaforsale, #Maremmasheepdogtraining, #positivereinforcementtrainingforlgds I often feel like training happens when I am making other plans. On this busy workday, I planned to use this pup to demonstrate how to introduce a young dog to goats for the first time using a long line. To prepare for my session I put the pup in a stall and moved his siblings to the field I would later put this pup after I was finished with my training session. This is a six-month-old Roxy x Bon

Training - Knowing When to Walk Away - Eevie & Banks - Shaping

Dec 16, 2021
5 min

Training - Knowing When to Walk Away - Eevie & Banks - Shaping

#Maremmasheepdogtraining, #positivereinforcementtrainingforlgds I am currently providing training support for twelve dogs and their owners, and I am probably forgetting someone. Does the thought of that make your head spin around?! It does mine! I love training dogs and working with their owners, but spacing it out a little would be OK! I often write the blogs I do in response to specific events or questions people may have. This is one of those times. This topic is common to

Cues in Action! Verbal Marker, Clicker, Environmental Cues, Targeting, Redirecting, Click for Calm

Sep 12, 2021
8 min

Cues in Action! Verbal Marker, Clicker, Environmental Cues, Targeting, Redirecting, Click for Calm

#Maremmasheepdogtraining, #positivereinforcementtrainingforlgds, These six-month-old pups traveled with us all the way to South Dakota. Nothing ever phased them. Yes, I think these are exceptional dogs, but what really helped them is their extensive training history with us. When people watch our videos and watch us train our dogs, some of the feedback I get from viewers is that it doesn't look like we are doing anything; the pups are well behaved, and it all looks easy. When

Biddability & LGDs

Nov 13, 2020
4 min

Biddability & LGDs

#Maremmasheepdogtraining, #positivereinforcementtrainingforlgds Biddability is about a dog’s willingness to be directed, particularly to be directed to do something in which the dog sees no personal value. I hear my mother’s words in my head when I read this: “Do it because I said so!” Many companion dog breeds have been selectively bred to have a high degree of biddability; Border Collies are a great example of this. They have the strong, instinctive drive to do their job, a

Everything Right

Mar 26, 2020
3 min

Everything Right

#Maremmasheepdogtraining, #positivereinforcementtrainingforlgds Bruno here is at the age most LGDs are when they are surrendered to shelters and rescue situations. At eighteen months of age, this very large, intact, adolescent male dog could be a handful to manage - and yet he isn't. Why? Because his owner worked hard to build a solid training base with him throughout the first six months of his life and onward. That doesn't mean that neither of them made mistakes; because of

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