Adrienne

Hi there, Welcome to the forums! Well with the pigs and chickens he should be super happy (although goats and sheep would really make his day) as these dogs love to work and do what they were bred for. Once you introduce these animals with caution and careful supervision (being young and never exposed to them before there are chances he want to play with them more than protect), he will likely feel like he has found his mission in life and will stick with them like glue. Most Maremma dogs I knew in Italy were mostly used as livestock guardians and spent most of the time with the flocks. They were raised with them from a very young age. The occasional ones kept mostly as pets were the ones that had some issues that needed work on. If he is chewing stuff, it may help to provide him with chew toys are are quite durable and that surpass in value the things he is chewing outside. So I am thinking along the lines of the KONG X-treme filled up with goodies, a Kong Wobbler filled with his kibble and Goughnuts. Although these toys are ranked as super tough, checking them out along with your dog every now and then is important because no toy can be deemed 100 percent safe and non-destructible. It also helps of course removing as much as possible things that he chews on for safety (to prevent problems such as tooth fractures, intestinal blockages). At 10 months, your Maremma sheepdog is also in the adolescent stage, a time where exercise and mental stimulation are important. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/ Brain games and daily walks for exercise, mental stimulation and continuing socialization are therefore important. Training is also important, although it needs to be varied enough and rewarding to keep the interest alive.

Hi there, Welcome to the forums! Clicker training is usually just click/treat. It is mostly used for the acquisition stage of learning, so after some time, once the behavior becomes fluent and the dog understands the exercise, we can stop using the clicker and simply offer praise, like "good girl" along with some type of reinforcement. When she is about to pee and poop where she is supposed to, you can also offer praise followed by a treat (which you should always carry in your pocket/treat bag since it happens unpredictably during the day). Carrying a clicker around all day though and being able to hold it the correct side to effectively click right that split second when the dog decides to squat can be challenging, so you may be better off using your voice so you're not caught off guard. Great timing is paramount here: praise too fast and the dog may stop peeing/pooping in hopes of the reward, praise to late the dog may be thinking you are praising for walking away from the potty area. Puppy content can be found here scrolling down: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/ If you have any specific questions about puppies that you don't find covered, feel free to post it here. Happy training!