Do you need behavioral support with your Guardian?
You brought your fluffy little 8 week old Guardian home & they told you to put it with the stock and everything would be great. But, you are struggling.
The puppy is, go figure, acting like a puppy! It is chewing, digging, chasing, playing. Its harassing the lambs, its chasing the chickens.And you start thinking, “Maybe I got a dud?”
Or maybe your Guardian is a juvenile (9 months - 2 years) and is starting to be flat-out naughty. It is testing boundaries. It has killed some stock. It is resource guarding.
Now your cute fluffy Guardian is a big, powerful canine with potential to do serious damage & you feel defeated.
This is the story I see repeated over and over again in LGS support groups. I see Shepherds reaching out, desperate for help & feeling totally ill-equipped. They think their dog is broken and they need to rehome them.
But the truth is, no one even taught the Guardian OR the Shepherd how to be successful.
Maybe you have gone online trying to find information & support. I know I did. And I ended up way more confused. There wasn’t a ton of information out there, and a lot of the information I did find contradicted EVERYTHING I knew about dog psychology for companion animals. It made NO sense.
So I took a risk. And I did it differently.
Shepherd Mentorship Program
My own story as a shepherd has not been without struggles. Things have not always gone smoothly. And when I hit difficulties with my Guardians, it was always a combination of my own seeking out information, trying things I knew worked with companion dogs & my mentors that helped me through.
I have learned by watching others, asking questions, reading, & having people people a little further along give their perspective and then figuring out how that fit into what I was doing with my Guardians & my stock.
So what is the Shepherd Mentorship Program?
This is a monthly, relationship-based mentorship, not a one-time consult.
Founding Rate- $175 / month with a 3 month minimum commitment
This will be limited to 5-6 Shepherds. After the 3 month period, Shepherds may continue month-to-month mentorship with me.
*Please note- Founding Shepherds are being offered a lower rate as they are putting their trust in me and willing to walk alongside me in the early shaping of this program. Because of this trust, their rate WILL NOT change for the duration of their enrollment in the program. Future Shepherds will have a higher rate as the program matures & develops.
You’ll receive:
Thoughtful guidance rooted in my own experience & knowledge of livestock guardian dogs
Ongoing support as situations evolve (because they will!)
Help evaluating behavior, management, environment, and Shepherd-Guardian relationship
Perspective grounded in traditional guardian principles (Shepherd/Guardian partnership) that is functional in a modern homestead family
What’s Included
Mentorship Support via limited text and voice/video messages.
Video feedback - Shepherds can send me clips of their training, setups, etc for feedback & evaluation
Guidance tailored to your specific context - every homestead is like a snowflake. They are unique. So guidance that is plug & play often doesn’t make sense for your situation.
Video Library - I am developing a video library dealing with the MOST common questions and struggles. This is still in development, but they will become available as I create them.
What this is NOT -
I cannot offer emergency or crisis support. I am not a veterinarian & cannot give medical advice. I am not a professional trainer, and anything you choose to take on you do so understanding that you are working with a powerful animal with the capability of harming you. I cannot offer INSTANT replies or 24 hour support, but support/responses will be given in 24 hours, to the very best of my ability. Please do remember I run my own farm, and have my own large family I care for. They come first.