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Maremma At Work
Here at Sallson over the past 20 years we have been very lucky to have been able to observe and live with these dogs working with a variety of different
animal species under many different conditions and they have become an indispensible part of our lives.
The year before they came to live with us we lost over 100 lambs and since then we have never ever lost a single animal due to any kind of predator.
We have learned that success with a working Maremma depends on three things:
• The natural instinct born into the dog
• Proper training and bonding.
• Fitness for function
Compromising on any of these is not conducive to having a working dog which is dependable and doing the most effective job for which the breed has
been intended to do.
Natural Instinct.
First and foremost you need to source your dogs from a breeder who is using their dogs for work and is selecting dogs for their working ability as a
priority. You can be assured that a Sallson Maremma has strong working lines and that selecting for this natural instinct is a definite primary goal in our
breeding program.
Sallson only breed MDBA registered pedigreed dogs as this enables us to see not only the story of the dogs we are considering breeding with but also the
work and health of the ancestors. It enables us to share information on our dogs with other breeders so they too can use detailed information when
selecting their breeding dogs. The Master Dog Breeders and Associates breed registry pedigree data base helps us to do this more efficiently than
traditional purebred dog registries.
In this way we can be sure we are using healthy, well temperamented dogs with strong working lines. When we profile our pedigrees we take into account
all qualifications and particulars for the dog and not just how many dog show champions are intheir ancestry as is the case with traditional registered
pedigrees. We do not believe selection for the show ring and breeding dogs which are untested for working ability is in the best interests of the breed
Training
From the outset you have to understand that training a Maremma is much different to methods which are used to train dogs for other common canine
activities such herding,hunting,obedience agility etc.
Training involves raising the dog with the animal you intend it to guard which establishes the bond between them with very little interaction with humans
or any other species of animal. Attempting to short cut this is not advisable.
You need to watch them and be ready to correct unsuitable bad habits developing to ensure the dog fits in with your expectations and how you manage
your property.
The result is a dog which is dependable, trustworthy with their animals, protective and attentive.
Maremma will show behaviours to the animals they are working with which are usually lost in puppyhood in most other non guarding breeds and they
like to follow routines.
They bark when something new approaches, they show no predatory behaviour and will often lick the muzzle of adults, play wrestle with other dogs as
more often seen in puppies.
They have been selected to show submissive and investigating behaviours to the animals they are working with in order to build trust and be non -
threatening. This is much different to other working dogs which are expected to stand their ground, eye ball the animals they are working with etc. Some
new owners who are used to herding breeds are concerned at the submissive behaviour their new pup will show when it first arrives home when in fact
this is normal Maremma behaviour.
Initially the training focuses on building a bond with the species of animals the dog will be working with but it should be remembered with animals which
are not used to the guardian dogs training the animals as well as the dog is part of the process. You don’t need to be concerned about the dog accepting
the animals but depending on the species the animals may take some time to accept the dog.
When a dog is bonded at a young age to a particular species they prefer to be with that species their entire life and young animals which have been raised
with the dog usually demonstrate attachment behaviours to the dog for life. This bonding process requires keeping the dog in a confined area with some of
the species it will be working with.Simply putting it in a paddock with these animals can sometimes see more playing and chasing which needs to be
corrected.
Some Tips
It is really important to place your pup with your animals and don’t allow it access to the house, other types of animals and limit handling by people. If
you are taking more than one or if you have other dogs don’t allow them access to these dogs including their litter mates.
You will need to pen your dog with the animals it will be working with – preferably 4- 6 for 12 to 16 weeks. If the animals it is bonding with will be
staying on the property for a long time you can leave the same animals with the dog for the entire time but many farmers like to rotate the animals to get
them all used to the dog.
Ensure you have food shelter and water in the pen for all of the animals and if possible place food etc around the outside of the pen to encourage other
animals of the same species to come up to the fencing and meet the dog.
Let the pup out of the pen several times a week for short periods for some exercise and to grow accustomed to a wider area.
When the pup has been locked up with the species you are bonding it with for around 12 weeks you can open the gate to the penned area and your pup
should now follow the animals into the wider area and mingle with the other animals.
It’s a good idea to pen it for about another 4 weeks at night with several of the species it is working with. You are watching for the dog to want to stay
with the animals rather than following you.
You want the dog to be human friendly to enable workers and family to interact and work with it without fear of being seen as the enemy but human dog
interaction needs to be limited to feeding times or when you are checking your animals but restrict patting when it’s in the pen or in the middle of the
paddock.
Obedience training is not recommended as this encourages the bond the dog will develop with humans and all training is lost when it is turned onto a
threat etc anyway.
There will be a variety of needs for management of the dog depending on what species it is working with, the size of the property, the numbers the dog is
working with and the type of predators it needs to guard against. Of course on a few acres where the dog is expected to guard several different species
including the humans the entire process will be handled differently. Further informaton on dogs in hobby farm type situations is available on request.
Fit for function.
Your breeder also needs to be taking into account possible genetic and health conditions as well as temperament of the parents and relatives to ensure you
get a great dog which will cope with all conditions, and environments and also be fit for the job for many years with great quality of life.
Taking note of the breed standard which has been intrinsic in selection with roots back over 2000 years and has developed a breed most suitable
physically for the work it needs to do is also an important part of selecting the best stud stock. The physical characteristics are what enable it to have the
gait, stamina and vision and reactions and other breed standard characteristics most effectively. If people breed these dogs without due consideration to
the breed standard then its ability to do what it has been bred to do will erode just as much as it will if the ability for it to work is overlooked for its
sucess in the show ring. Even slight differences in bone length ratios and angulations impact on the dog's ability to move as it is supposed to in order to
work effectively as it changes the gait. Less pigment is a disaster for an Australian working dog where lighter noses and less pigment around the eye create
issues with sunburn and inscet bites when they live in paddocks with the animals they are charged with protecting. We beleive the way the conformation
show ring is taking the breed is not in its best interests and this is why our puppies will recieve MDBA registered pedigrees rather than traditional
registry pedigrees.
Potential problems and how to avoid them
Again I will say you need to source your dogs from a breeder who is using their dogs for work.
The reality is that you get what you select for in any breeding program and if things other than working ability are seen as a priority in selection of
breeding stock over this then over time these natural instincts are diminished. So far in this breed this division hasn’t become too obvious but lessons
should be learned from other breeds where working lines now barely resemble bench lines and bench lines are no longer capable of doing the work as
effectively as they should. There are some breeders who live in suburbia with their Maremma with no idea of whether they have a strong working ability
and these dogs should be overlooked for breeding regardless of whether they are conformation champions or not in our opinion.
Many problems develop because people have attempted to short cut the training and bonding period or they have not followed the basic guidelines.
Play Behaviour.
Young dogs may decide to play with the animals they are guarding the same way they do with litter mates. This behaviour usually passes by 12 to 18
months old but in my opinion it is completely unacceptable and needs to be something to be aware of and take action with immediately in the event you
see it happening.
You will see the dog display typical “come play” behaviour and if the animal runs a play chase occurs. This is never O.K. and needs to be corrected as
part of the training. You will need to throw a stick, clod of dirt or similar in the dog’s direction to distract it or make a loud noise or even smack it with a
firm “ No” .Remember however, that dogs which are within a small area with a few of the species it is bonding with has no room to play chase and this
does impact on what happens when it comes out of that area and into a larger paddock It is less likely to play chase if the initial bonding has been done
effectively.
A dangle stick or yoke is a very useful tool for this behaviour and works quickly to train the dog if you can’t supervise it all the time it is with which ever
animals it is playing with or chasing.
Wandering and Fence jumping
This can be an issue and it is usually caused by seeking human company when the animal has been patted too much etc, seeking sexual partners or not
understanding that they are only supposed to be watching their own animals and where their boundary ends. For example one dog may go over a
neighbour’s fence to guard their sheep as well as yours.
Desexing prevents them from seeking sexual partners and doesn’t affect their working ability though because they are a large breed we at Sallson
recommend that you wait until the dog’s first birthday to have them desexed. there is evidence that early desexing increases the risks associted with joint
problems.
Ensuring that you keep patting and human interaction to a bare minimum during its bonding term prevents them wanting to leave their charges and return
to the house or to seek out human company. Mind you no one wants a large animal which they cant handle or control so some interaction is good. Just
dont feel sorry for it and bring it in to sleep in the houses.
In states where it is legal to have an electric fence this is a good quick solution for a dog which is going over or through fences and quickly teaches the dog
to avoid all fences or a yoke or dangle stick made from poly pipes is also is a good solution as well.
Newborn animals.
It’s a good idea to supervise your dog when it is first exposed to its first breeding season to ensure it doesn’t make mistakes. Eating the placentas is
normal and there is no concern with this causing future harmful behaviours.
Stalking behaviour
A word of warning ; stalking behaviour with body language like a border collie with a crouch and a lowered head is not only unacceptable it is also
uncorrectable.
This is a genetic trait of herding dogs and is very undesirable in any livestock guardian.
This dog should be replaced and certainly never ever used for breeding.
This is a major argument against cross breeding or for breeding with dogs which have not shown they are capable of doing the required job expected of a
guardian.
