mixeduppup

That scared me!

That a good working kelpie should never be exposed to children when it's a puppy as it ruins them....

I thought that! I thought it looked like a weird ferret!

Bahahhahahahaha. I hope they kept the ferrets anyway :laugh: But kinda sucks for the poor ferrets

The sheep are usually brought into small holding yards at night and left to graze during the day (I just read this so hoping I'm correct)

Not saying I agree with farming at all but I've been to a few farms/large scale breeding operations before and one I went to was really really well run. The dogs (at least 100) were all happy and social, the premises were clean and well kept, the kennels were large and well kept. Everyone was vaccinated, flea treated, wormed and exercised daily. This particular farm had employees give stimulation and socialisation to dogs on a daily basis. I was in awe that somewhere with so many dogs could be so clean, happy and well kept. It was amazing that there was hardly any smell and all the dogs were clean. But sadly this is not the norm and the majority are horrible places.

When did the breed standard come in?

I don't believe they've been adapted much really, just left for longer periods and perhaps become slightly more independent than their forebears. They still seem to show the same temp as the breed description.

Ok that's interesting. From what I've gleaned from hearsay and reading I was under the assumption that they were left all day and brought back at night. So we've kind of adapted the maremma to suit larger areas and larger amounts of stock protection on their own. Interesting. Yes, as I mentioned it was a method made popular first in the US and thanks (or no thanks) largely to the work of the Coppingers. The misinformation spread from there and the myth that the dogs 'work on their own' grew when traditionally that is not how they have work at all. Glad I found that video then Zoiboy :). I have watched it a few times before and every time enjoyed in particular the obvious relationship between the shepherd and his dog. Well they seem to have adapted well to living and working on their own. I wonder if the Italian dogs do as well as the US and Aus dogs in that regard, or if we've created a new strain.

That happens with heaps of different breeds if they're not trained and overly exuberant, including staffords. Hardly a thing to hate a breed for. Please be fair on BTs they are a beautiful breed of dog.

I for one love BTs and think they are super sookie love monkeys, but that's just me :)

Radha and Roo for the leg action one lol

How about you just close the bedroom door while he eats?

Ok that's interesting. From what I've gleaned from hearsay and reading I was under the assumption that they were left all day and brought back at night. So we've kind of adapted the maremma to suit larger areas and larger amounts of stock protection on their own. Interesting.

If you trawl back through this thread, I believe Tralee posted somewhere about the Maremma's being with their people during the night (the shepherd maybe, I don't recall, or have the inclination to go through the thread myself :D ) Yes they're with their owners when they're not working but when they are working they work largely alone :)

From my reading and info gathered, maremmas were left on the hillside to protect the flock largely by themselves. I know friends who have a couple of dogs on 1000 acres or so with sheep in the hundreds that are fed with an automatic feed and only ever see people every week or so.

I hope they don't become too popular as household pets as I think it would be the end of the breed as it is.

My pc is playing up. This was meant to go here! I just worry that the temp that makes the maremma will be lost so they can look like the breed but can no longer function, like so many other breeds have done.

Congrats on your win. :) Protecting one lamb is very different than protecting a flock of hundreds or even thousands on a property with no human interaction. Your boy is beautiful but too heavy set and hairy for serious maremma work imho. I don't show but have seen many working maremmas and he doesn't look like them at all. Steve and tralee may be able to correct me if I'm wrong.

Ammo protecting the stick. He's very good at his job.

Yes these things concern me too. Most of them look too fat to work In fact I thought the whole testing process was mad considering what the dog is required to do when its looking after its species. All good if its just a test when its not on its own property on leash but I somehow its a bit of a worry that the working side and temperament is being disregarded. Exactly. I've met pyrs and Anatolians and they seem to have a more courageous temp and will not usually back away when someone greets them, even if they're not really used to socialisation. But the maremmas have a much more cautious nature and a different style of guarding, they use the backing up and barking as a protection technique and unless the individual dog has been socialised to the hilt it will always fall into its basic temperament of standoffish and cautious around strangers. I don't like the idea of the temperament being disregarded so that some stranger can feel its body and then judge it on an idea rather than its true ability.

Hahaha. They're so smart

I think it's law that dogs working in those situations are muzzled .. to decrease bruising/punctures in the meat .... Yeah I'd say so. Never really looked into it. I just know everyone who owns abattoir dogs have muzzled them.

I see kennels as a place to keep dogs when you absolutely need to, not a place to live. I think the law should stipulate that if you are keeping your dogs in kennels as breeding animals they must have at least 3-4 hours a day outside of their kennels and exercise (walking, running etc) at least twice a week, more for breeds that require more. They need to be part of a family and have socialisation outside of their own pack. It's the same with working dogs, they are kenneled a lot of the day if they're not working but every afternoon you let them out hop on your bike and run them 10 or so ks to wear off that built up energy. It should be no different for any other kenneled dogs (taking in breed and energy requirements).

Great pictures, I wonder if Maremmas should be shown though? They are such a rare breed and the show dogs really look nothing like they should look in the paddock and the temperament is so misunderstood it seems. I watched the video and the commentators said they are breeding friendlier dogs. That's not what the maremmas are about.