FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Click on a question or scroll down to read all the questions and answers. The questions were answered by Charlotte Walsh.
What do I feed my Maremma?
Puppies eat quite a lot of food as much as 2-½ lbs. per day. This can be in various forms of the well-known and not so well known types of food, such as Eukanuba, Pedigree Chum, James Wellbeloved etc. Breeders have their own preferences and will advice accordingly. Many people find it convenient to use dry foods supplemented with tinned dog food or family left overs. Adults eat a 1lb to 1 ½ lbs. per day. Kibble (dry dog food) is good for training your dogs. Please remember that chocolate is poisonous for dogs, so are onions in many cases.
How do I socialise a Maremma?
Socialisation is extremely important. Your Maremma as a puppy should not walk in the streets or park until through its injections. However from the time you get your pup which is often at 8 weeks and until 12 weeks you can develop your own muscles by carrying it places. Take it in the car and sit in a car park, people will come to see your pup. Invite as many people as possible to your home and have them handle the pup. Carry it into banks and the Post Office. Have someone sit in the supermarket car park while you shop. Take it to the park and sit on a bench. This way pup gets to know people. The more people it meets the more socialised it becomes. When it's through the inoculations if you live in the country take it to the village/town and vice versa. Allow it to listen to the noises of traffic. Go to the vet also just to sit so that it doesn't think vets surgeries are nasty places. By 18 weeks of age it is also very important that bite inhibition has been learnt. All part of socialisation.
Do Maremmas respond to commands?
Yes they do but they need to be trained early. They will not do undying obedience as Borders and German Shepherds, but they will learn enough commands to help make them sociable. Some people will encourage you to only go to ringcraft if you are going to show. It has to be said though that learning obedience is really just as good as they learn to stand and stay, your Maremma becomes more and more used to people and other dogs. Early obedience training helps to achieve a sound Maremma.
Life expectancy?
This varies depending on life style. Maremmas have been known to live to 17 and there is a Maremma in Italy still alive at 22. The average age seems to be between 10 -12; quite a few do reach 15 and beyond.
Do Maremmas make suitable pets?
Yes they do. Providing they are given exercise AND are socialised.
How to control aggression in Maremmas?
The breed standard states that nervousness and aggression should not be tolerated. How can Maremmas protect any other living animal if they are aggressive? The answer to this comes back to Socialisation, which should enable them to become confident around strangers. Should your Maremma be aggressive consult the breeder. Try to figure out the trigger factor of the aggression/nervousness. The reasons may be any of the following: defending its territory, being dominant, wrong diet (too much protein), fear related predator or in extreme cases damage to the septum part of the limbic system of the brain referred to as "septal rage syndrome". Then you probably will need the help of a qualified behaviourist, an experienced Maremma owner and in the case of S.R.S a veterinary surgeon.
Common illnesses in Maremmas?
Maremmas generally are healthy animals with no breed specific illness recorded. There has been known within the breed, some epilepsy, heart problems in late life, cancer and very few have had true hip dysplasia. One thing that Maremmas are prone to is licking until they have a bare red patch. Some of this can be a hereditary trait or just a bad habit.
Can I leave my Maremma at home while I work all day?
If dog owners not just Maremma owners feel they have to leave their dog at home every day while they re at work, perhaps they should be asking themselves the following
- How in particular is a puppy going to be trained if there is no one home?
- How is a young dog going to become house trained?
- Will you provide a "turf box" for it to do the toilet?
- What is it going to do all day - apart from maybe destroy the house?
- What do you want a canine companion for if you are never there?
Adults by the age of two to three can be left for long spans, but not puppies; it’s unfair to them and you.
What should I expect a Maremma puppy to cost?
This is a very individual breeder specific question. Breeders will have views on the value of their puppies and in many cases this will depend on what prizes the line has won in the show ring. It should be remembered that not all breeders charge the same and price does reflect quality.
Where do Maremmas come from?
White flock guards, which are the ancestors of the Maremmas, originated in Central Asia. These dogs travelled with nomadic tribes to various areas of Europe. The Maremma as we know today developed in the Maremma Plains and the Abruzzo Mountains about 2000 years ago.
How are Maremmas with children?
In general Maremmas are very good with children especially when there are children in the family. Children though should not be left along with large dogs especially when young. Maremmas have long memories so if children or even adults hurt them they will remember and may be wary of children and adults in given circumstances.
How are Maremmas with visitors/strangers?
It is good practice to introduce Maremmas to vistors and strangers in the home sitting. This is best started when they are young and small and they become used to strangers visiting. Even although we do this it does not mean that they will accept everyone as long lost friends, Maremmas are like people, they may not like or accept everyone. Remember too that Maremmas can be suspicious of polythene bags flapping or other objects, which to us seem fairly harmless and trivial. A suspicious streak is part of the Maremma's character.
Do Maremmas bark all of the time or just some of the time?
Maremmas can become barkers if not checked for doing so, or if they are encouraged to bark. Maremmas bark to alert to callers etc, but barking should not be encouraged for any reason. A Maremma alarming you to some perceived danger can easily be stopped from barking by reassuring him that everything is ok. They have excellent hearing so at times they can be barking and we see or hear nothing. During the socialisation program when the dog is taught to sit, stay etc, a command such as 'shush' should be included. Praise your Maremma for being quiet.
Differences in temperament between dogs and bitches?
In general the temperament should be similar. You may find that a Maremma male is not affectionate to male humans and associates more easily with women and vice versa. People who have lived with many Maremmas probably feel that one sex is as affectionate as the other. Differences are seen more when Maremmas are working with livestock, then, the male is certainly more aloof.
How much food do Maremmas eat?
As puppies, Maremmas can eat up to 2 ½ lbs of food a day, split into three meals. Once adult or mature this can drop to about 1-½ lbs. at around the age of two years. This cut off does depend on body growth and development and serves only as a guide.
How often do they moult or need grooming?
All dogs benefit from regular grooming and the Maremma is no exception. The crucial time for grooming is when they are moulting. For males this happens on average once a year. Bitches will moult either two or so months before coming into season or two months thereafter.
When do bitches come into season?
The majority of female Maremmas come into season at 6/7 monthly intervals. The first season can be as early as six month or as late as eighteen months old.
Are they good travellers in the car?
This is also part of the training process. When they are young they become used to the car, going to the vet or out socialising. If your Maremma is prone to carsickness try children’s travel sickness pills. Or seek the help of your vet to overcome this problem.
How much exercise does a Maremma require?
Maremma puppies have to be carefully supervised so that they do not over exercise. Maremmas grow very fast and strenuous exercise is detrimental to the over all development. As an adult, a Maremma will accept as much or as little exercise as you wish to give him.
How do Maremmas get along with other dogs in the house?
In general they accept other household pets including dogs. Care should be taken when having the same sex Maremmas that are unrelated. By nature one or the other will be dominant. The question to ask here is - How will I cope if things go wrong? Do I have the space to keep the dogs separate? Properly introduced, Maremmas get on well with cats or other household pets.
How do I find a suitable Maremma breeder?
You can contact the Secretary of the Maremma Sheepdog Club of Great Britain. If there are puppies available the Secretary usually knows about it. Or you can phone the Kennel Club on 08706 066 750. They will only be able to send you a "Puppy pack" if a litter is registered for sale otherwise they will pass you on to the Maremma Club Secretary.