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.
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
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.
Preservation breeding vs. purpose bred LGDs
Does the term "preservation breeding" work for livestock guardian dog breeding? Tarma Shena takes a closer look.
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.
A tale of two puppies
One puppy is easy. The other has sass and intelligence to spare. Tarma Shena begins her journey in raising them both, individually, and as part of the pack.
