Maremma Sheepdog Facts You Should Know (with Pictures).

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Maremma Sheepdog Breed Overview

The Maremma Sheepdog is a large-sized dog.

The adult Maremma Sheepdog stands 23.5 to 28.5 inches.

The Maremma Sheepdog belongs to the Working Dogs group.

Dogs in the Working Dogs group, like the Maremma Sheepdog, were developed to assist humans in some capacity – including pulling sleds and carts, guarding flocks, guarding homes, and protecting their families.

Breeds in the Working Group are known for their imposing stature, strength, intelligence, and fearless.

Because of their size and strength, working dogs require a structured home life and firm, fair, consistent training by someone who can provide leadership without resorting to anger or physical force.

The fact that Maremma Sheepdogs belong to the Working Dogs group is one of the reasons why Maremma Sheepdogs have the personality and temperament that they have.

The temperament of the Maremma Sheepdog is generally described as:

  • Alert
  • Determined
  • Dignified
  • Friendly
  • Intelligent
  • Loyal

History of the Maremma Sheepdog Breed. Where Maremma Sheepdogs came from

The Maremma Sheepdog`s history, like that of many of its relatives, is shrouded in mystery, but the most common belief is that it descended from the ancient Mastiff and evolved through the lines of other native mountain dogs more resembling wolves.

They have been described and depicted throughout history, dating back to Roman times, with the details being quite accurate to the dogs that exist today.

The first Maremma was registered in 1898, but no breed standard existed until 1924.

This breed was once thought to be two separate breeds, the Abruzzese and the Maremmano, each descended from their own region, which was actually two separate countries a few hundred years ago, one from the mountains and one from the plains.

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What the Maremma Sheepdog Looks Like

The Maremma Sheepdog is a large dog, though not as large as some of its relatives.

They have a long, solid white double coat that is extra thick around the neck and slightly coarse to the touch.

Their head is shaped like a bear`s, with a squarish muzzle topped by a black nose, medium-length folded ears, and dark, watchful eyes.

They have deep chest cavities, strong legs, a square stance, a long, bushy tail, and large paws.

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How Much is the Maremma Sheepdog Puppy?

How Much Maremma Sheepdogs Cost

The average price of a Maremma Sheepdog puppy is $1220. The price of a Maremma Sheepdog puppy ranges from $675 to $1500.

A lot of factors determine the price of the Maremma Sheepdog. These factors include what health records the Maremma Sheepdog puppy has, the lineage of the Maremma Sheepdog puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.

To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Maremma Sheepdog based on the many factors that determine the price of the Maremma Sheepdog puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Maremma Sheepdog puppy based on what you want in the puppy.

When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Maremma Sheepdog breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.

You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.

Good Names for Maremma Sheepdogs

Here are some really good names that are typical for the Maremma Sheepdog ranked by popularity:

  • Leo
  • Aias
  • Bear
  • Apollo
  • Alice

Health Problems in Maremma Sheepdogs and How to Prevent Them

Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.

The Maremma Sheepdog is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.

From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.

Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.

If you want a Maremma Sheepdog puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Maremma Sheepdog breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.

The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Maremma Sheepdogs for:

  1. Elbow Dysplasia
  2. Eye Examination
  3. Hip Dysplasia
  4. Patellar Luxation
  5. Shoulders

You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Maremma Sheepdogs here.

Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Maremma Sheepdogs

If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Maremma Sheepdog.

We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Maremma Sheepdog:

Other Things to Know About Maremma Sheepdogs

Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Maremma Sheepdog that you need to know about the Maremma Sheepdog breed:

  • Maremma Sheepdogs do not adapt well to apartment living.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs are not the best dogs for new dog owners.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs are not very friendly towards strangers.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs are not easy to train.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs have a very low prey drive. This means they get along well with other pets.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs do not like to be left alone.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs cannot tolerate hot weather. They are not suited for hot environments.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs require a lot of grooming and are not very easy to groom.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs are not prone to nip and chew at things.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs are not very vocal. They have very low tendency to bark and howl.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs do not have the potential to wander after things that capture their attention. They tend to stay around where you leave them.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs not very playful.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs are easily disturbed by noise in their environments. They are sensitive to human tone. They will understand the tone of your voice when you try to correct their behaviors with a firm tone.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs can tolerate cold weather.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs are great family dogs. They are very affectionate with family.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs get along well with kids. They are kid-friendly.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs get along well with other dogs.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs have very high energy levels. They need a lot of exercise time to release their high energy.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs do things with high intensity. They can be very forceful.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs require a lot of exercise. They are good for owners who like to exercise.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs shed. They are not recommended for people with dog allergies.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs are very healthy. They do not suffer from a lot of health problems compared to other dog breeds
  • Maremma Sheepdogs gain weight easily. You need to pay careful attention to what you feed them.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs are highly intelligent.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs weigh 65 to 100 pounds when fully grown.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs are 23.5 to 28.5 inches when fully grown.
  • Maremma Sheepdogs have a lifespan of 11 to 13 years.