ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT

Although this breed is known as the Maremma Sheepdog in Great Britain, in its native Italy it has a double name, Maremmano Abruzzuse, after the two regions that have long claimed the imposing white dog as their own.

There are several schools of thought on the exact origins of the Maremma we know today. Some that claim that there are 2 separate breeds: The Abruzzese and the Maremmano, being distinct by a heavier Abruzzese dog and also distinct by the regions the names imply them coming from. There will always be some contention on this point. It is not the purpose of this page to provoke the subject. The opinion is that, since breeders such as the Prince Corsini, breed the two together, as do many others in Italy, the breed should be regarded as one, "Maremmano Abruzzese". There can be seen, in areas, two "types", one almost Mastiff like in appearance and stature, and the other, finer, more 'pretty', in appearance and stature. However, in the light of careful reading of the Breed Standards, it would seem that the most correct 'type' is somewhere midway of these extremes. For this reason it will always be very important to select breeding pairs by comparing the animals to the standards. If the dog is becoming too fine, then choosing the heavier 'Abruzzo' type will correct this, if the dog is becoming too heavy, then select the finer 'Maremmano' type will correct this also.

The Maremma is rolling countryside with wooded hills that reach down to the sea along the coast from Cecina to Rome. This used to be excellent pastureland for cattle, sheep and horses, and provided almost impenetrable cover where wild boar, roe deer, bears and wolves could escape destruction. For centuries, the life of the sheep, shepherds and the large white dogs that accompanied them followed a strict routine. From June to October they would all venture up into the mountains of Abruzzi, and from October to June they would retreat to the plains of Maremma. Yet a few dogs would always remain behind in both areas as watchdogs on the farms on the farms - and a Maremma could usually be found in all the fine houses of Tuscany.

History relates that in 1872 a "Roman Maremma" won a class at a dog show in Nottingham, England. In the early part of the 20th. Century, various Maremmas were imported to Britain and in 1936 the Kennel Club recognized the breed as the Maremma Sheepdog. A breed Club was formed in 1950 but the breed never really achieved a strong foothold until teh mid-1970's when an Italian, Franca Simondetti, loaned two in-whelp bitches to breeders in Britain. The breed was first awarded Challenge Certificates in 1980 and, largely due to the efforts of a small band of enthusiasts like Gordon and Anne Latimer of the famous Sonymer Kennel, type and quality have improved steadily. In 1995 Signora Simondetti was honoured an invitation to judge Maremmas at Crufts Dog Show. There were 35 dogs entered under her and she must have been fascinated to see how the breed has developed in the UK since she supplied what was basically the breed's foundation. Interestingly, as Best of Breed she selected a male who was bred from 2 more recent Italian dogs, its dam being imported in-whelp.

TEMPERAMENT

The Maremma has a temperament that is quite unique, and it is necessary to understand this well, in order to correctly evaluate your dogs behaviour, and know if he is showing correct or incorrect behaviours. Sometimes worrying owners question patterns of behaviour but that prove to be quite typical, even desirable behaviours.

The proud and dignified Maremma is a product of the harsh solitary lifestyle that it has endured for generations. it is supremely loyal to its family, while also an excellent protector and guard. However, it is also a thinking dog and consequently not naturally subservient so may not prove to be the ideal Obedience competitor. Although it will be devoted to its master, it will rationalize what is asked of it before acquiescing.

They relate to livestock as though they are littermates, and will lick livestock about the mouth as they once did mum and are often seen helping 'mom' clean up her newborn.

Typical pup play behaviour can be exhibited in a very rough way.....and some puppies just never seem to grow up. Wrestle play stays a part of the maremma behaviour throughout life. It is actually a complex behaviour for establishing order and learning skills. This is fine with another maremma but is FORBIDDEN between maremma and the livestock. Therefore it is critical to teach the young Maremma puppy that the livestock it is being asked to protect are not playmates and chasing or playful nipping are absolutely not to be tolerated.

The hard life, the harsh and solitary life to which these dogs have been accustomed to for centuries has given them a temperament that is very special to THEM.

They will always be diffident to strangers and will maintain a spirit of initiative. Maremmas have too much dignity and pride, together with an inborn sense of responsibility for what they have to do, which is the guarding and defense of their property, be this a herd, territory or home, virtually anything that needs protection.

One of the traits of the Maremma that must be completely understood by anyone considering the Maremma as a pet is that the Maremma will want to guard and defend his family and his property. One of the integral parts of this guarding behaviour is BARKING.

In studies at the School of Natural Science in Massachusetts, Maremma pups were raised with Border Collie pups as though they were littermates. Time and again, as the pups grew and matured, the Maremma pups became aloof, solitary and clung to the livestock, whilst the Border Collie pups ran around together 'eyeing' the livestock and attempting to herd them. Maremma pups never develop 'the eye'.

These dogs are surely different from any other dogs, particularly different from all the sheepdogs that have been created by man, created to be a robot and receive instruction and training. The way in which these 'white sheepdogs' were and are used have taught him to look after himself, to use his initiative and his brain without waiting for the help of man.

There are three ingredients that go together to make a successful livestock guardian.These ingredients have been carefully bred into the Maremma and individual dogs are selected or culled out according to the presence of these ingredients.

Let us now take a look at these ingredients, and the importance they bring to bear on the performance of a guardian. They can be regarded as the "A B C" of Successful Guarding.

TRUSTWORTHINESS

The basis for trustworthiness is the absolute total absence of predator behaviour.

When approaching livestock, the trustworthy Maremma will behave submissively. This will be seen as approaching livestock with squinted eyes, ears back, avoiding direct eye contact and lying on the back. They will often be interested in 'investigating' the livestock also, which is seen by the dog licking the livestock around the mouth, anal area and udder. This is very different to the way a predator would approach livestock, and has the effect of putting the livestock at ease, showing them that the maremma is no threat. It often confuses people not used to maremma behaviour to see the way the maremma interacts with his flock, but the body language is complex and gives many important messages to the livestock.

ATTENTIVENESS

Maremmas are selected for their unique ability to follow other animals. These dogs not only follow a flock or herd for a while, but will follow them 24 hours a day. They will be seen loafing amongst the livestock during the day, and may seem lazy and inattentive, but they know when the danger is greatest, and are alert instantly. By night, they are much more active patrolling the boundaries, urine marking and sounding out their warnings. During daylight hours, the approach of a stranger will often see the dog retreat into the herd.

PROTECTIVENESS

This is based in the Maremmas ability to react to any deviation from their normal routine. The Maremma will bark at anything he senses to be out of the ordinary or in any way threatening. The Maremma uses tactics on predators that are designed to confuse rather than threaten back, and have been proven to be very effective. Typically, the Maremma will rush out, tail raised barking, then suddenly turn, tail between legs and run into the herd. This may be repeated several times and can very suddenly end in attack.

True protective behaviour develops with maturity, and is directly related to the degree of trustworthiness and attentiveness.

The Maremma is an extremely efficient killer, however they very rarely use these skills as they have an even more efficient deterring effect. However....what constitutes successful guarding of livestock is the absence of losses to predators - not the body count of dead predators.

Guarding by a Maremma is carried out on three levels.

1. Barking. If something is sensed to be out of place (often beyond man's senses) the Maremma will bark. Maremmas are selected for their ability to bark at anything they sense is out of the normal. If the predator moves closer, the barking will become more agitated, giving way to snarls and growls that warn of imminent physical attack when very close.

2. Scent Marking. The Maremma will mark out its territory with urine that advertises to predators that they are intruding. This is a very powerful communications tool between canines and should never be underestimated for it's effectiveness. The Maremma will inspect territory boundaries daily, marking the boundaries to alert other canines that the boundaries are regularly visited. It is interesting to note that it is done by both male and female maremmas - even bitches will cock their legs and mark like a dog.

3. Patrolling. Maremmas are sleepy and lazy during daylight hours, saving their energies for after dark patrolling of their territory during the time of greatest threat. They will inspect boundaries regularly, and will often be seen going ahead of their livestock to new areas of grazing for the day, inspecting it for safety first. It is amazing how people report that the livestock learn to follow subtle communications with their Maremmas and will wait until the Maremma has inspected and given the all clear, before moving to a new grazing area of a paddock. The livestock develop a very special bond with the Maremmas just as the Maremma bonds to his livestock. They learn to depend on the Maremma for safety, and appreciate the patrolling and warnings their Maremma gives them. It is very common to see that when livestock hear their Maremma give a sudden warning bark, they run to the Maremma for safety. Maremmas are fast and as agile as any cat, and even as a pup learn to distinguish between familiar and suspect noises. However they are strong dogs and strongly built, but they must maintain agility to be typical of the breed. They must never become heavy overweight dogs. They must always be able to fulfill their duties, cover their territory and face any threat. This is where the importance of breeding Maremmas according to the breed standard is of great importance to the breeder of working dogs. The standard describes a strong large dog, able to match large predators. It describes a body structure that is capable of enduring harsh conditions, rough territory, and rigorous work. A Maremma that has poor topline, leg and hip angles, feet placement and depth of chest is not fit for the work!

Remember if you invest in a Maremma, you are investing in 10 - 14 years of robust guarding.

ESSENTIALS OF THE BREED

The breed is often confused with the Great Pyrenees and Kuvasz, but the Maremma has a very distinctive head. This is conical in shape and quite large in proportion to the body. It is vaguely reminiscent of a polar bear's head...broad between the ears but not short in the muzzle. The whole head is smooth and the eyes almond shaped and dark; the ears are small, high set, with pointed tips and lying flat against the skull. It is important that the pigment in the lips, eye rims and pads be black. Males should look overtly masculine, with a very pronounced ruff, while bitches are noticeably feminine in looks and disposition.

The Maremma is powerfully built and slightly off-square with high withers. At the shoulder, males should stand 25.5 to 28.5 inches while females are 23.5 to 26.5 inches. The tail hangs low but curves at the tip when carried out level with the back in an action that is nimble and free, giving the impression of a dog that can turn easily. The coat should be all white but a little ivory or biscuit shading is tolerable. In texture, it is harsh and plentiful with a thick undercoat. Recordings in the first century says that the sheep dog must be white, the reason being that at dawn the wolf will come to the herd and the dog will fight the wolf in defense of the herd. The shepherd will then wish to help the dog but he must not be misled into harming the dog instead of the wolf. A little waviness...but not curl....is permitted. The tail should be well covered with thick hair.

FOOD AGGRESSION

Many thoughts are held on Maremmas and food aggression. Some Maremmas are more food aggressive than others. It has been suggested that food aggression is linked to protectiveness but this is only speculation without a real basis of truth.

Maremmas sometimes need to be fed in separate areas, either from each other, or separate from their livestock. Many farmers on large properties set up hoppers for dry food near a watering hole for their dogs. A mature Maremma may not be very aggressive with food. Some of them will try to steal food from another, but they have the situation well worked out.

You need to work out your own situation. Some livestock develop quite a taste for dry dog food, and it is only reasonable to expect a hungry Maremma to want his dinner and warn others off his cookie jar!

Sometimes food aggression between Maremmas is linked to establishing pack hierarchy also. A younger dog will try to steal food or be aggressive in order to test his position within the pack, however if this is the case, the behaviour will settle with maturity and establishment of pack order.

It is interesting to note that many Maremmas like to lie down with their food in between their front legs to eat.

Maremma FAQ pages: www.maremmano.com