Maremma Pup

[Lisa]

The place I live and work is getting a Maremma pup, a male, this weekend. He will (when he is older of course) be in charge of nine horses, three sheep, one goat, four pigs and a bunch of ducks and chickens. He will be living in a small trailer with me and my cat (if it doesn't work out that he is alright with the cat and vice versa he will be in the house, but there are six dogs already in the house-they breed Border Terriers) until he gets old enough to stay in the barn. I love Maremmas, but this is the first one that I will be caring for. I have several questions, and will welcome any advice. I do have to say though, that he will be cuddled and a "puppy", as well as learning to be a Maremma LGD.

1) We are planning on putting him in the barn during the day while I'm out there, to start with. He will be in the heated tack room so he can get used to the barn. I will start introducing him to the animals. What is the best way for him at this stage to start bonding with the animals he will be guarding? He's only just weaned, so is too young to stay by himself yet.

2) What should be our "training plan" as he gets older, since he will be living in the barn and guarding at night?

3) With Maremmas, I've been told they should not bond too much with their people, otherwise they will not bond with the animals. Is this true? How much is too much bonding for us?

4) Do they get house trained the same as other dogs, or because of their independence is there another way to train them?

That's all the questions I can think of just yet. Also, to put everyones mind at ease: The entire 4.5 acre property is fenced!!! That is the first question I asked when they mentioned they were getting a Maremma (I am the person who suggested this breed when they mentioned they were planning on getting a guard dog). Any other advice, please feel free!!!

 

[Magic]

There is a LOT to training a Livestock Guardian Dog; though they have been bred for many hundreds of years for guarding, they still need plenty of guidance as they mature, and most aren't considered "finished" guardian dogs until they are over two years old, as many go through a "teenager" phase around 1 /2 years of age. Training for guarding poultry without harming them is the most challenging.

The best advice I can give is for you to do a search on training LGD's and do a LOT of reading. That said, I've had my first LGD for two years now, and have added a second, and LOVE them.

 

[Lisa]

Thanks! Really? haha well I hope we are up to the challenge. I assumed it was more of an "introduce and he will guard" idea. I will relay this to his owners and do a lot of reading!

 

[Lisa]

I'm having trouble finding good websites. Can anyone suggest any?

 

[Miniv]

Be sure to connect with Mona. She seems to have found a happy medium between having a loving dog plus a working guard dog with her LGD.

 

[Lisa]

Thanks! I sent her a PM!

 

[capall beag]

When we bought our Maremma/Pyr cross.

We were advised to pat her twice a day, just to acknowledge her but nothing more than that!

Until she turned 9 months. He said we could then treat her like a regular dog.

We quickly realised this was not possible for us to do.

So she is a wonderful dog and barks alot to keep animals at bay but she is a pet not really a LGD.

She also got kicked by our pony when she was young and this made her fearful of them.

She won't go near them.

She is wonderful with the goats and chickens.

BUT the goats are scared of her

I think for the goats to trust her they would need to live together 24/7.

She is very non aggressive and even backs down to a bossy hen.

I think even LGD dogs are naturally drawn to humans as pups so you have to train yourself to distance yourself. Not easy, especially when they are an adorable white fluffy puppy who wants to be your pal

 

[Mona]

Sorry to report, but no, I never found a happy medium. We have tried two different breeds, and never had luck with either. The first was a Great Pyr. He was raised out with the horses(not in the house here at all) right from day one that we brought him home as a young pup. He was wonderful with the horses, but we could not keep him home, and he "patrolled" all night long, off of our property too(we have 40 acres) and he went to the neighbors and barked all night long. We were getting complaints he was keeping them awake all night, so we placed him in a good home with a man that had a few sheep, and a securely fenced in property, and he is doing great there!

The second was an Anatolian. Again, she was a WONDERFUL dog, but again, she did not work out for us either. She was older already shen she came to us...13 weeks, and I believe she had already bonded to people, and we could not get her to stay out with the horses. FINALLY, after blocking every gate opening off so she couldn't get under, she went over, and got hung up in the fence. That scared her into staying with the horses all winter, but the next Spring, we got a Boxer pup and then Amber started coming out of the pasture again, and they would go wandering. I decided that "outside" dogs, no matter how beautiful they are with the horses, are just not going to work for us, as we really need a SECURELY fenced property. Although it is secure for the horses, the digs can get under gates, as well as low spots along the fenceline. She was sold to some cattle people that have 1800 acres of land, so she will be in heaven there!

 

[Magic]

1) We are planning on putting him in the barn during the day while I'm out there, to start with. He will be in the heated tack room so he can get used to the barn. I will start introducing him to the animals. What is the best way for him at this stage to start bonding with the animals he will be guarding? He's only just weaned, so is too young to stay by himself yet.

The best way to get your LGD puppy used to the animals he will be guarding is to set up a pen next to them. This way he can be exposed to the livestock and poultry, without being in danger of being stepped on or bitten, etc. The livestock and poultry will also get accustomed to the puppy's presence.

2) What should be our "training plan" as he gets older, since he will be living in the barn and guarding at night? It is said that leading your LGD among the animals he will be guarding (on a leash for control) several times a day is best, so that you can correct any unacceptable behaviors, such as lunging at the livestock. Also, walk the perimeter of the property with the LGD so that they learn what their "area" is.

3) With Maremmas, I've been told they should not bond too much with their people, otherwise they will not bond with the animals. Is this true? How much is too much bonding for us? I think that sometimes the "not bonding" with people can be taken to extremes. It is important for an LGD to be very socialized to people as well. I got my first LGD as a very tiny puppy, and she lived in the house for the first couple of months, at first 24 hours a day, then later as the weather warmed up, just at night, staying in a pen near the horses during the day. She loves me, comes running when she sees me, but she also loves the horses and happily spends her time out with them, day and night. I think that LGD's can be "pets" and still guard, but if you really want them to guard, then make sure that is what they are doing, not lying on the couch in the house.

4) Do they get house trained the same as other dogs, or because of their independence is there another way to train them? They are trained the same as other dogs. Their independence makes them more difficult to train at times, but I've found them to be highly intelligent.

That's all the questions I can think of just yet. Also, to put everyones mind at ease: The entire 4.5 acre property is fenced!!! That is the first question I asked when they mentioned they were getting a Maremma (I am the person who suggested this breed when they mentioned they were planning on getting a guard dog). Any other advice, please feel free!!! How tall is the fence? LGD's tend to be big, and they are usually quite athletic; a four-foot fence may not pose any difficulty for jumping or climbing over. You can put a hot-wire along the top though and discourage it.

My fences are five feet high and my dogs are luckily not interested in trying to get out (seems to be an unusual trait for LGD's from what I hear). I LOVE my LGD's. One is an Anatolian Shepherd, spayed female, and the other is an Anatolian/Great Pyrenees mix, neutered male. I don't bring them into the house because I want them to know exactly where they should be, which is out with the horses that they are guarding. This way I don't have them trying to slip through the gate as I come and go. My LGD's have access to the inside of the barn whenever they like, and I feed them in there so that the horses can't get to their food. I hope some of this helps!

 

[Lisa]

Thanks! That does help!