That pic says it all...never seen a LGD pup yet that wouldn't melt yer heart with that mug! So easy to want to give in to all the puppy behaviors one would do with a pet breed...letting them jump up for pets when they are that little, letting them chase and bark at things like squeaky toys, kittens, chickens, etc. because it's so darn cute when they are little and just bumbling along, letting them stay in the house because they are so little and cute and they might get scared out there by themselves, blah, blah, blah.
Unfortunately, though one can still give affection to them, there must be some rules right off with the dog they will become in your mind. Now, I don't agree much with the folks who say you can't train a LGD on regular obedience...I think it's imperative to do so, as one day this is going to be a huge dog with a very independent mindset and a job to do that requires it be suspicious of anything new on the land~people, animals, kids, etc.
It's also something that comes in handy if you have to take that working dog to town for vet care....there should be some familiarity with leash training, obeying simple commands of sit, lie down, leave it, come, load up, etc.
For most of us, we will likely be using these dogs on small homestead situations, so they will be working closer to the home and family than those out on large acreage. That's a game changer, especially when they have to be around smaller animals on the homestead like chickens, ducks, cats, house dogs, etc. That requires a little more hands on work while they are young to acclimate them with what is expected in those situations.
I agree with the lady on the vid about exposing the new pup to the livestock they will be guarding immediately they come to your place. The sooner the better and under controlled circumstances so you can conduct how that first meeting goes. So much will be determined in that first meeting, from how they view the other animals to how they see you in the hierarchy on the land.
I don't agree with penning them with or near the livestock while unattended in the first week or so unless you've laid that very important groundwork and can supervise subsequent exposure between the two animal species. Unattended pups have plenty of time to develop bad behaviors towards the chickens, sheep, etc. like running the fence, barking, lunging, etc. at them without a single word of correction for that behavior.
