Maremma Sheepdog
- Livestock Guardians

Livestock Guardian Options Our LGD Willow Our LGD Aspen Resources

Livestock Guardian Options

Once we had made the decision to have sheep, the next thing to think about was how to keep them safe. We know that at least one of our neighbours lets their dogs roam as I have seen them in our garden. Another neighbour stopped by to welcome us and said that there are coyotes here and that they have seen a wolf in the woods. We have electric fencing, but felt a guardian was also necessary.

We understood our options to be llamas, donkeys or dogs.

I had read that Llama’s can be aggressive and spit or bite, which was off putting. In other places I had read that they have so little sense of self preservation that they can get themselves hurt. The idea of an animal that was almost a sacrifice to protect my sheep, really didn’t sit right with me.

I found little to argue against having a donkey; I had wanted a donkey anyway when we had been discussing the options for four legged grazers, purely because the are so adorable, but they had lost out in that decision too. They do have the advantage of being grazers so the feed is the same as for the stock they are protecting.

The decision was really made when I was researching Shetland Sheep, and found a number of breeders having much success with Maremma Sheepdogs, in particular Ewenique farm, where there was a litter of the most adorable puppies looking for new pastures to guard. I couldn't resist.

Maremmas as Livestock Guardians

Maremmas really are excellent guardians. They have a calm, intelligent disposition and are courageous without being aggressive. They are a working breed originating in Central Italy that has been bred for some two thousand years with the primary function of guarding their flocks.

My understanding is that a big part of the effectiveness of Maremmas as guardians is because of their natural habit as dogs to mark their territory, thereby warning off predators like coyotes and other dogs. What I do know is that Willow, and when he gets a chance Aspen, are assiduous in marking their territory.

Last year (2008) we heard Coyotes hunting very close to our property, in fact one evening we were out in the bottom field and it sounded like they were in the front yard. But even with this quite alarming proximity and with all our chickens, geese and ducks being free range we have had (touch wood) only one (probable) loss to a predator. And that was a duck that got out at night when the dogs were shut in the barn!

Our Maremmas

We have two Maremmas – Willow and Aspen. You can read more about them under their separate tabs on this page, or through our blog where posts will be tagged as including Willow or including Aspen; or for any mention of Maremma sheepdogs or livestock guardians.