Livestock guardian dog training for modern shepherds
Tarma Shena is an accountant, homesteader, certified dog trainer, behaviorist and livestock guardian dog breeder. In many ways though, a lifetime of working with animals and farming off-the-grid has influenced her LGD training approach.
How humans fail livestock guardian dog training
Training is about the human, not the animal. Humans like things to be easy, and we’ll let a situation or behavior slide, because it’s working.
Finding the right jobs for livestock guardian dogs
Despite Tarma Shena's preference for sheep, sometimes, her livestock guardian dogs like goats instead.
How to add a new livestock guardian dog to the pack
Tarma Shena discusses why a solid, healthy livestock guardian dog pack is important, especially when adding an outside dog.
Adapting livestock guardian dogs to fit farm needs
Tarma Shena takes a look at how the dogs she breeds now are better — and not better — than the ones she bred years ago.
The tale of a livestock guardian dog and a cat
Tarma Shena shares how Bridger, her good, veteran livestock guardian dog, was bad. All because of a cat.
Teach livestock guardian dogs to use their imaginations
For Tarma Shena, patience is key in livestock guardian dog training. So is a dog's ability to entertain itself. Case in point: Punica and the squirrel
Preservation breeding vs. purpose bred LGDs
Does the term "preservation breeding" work for livestock guardian dog breeding? Tarma Shena takes a closer look.
What we owe our livestock guardian dogs
What we owe the animals in our care is the ability to succeed, should they ever need to do it without us.
The bigger picture and patience in growing a farm’s pastures
Each spring, Tarma Shena watches to see how an area responds to winter’s rest before moving stock around. It's a process that has grown and evolved.
