Maremma Sheepdog
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| Maremma Sheepdog | |||||||||||||||||||
 A working Maremma in the Gran Sasso of Abruzzo, Italy |
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| Other names | Pastore Abruzzese Cane da Pastore Maremmano-Abruzzese |
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| Country of origin | Italy | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nicknames | Maremma | ||||||||||||||||||
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The Maremma Sheepdog or Maremma-Abruzzese is a breed of livestock guardian dog originating in Italy's Maremma region.
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[edit] Description
[edit] Appearance
The Maremma has a solid, muscular build, thick white coat, large head, black nose, and typically weighing between 65 to 110 pounds (30–50 kg) and standing from 23 to 29 inches tall (60–75 cm) -- though some dogs grow to even more massive proportions. As far as coloring goes they can have tints of yellows, creams and lemon/brown spots. A minimal amount of color is demanded. Solid white is most common, but the colored kind is becoming more popular.
Some divide the breed into various subtypes, largely based on small differences in physical attributes and with subtype names based on village and provincial names where the dogs may be found , e.g. the Maremma, the Marsicano, the Aquilano, the Pescocostanzo, the Maiella, and the Peligno, [1]. However, biologists dispute this division, as well as over reliance on minor physical differences, as the dogs were bred over the centuries for their behavioral characteristics making them good guardians shepherds. [2]
[edit] Temperament
Despite their large size, Maremma can be good companion dogs in areas with adequate open space. Centuries of breeding the dogs to be gentle with lambs but fiercely protective of their flock has created a breed that will bond to families and show a calm, intelligent disposition. However, the dogs may display hostility towards outsiders and they are not suitable companion dogs for urban areas due to their large size and need for open space.
[edit] History
Known in Italy as Cane Da Pastore Maremmano-Abruzzese, a name derived from the Maremma area of Tuscany and the former region of Abruzzi (now Abruzzo and Molise) where the dogs guarded sheep in the Transhumance, a centuries-old seasonal migration from mountain grasslands in Abruzzo and Molise to lower pasture land in Apulia . Descriptions of sheepdogs similar to current Maremma can be found in ancient Roman literature and depicted in 15th century paintings[3], which suggests the breed's origins are equally ancient. While the Italian Transhumance ended in the 1860s, the dogs continue to be widely used by Italian sheep farmers, especially where sheep are grazed on open rangeland. English-speaking breeders and kennel clubs tend to refer to the breed as simply Maremma Sheepdogs while Italian breeders are more likely to use the term Abruzzese Sheepdogs (Pastore Abruzzese). Ironically, the dogs are today far less common in the Maremma section of Tuscany where sheep farming has declined, and are quite prevalent in Abruzzo.
Today, Maremma continue to be extensively used as Livestock guarding dogs (LGDs) in Italy. They are also widely used as LGDs in Australia and the United States. [4]
[edit] Training
Maremma used as LGDs are introduced to sheep flocks as puppies so they bond to the sheep. Some ranchers place Maremma puppies as young as 3-4 weeks old with young lambs (kids)[5] though beginning this bonding process at 7-8 weeks is more typical. [6] Although it is easiest to bond Maremma to sheep and goats, cattle ranchers have found that the dogs will bond with cows and Maremma are increasingly used to protect range cattle.[7]
Recently in Warrnambool, Australia, the world's first trial utilized a Maremma to guard the dwindling penguin population of Middle Island.[8] While using Maremma to guard an endangered species is rare, Maremma along with other breeds of livestock guarding dogs are appreciated by environmentalists because they make it possible for livestock to coexist with endangered predators such as wolves and coyotes reducing their predation by 70% to 80% or more.[9] National park authorities in Italy, the United States and Canada have promoted use of the Maremma Sheepdog, as well as other types of LGDs, to minimize conflict between endangered predator species and ranchers.
[edit] References
- ^ Abruzzese Shepherd Dog - Types and Subtypes by Marco Petrella
- ^ Lorna Coppinger and Raymond Coppinger, Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution (2002), University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0226115631
- ^ Dal Medioevo al 1800
- ^ Livestock guarding dogs: their current use world wide by Robin Rigg 2001
- ^ Flockmaster Maremma Guardian Dog - Bonding
- ^ USDA Livestock Guarding Dogs
- ^ Coppinger, R. and L. Coppinger. 1995. Interaction between livestock guarding dogs and wolves. Pages 523-526 in L.N. Carbyn, S.H. Fritts and D.R. Seip, editors. Wolves in a changing world. Canadian Circumpolar Institute, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
- ^ Warrnambool City Council: "Penguin numbers up after world-first maremma trial"
- ^ USDA Livestock Guarding Dogs
[edit] External links
