
Natalie Thurman
Ranch Manager, Operations
Nat grew up loving animals. She even wanted to be a Veterinarian for the first 2 decades of her life. She went to college for Animal Science and decided that Vet School wasn’t the right plan for her. She uses what she learned at Cal Poly to support the ranch operation and select breeding stock. Her passion for animal husbandry is apparent to everyone she meets, and she is a big advocate for proper education, selection, and training of working livestock guardian dogs through her LGD Online School founded in 2020.
“Responsible stewardship is important to me. I believe that the animals in my care have a right to security. Native predators also have a right to live where they have always been. To balance these seemingly conflicting beliefs, I employ livestock guardian dogs to protect my stock by deterring predators from becoming a problem for stock or people here. It’s imperative to have the right dog for the right job, and I have a pack of them!”