Photo of Valentino, a Maremma Sheepdog by Brianna Lehman at http://flickr.com/photos/32148693@N04/3672109652
The Maremma Sheepdog is a breed of livestock guardian dogs that originated in Italy. This breed has been used for centuries by Italian shepherds to guard their sheep and goats from wolves.
This is a massive, noble, distinctive looking dog with a bear like head. The Maremma is solid and muscular with a thick white coat and a black nose that often becomes pink-brown with age. Their ears are V-shaped, pointed and rather small. Typically this dog stands 23 to 29 inches tall and weighs 65 to 110 pounds. However, some are more massive
The white coat has tints of yellows, cream or lemon-brown spots and a minimum amount of color is demanded in the breed. While solid white remains the most common, colors are gaining popularity.
This breed has a very thick all weather coat which requires thorough and regular combing and brushing. But the dog should never be shorn. This breed does not do well in hot weather so needs plenty of shade and water on warmer days.
This breed requires space. At the least a good sized yard is needed. If they have enough room, the Maremma can be quite a good companion dog despite their size. But this is not a dog that is suited to urban areas due to their size and need for space.
This dog breed is quite independent and needs calm, firm, confident and consistent leadership on the part of their human to make them listen. Due to their independent nature and the requirements to train them, I would say this is not a good choice of breed for inexperienced dog owners.
The Maremma gets along well with other pets, but they can be reserved around strangers. This is a breed that will defend both their house and master. They are particularly attentive to children.
The Maremma Sheepdog is still a rare breed outside of its native Italy. However, their popularity is growing and I think you can expect to see them beginning to show up more frequently outside of Italy in the future. One reason for this is their great guardian ability with their flocks.
In their native land, these dogs are taken out while still puppies as young as 3 to 4 weeks, but more typically at 7 to 8 weeks, and left with the flock. This way they bond with the sheep or goats. Cattle ranchers have found they bond with cows too and they are increasingly being used to protect range cattle.
To learn more about this noble breed and see a list of international rescues go here. There are also great pictures of the breed at the link.
In closing, if you are considering getting a Maremma Sheepdog, please remember this dog needs ample room and an experienced owner. But, if you have the space and know how to handle and raise dogs, this may be the breed for you.