Cindy Benson KPA CTP

I am passionate about livestock guardian dogs! As a trainer, training LGDs is my specialty, in-person here on my 360-acre Oregon ranch and through Zoom training sessions with clients all across the country. Writing is another of my passions, “telling white dog stories,” as I think of it, through my website, blog posts, Facebook pages, and published articles and books. I am a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner with a lifetime of experience as a rancher, raising and training a large variety of animals over the years. My formal education as a trainer and student of behavioral science is extensive and ongoing. Having trained more than three hundred Maremmas, learning from these dogs has helped me develop a keen understanding of how to communicate with LGDs, what motivates them, and how to assist them in becoming successful and trustworthy guardians. Living with true, working livestock guardian dogs is a privilege. I count on my 20+ Maremmas daily to protect my livestock from bears, mountain lions, and other indigenous predators. My ethical training practices are based on scientific principles and studies, not on fads or “how we have always done it.” I am a positive reinforcement trainer who uses the least intrusive training methods possible to create relationships based on trust and reliability with my dogs. I love to teach these training options to others! My first book about training LGDs was published in 2021. It is a training manual written as a partner to a dog training course offered by the Karen Pryor Academy. The training manual explains how to apply the concepts taught in this course to practical use with LGDs. But I am a prolific writer, so watch for the new books as they are published on Amazon! My next book, “Using the Right Tool for the Job: Least Intrusive Training Methods for LGDs,” is targeted for publishing in 2023. Following that will be “How to Clicker Train An LGD – and Why,” to be published in late 2023. And what is next? “The Specialized Training of Working Livestock Guardian Dogs,” with a publishing target date a little farther out. Podcasts are coming! Watch for them on my social media pages! And please reach out! I would love to hear from you, so please share with me your stories, questions, and dreams for your own LGDs.