The Maremma Sheepdog, a livestock guardian dog indigenous to central Italy. These beautiful white dogs weigh up to 100 pounds and are widely used in Italy, and less commonly used in Australia, Canada, and the USA to guard livestock (and sometimes even penguins!) against wolves.
These dogs are placed among livestock by the time they are around 5 weeks old in order to develop a bond with the sheep or cattle that they will protect when they are fully grown. The adult dogs work in packs of 3 or 4 to defend against a group of wolves. They do this by intimidating the wolves through loud barking and displaying aggressive behavior such as showing their teeth. This technique is largely successful and rarely will the Maremma need to use physical force.
As a companion dog, the Maremma must know who’s boss. It is in their nature to be independent and confident. The owner must be the pack leader and usually has to speak in a strong, yet calm voice in order to gain respect from the Maremma. The pack leader will usually bite the other dogs as a form of communication. It is therefore crucial that the Maremma doesn’t think of itself as the leader in a household as it can have negative consequences.
Accustomed to centuries of open space, the Maremma needs large fields and plenty of exercise. As a consequence of many years of herding, these dogs also need to be mentally active. It is recommended to frequently change the setting or route of your daily walks so that these great animals don’t get bored. Needless to say, raising one of these dogs can be a challenging task!
