Clyde Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 (edited) She fluffs herself up and puts on a performance. She's also showed a few lucky blokes her front pearly whites. She's a sound dog and loved men at her foster carers, just here, she's decided to really flex her muscle. If people are nervous her performance is emmy worthy, if they're calm then she picks or chooses. She is fine with people on my side of the fence, but on hers - no way. She belonged to an older rural couple who moved in to town and surrendered her to the pound (10yrs old). She was quite head shy at first. She slinks away if I rouse on the goats. Another DOL'er has seen how receptive and affectionate she is to people if she's off her turf, I then put her back in her paddock and she spun around at the fence immediately forgetting her friendliness from two seconds earlier. My mother walked right in the first time she met Snowy and Snowy accepted her straight away, I think that most people get nervous and then they've lost their chance. I've had Snowy with me elsewhere on the property and people have come and she is fine, she actually really likes people (women) and will get a pat from anybody - she paws at them and nudges against their hand forcing them to pat her. She's just slightly OTT about her paddock. eta: I should add that I'm not complaining, she's perfect for us and I don't know how we will find one who suits us so well. I worry about that already as she is getting on a bit but I feel as though she is irreplaceable in terms of how fab she has been for me being new to LGD's. Initially, I had though I would just leave the chook pen open and the houseminder could throw food over the fence for the stock and dog but Snowy's been asleep on the job a bit lately and I've heard of foxes hunting in pairs - one distracts the dog while the other goes for the chooks. Edited June 1, 2011 by Clyde Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myValkyrie Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Steve, you were saying that the maremma will accept whatever you accept. So if you took someone new down to meet the dog, it would accept them being there, but what if you had to go away and wanted that person to mind the place? Would they extend that acceptance to the person when you're not around? Thinking how you would get someone to feed the dog/stock, or do more if required (eg handle the dog if it needed emergency vet care). I am struggling with this at the moment. Snowy will only let children in her paddock, some select women and no men. I am feeling a bit stuck about going away for a weekend. I have to get a family member to take care of the dogs (& the rest of the horde) if we go away for a weekend showing or whatever. Mine are tolerant of what I accept, up to a point (eg I accept that my neighbour musters with a quad bike, the dogs are convinced it's a goat murdering beast coming to eat their charges) - but if we are not there, they make their own call as to whether something is acceptable or not. I have one girl who is a real social butterfly, adores being a house dog, loves visitors, seeks pats & cuddles, big smiler etc - put her in a paddock with kidding does & nobody but us is getting in that paddock, no matter how many times they've been introduced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 So Here is the question. I have a litter here - beautiful - except one. What do you do with a mini Maremma. This little girl is about a quarter of the size of her litter mates and is an obvious dud.Appears to happy and healthy but looks like a maltese. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopy Lola Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 So Here is the question. I have a litter here - beautiful - except one. What do you do with a mini Maremma. This little girl is about a quarter of the size of her litter mates and is an obvious dud.Appears to happy and healthy but looks like a maltese. Maybe give her to someone on small acreage or can send her over to me :D Can we see a pic of your mini Maremma Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casowner Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Next to my dwarfed mini cow she would look like a normal sized Maremma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrea Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Bruno, I sympathise with your situation and you have been given some great advice in this thread! Im sure that you're aware, that your present course of action is the only possible way forward to deal with your current fox issue. My only other suggestion would be to bring all the lambing ewes as close to you as possible so that you can supervise them while they are at there most vulnerable. Over the last 10 yrs of rescuing maremmas and other LGDs, I have placed quite a few successfully onto large acreage, but these dogs that were suited for those positions most definitely werent dogs that were suitable for the average family to take on and no dog was ever placed until it had spent time with, and proved to be 100% trustworthy with, the stock that I was placing them with, and that included the the new owners ability to work with the dogs to integrate them into their situation. If you asked me what my preferred choice was .. a pup or adult... I would always choose an adult, but it is not just any adult dog that would suit or even adapt to your situation. Also, too many people think that just because it is a Maremma it will be 'good' on acreage because that's where it is supposed to be, but like any other breed, if the dog never been on acreage and has not previously been exposed to stock, it will be a disaster waiting to happen. Dogs can be successfully integrated, however, this cant be rushed, if the dog is introduced the wrong way or given too much freedom too soon, .problems will arise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazzapug Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 (edited) When we were deciding between a MAreema and an Anatolian the difference I came up with is that the Mareema defended the flock, whereas an Anatolian defended its Territory and animals/humans within that territory. Our Gustave, an Anatolian from Lilli, is only 5 mths old but he knows when I bring home a new animal, can pick out of the house pugs which one is the new one, and barks at airplanes lol....but ignores the eagles. We have a Tennis court that doesnt get used for tennis, that is Gustaves place to go when I know the Telstra bloke is coming, or the SEC man to read the metre...and when he barks the whole time they are here he is told what a good boy he is...he knows he gets introduced to people we like that we want him to like too. Since having Gustave we have not had Kangaroos sitting in the top paddock or the bottom paddock, we are on 40 acres...they still go in the front paddocks but these cannot be seen by Gustave. No I dont think I would agree with that Maremmas do defend the flock but they also defend the territory and anything considered normal with in it. The Maremmas take down eagles and crows. Sorry that is a point of misinformation then as I was told that it is best to have 2 mareemas, one to gaurd the flock and one to deal with the intrusion....whereas the Anatolian protects his boundary and all in it. I chose the anatolian as I did not want the intruder namely stray dogs after my sheep getting past the fence. Fox, dog etc would have to go around my property and not given passage thru it simply becasue it stays away from my flock. ETA...about Eagles, I had 4 magnificent specimens flying ove our place yesterday, they were flying so low I could hear their calls to eachother clearly, I raced out and picked up baby puggy and Gustave was lying taking no notice of them...perhaps he will when he is older. Edited June 2, 2011 by Shazzapug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula- Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 If you asked me what my preferred choice was .. a pup or adult... I would always choose an adult, but it is not just any adult dog that would suit or even adapt to your situation. Also, too many people think that just because it is a Maremma it will be 'good' on acreage because that's where it is supposed to be, but like any other breed, if the dog never been on acreage and has not previously been exposed to stock, it will be a disaster waiting to happen. Dogs can be successfully integrated, however, this cant be rushed, if the dog is introduced the wrong way or given too much freedom too soon, .problems will arise.[/font] Andrea, can you explain why you would always choose an adult? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJean Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 (edited) I arrived in Kazakhstan with a lot of speculation and arrogance about how we look after our dogs, and left humbled with a lot of admiration Lilli, could you elaborate on that more? From the outside looking in, it appears we care more for our dogs and as a result our dogs are better off. But our extra care is weakening our dogs over generations. So our dogs do not live as long, their nervous system and immune are not as strong. Even seemingly basic assistance like worming and inoculation has an effect over time. There are lots of things I see done in kazak that I would not do, but there are lots of things I wish we had. Edited June 2, 2011 by lilli Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrea Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Probably because Im biased and they are the majority of what I deal with and the easiest to read. In 2008, we had the most numbers of dogs in care than any other year, all coming from very different situation, with very varied temperaments and needs. Included in this number was 12 pups which I never advertised and only offered to people who I felt had the ability to raise/live with an intelligent quickly growing dog. So even with the pups on the ground, the adults were for me the easiest to place into situations because once I knew what each dog was like and good with, I could match them better to new situations. Like any breed, pups can go either way, some turn out right and some dont! the largest problem with dogs (of any breed) not working out in previous homes is that the dog didnt come up to the owners expectations, ie if you expect 'high obedience' dont get a LGD!, if in suburbia and they bark bring them inside, dont leave them out! dont think it's OK for a dog to learn to jump fences and then wonder why they dont want to stay on your property. I have been asked why we have so many, are they hard to live with? the answer is the dogs are very easy to live with... the hardest part of rescuing these guys is finding the RIGHT homes for the dogs. If you asked me what my preferred choice was .. a pup or adult... I would always choose an adult, but it is not just any adult dog that would suit or even adapt to your situation. Also, too many people think that just because it is a Maremma it will be 'good' on acreage because that's where it is supposed to be, but like any other breed, if the dog never been on acreage and has not previously been exposed to stock, it will be a disaster waiting to happen. Dogs can be successfully integrated, however, this cant be rushed, if the dog is introduced the wrong way or given too much freedom too soon, .problems will arise.[/font] Andrea, can you explain why you would always choose an adult? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula- Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Ah, sorry, I took your earlier comment to relate only to taking on a maremma as a stock guardian, not a general comment re rescue placements Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrea Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Ive told this story here before but will tell it again. We had a young boy out in the paddock and the kids came in to tell me there were several crow bodies lying around the paddock. Its pretty hard to kill a crow so we all went out and watched what was going on. The Maremma had moved out from the flock just a little and was for all the world looking like a sheep .He had his head down as if he were grazing and eating grass.The crows obviously were fooled into thinking he was a sheep out on its own and as they came in he pinged them. Crows do not fly over my paddocks which the Maremmas are in now - they fly around . Steve, the dogs guarding the sheep in this scenario, can I ask what they are like with poultry? or are they specifically sheep only dogs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 If you asked me what my preferred choice was .. a pup or adult... I would always choose an adult, but it is not just any adult dog that would suit or even adapt to your situation. Also, too many people think that just because it is a Maremma it will be 'good' on acreage because that's where it is supposed to be, but like any other breed, if the dog never been on acreage and has not previously been exposed to stock, it will be a disaster waiting to happen. Dogs can be successfully integrated, however, this cant be rushed, if the dog is introduced the wrong way or given too much freedom too soon, .problems will arise.[/font] Andrea, can you explain why you would always choose an adult? Paula, I've read of a lot of casualities with stock and Maremma pups. They apparently need time to learn and bond. Chickens and ducks often accidentally get killed by pups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Ive told this story here before but will tell it again. We had a young boy out in the paddock and the kids came in to tell me there were several crow bodies lying around the paddock. Its pretty hard to kill a crow so we all went out and watched what was going on. The Maremma had moved out from the flock just a little and was for all the world looking like a sheep .He had his head down as if he were grazing and eating grass.The crows obviously were fooled into thinking he was a sheep out on its own and as they came in he pinged them. Crows do not fly over my paddocks which the Maremmas are in now - they fly around . Steve, the dogs guarding the sheep in this scenario, can I ask what they are like with poultry? or are they specifically sheep only dogs? The dogs in this situation have never seen poultry but Ive placed some which go into free range chicken farms and they still sort out the hawks and the eagles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Probably because Im biased and they are the majority of what I deal with and the easiest to read. In 2008, we had the most numbers of dogs in care than any other year, all coming from very different situation, with very varied temperaments and needs. Included in this number was 12 pups which I never advertised and only offered to people who I felt had the ability to raise/live with an intelligent quickly growing dog. So even with the pups on the ground, the adults were for me the easiest to place into situations because once I knew what each dog was like and good with, I could match them better to new situations. Like any breed, pups can go either way, some turn out right and some dont! the largest problem with dogs (of any breed) not working out in previous homes is that the dog didnt come up to the owners expectations, ie if you expect 'high obedience' dont get a LGD!, if in suburbia and they bark bring them inside, dont leave them out! dont think it's OK for a dog to learn to jump fences and then wonder why they dont want to stay on your property. I have been asked why we have so many, are they hard to live with? the answer is the dogs are very easy to live with... the hardest part of rescuing these guys is finding the RIGHT homes for the dogs. If you asked me what my preferred choice was .. a pup or adult... I would always choose an adult, but it is not just any adult dog that would suit or even adapt to your situation. Also, too many people think that just because it is a Maremma it will be 'good' on acreage because that's where it is supposed to be, but like any other breed, if the dog never been on acreage and has not previously been exposed to stock, it will be a disaster waiting to happen. Dogs can be successfully integrated, however, this cant be rushed, if the dog is introduced the wrong way or given too much freedom too soon, .problems will arise.[/font] Andrea, can you explain why you would always choose an adult? Andrea sees dogs which come from all over the place so without knowing the lines and the breeding the best thing for Andrea is to deal with adults because she can test them out before they go where they are going. Its really hard to change over one that's been doing one job to doing another. Its not always possible and a much bigger challenge than starting out with a baby which is optimum age to bond quickly. Easy to bring them in from the paddock to the lounge room but not vice versa. Puppies are better with chooks in my opinion and you dont get the Im loving these things to death as much as you do trying to bond an older one. My preference is for a well bred puppy but if you dont know the breeding better to have the opportunity to do what Andrea does and place them where they are most suited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I arrived in Kazakhstan with a lot of speculation and arrogance about how we look after our dogs, and left humbled with a lot of admiration Lilli, could you elaborate on that more? From the outside looking in, it appears we care more for our dogs and as a result our dogs are better off. But our extra care is weakening our dogs over generations. So our dogs do not live as long, their nervous system and immune are not as strong. Even seemingly basic assistance like worming and inoculation has an effect over time. There are lots of things I see done in kazak that I would not do, but there are lots of things I wish we had. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Ive taken my tiny girl to the vet and she has been given a clean bill of health. The vet tells me she is perfect. Tiny but fit as a fiddle. She weights 1/6 th as much as her biggest brother. She is probably good for nothing - might have to bring her into the fire - she's too little to be out there in the frost Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casowner Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Ooh the very first tea cup maremma perfect for guarding backyard budgie cages, I think we need photographic evidence of this little angel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirty Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Awww I think she wants to come and live with me Steve!! :D She would be a perfect match for my mini white cat! LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Willow Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 So Here is the question. I have a litter here - beautiful - except one. What do you do with a mini Maremma. This little girl is about a quarter of the size of her litter mates and is an obvious dud.Appears to happy and healthy but looks like a maltese. Put "rare" in front of her name and charge twice as much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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