Shadow had her puppies!

I found them yesterday afternoon already nursing and staying warm cuddled up in Shadow’s nest in the hay. I missed her signs of labor because it was a week earlier than I expected, so I’m grateful for the unseasonably warm weather and her great mothering instincts.

We quickly got her whelping box ready in the garage and she followed me carrying her puppies in a basket up to the house (and she only snatched one out when I paused to close a gate, but she let me take it back). Now puppies are staying safe and warm under a heat lamp until they are old enough to regulate their own body temperatures. 

When their eyes are open and our overnight temps are warmer, they will go out to pasture with the whelping box to get acquainted with the sheep.

We have a long wait list for taking home a puppy, so once they are a little older I’ll be assessing their temperaments and working qualities and matching them with farm homes where I think they will be successful guardians. They will go on to guard sheep, goats, cattle, poultry, and pigs on other pasture-based farms, some joining other dogs already out protecting stock and others on new farms just getting started.

I will quickly say we’ve been surprised and overwhelmed by the interest in our livestock guardian dogs, and it feels hard to not have enough puppies to give one to everyone who has contacted us! We’re encouraged by the number of new regenerative livestock farmers out there though, and that word is getting out that using dogs for predator protection allows us to farm alongside thriving wildlife.

I will also say though that while these dogs are really something special, they are not your typical pet, and we encourage everyone considering getting one to do lots of research first.

Please check out our LGD page for more information and let us know if you have questions about livestock guardian dogs…

Otherwise if you’re just here for the puppy shenanigans, make sure to follow along in our Instagram and Facebook stories for videos and updates as they grow!