This week’s Maremmas Made Easy call was a cozy one. It was just me and Tom, whose companion Maremma Jimmy (one of my pups!) is about 10 months old now. (Meanwhile my hay guy was loading the barn ahead of the rain, so if my dogs sounded busy in the background, they were just doing their job. 😆)
Jimmy lives in the city with Tom, his wife, Cindy, and Gidget, his Golden Retriever sidekick. Between neighborhood coyotes, a surprised jogger and a 4 a.m. treat conspiracy, we covered a lot. And Tom made me promise this newsletter would go out Thursday morning, so here you go, Tom. 😊
Do You Need a Livestock Guardian Dog If You Don’t Have Livestock?
Tom told me coyotes have been very active in his LA neighborhood lately, and Jimmy has been letting them know about it at night. We also talked about a story out of Los Angeles this week: a 16-month-old child was attacked by a coyote in the Atwater Village neighborhood. Neighbors had been complaining for months that someone was feeding it and creating a dangerous situation.
Feeding wild animals makes them way too comfortable around people. Coyotes are opportunistic, and to them a little toddler running around can look like a meal. It’s like people who feed alligators in southern states like Florida and then wonder why one goes after a person.
From what I read, officials had told residents they couldn’t do anything without proof of the feeding. So a child had to get hurt before anything happened, and then the coyote was put down. Tom pointed out the coyote was just trying to eat, and that bothers both of us. This likely could have been prevented.
And it can’t be just any big dog. People tell me all the time, “I have a Lab (or a German Shepherd, Border Collie, etc) and I thought they’d protect my animals.” That’s not what they were bred to do! A livestock guardian dog bonds with whatever it lives with, whether that’s a goat, a human or a Golden Retriever like Gidget, and it wants to protect it.
Quick takeaway: If you have something you love and want to protect, you need a livestock guardian dog and a Maremma is a great solution for many reasons. Protection comes from breeding and purpose, not size.
Mud started life guarding sheep and geese and now lives as a happy city dog.
Can a Maremma Be Happy as a City Dog?
Jimmy says yes. He knows which cars belong in his alley and ignores them. A car he doesn’t know gets an earful. He’s had only two potty accidents in the house in 10 months (Maremmas are a very clean breed). He loves people, flops over for belly rubs, and in Tom’s words, there’s “nothing but pure, pure happiness in this dog’s heart.”
I’m seeing more companion homes than ever, and some are actually easier than working homes because there’s no livestock element. Imagine Jimmy’s zoomies, but with goats and chickens!
I also shared Angela’s story. Angela owns Big White Dog Photography in Washington, where she puts dogs and beautiful natural settings together, with incredible results. If you’re in the Pacific Northwest and want some truly special photos of your dog check her out.
When I first met Angela years ago, I didn’t believe Maremmas should be pets at all, and we disagreed about it. My opinion eventually changed. I saw some of my own pups transition easily from working life to pet life when their owners sold their farms. Dogs like Mud, a pup from our 2018 litter, who started life guarding sheep and geese and a few years later transitioned easily to guarding guinea pigs and other family pets. There were a lot of reasons that eventually caused me to do a 180 degree turn on the companion Maremma issue and you can read about them here.
When Angela lost her beloved girl, Bella, she came to me for her next puppy, and she cried when she picked up Luna. That touched me in a way I’ve never experienced as a breeder. Angela has had Maremmas for 30 years. That’s longer than I have! Who was I to ever have told her she shouldn’t have a Maremma as a pet? What gives anyone the right to decide that for another person? I used to think this view was “for the good of the breed.” Now I see it for what it really is – gatekeeping.
Luna just went on her first hike in the Idaho backcountry, wearing a bright orange vest so hunters won’t mistake her for a deer, and she’s chapter three of Angela’s Maremma story. (Shep was chapter one.) I’m deeply honored and happy for one of my puppies be a part of Angela’s life and excited to watch all of Luna’s adventures unfold.
Do Working Maremmas Get as Much Attention as Companion LGDs?
Tom asked whether people with working dogs actually spend time with them. Some do, some don’t, and I much prefer the ones who do. There’s an idea that an LGD can’t work effectively if you give it attention and love. That you’ll somehow ruin it. That’s simply not true. They can do both. Like I always say, you can have a loving relationship with your spouse even if they have a job, right? Your Maremma (or other LGD) is no different. My dogs all love attention. They don’t need hours of it, either. They come say hi, get a little petting and maybe a treat, then go back to watching the goats.
Quick takeaway: Working dog or companion, the right home matters most. A little affection never ruined a livestock guardian dog. Just ask my client Dave, and his boys, Bear and Chief, below. Dave’s boys guard 300 chickens and a small herd of cattle on Dave’s Texas ranch. And they love their dad and Dave loves his boys!
Jimmy loves car rides (window to window, the whole way). He’s just recently decided he won’t get in. He stands there and looks at Tom like, “Nope.” Classic passive resistance.
My suggestion: teach him to target your hand, then move your hand a little further into the car each time until he’s loading himself. Make it his idea, one small step at a time.
In the meantime, Tom found a wrap-style harness that goes over Jimmy’s head and around his body. Jimmy chewed through every strap harness he tried, but this one he walks right into, and it gives Tom a handle to help boost him up. I want one for my grooming table. You’d be surprised how hard it is to get a dog up 11 inches when they don’t want to go! I will share the link to the harness once Tom sends it. I’m sure there are people who could use help lifting their heavy Maremmas!
Quick takeaway: Train the behavior you want with small, rewarded steps. Use the harness to help, not to haul.
Why Is My Puppy Waking Me Up at 4 a.m.?
Jimmy and Gidget have a system. Around 4 a.m., Jimmy jumps on the bed while Gidget stares at Tom from the side. They get their treats, go out, look around, come back in and go right back to sleep. Tom is up drinking coffee.
As long as you keep entertaining it, they’ll keep doing it. (My half-joking suggestion: keep a stash of treats by the bed so you can hand them out and go back to sleep. It might work!)
Jimmy also likes to gently clamp onto Tom’s knee on the couch, like it’s a big ham bone. That’s puppy stuff that should fade as he matures. In the meantime, have a bone or chew handy and give him that when he goes for your knee.
Quick takeaway: Redirect what you don’t want, and notice what you might be reinforcing without meaning to.
Do Maremmas Resource Guard?
Tom says he can open Jimmy’s mouth and take something out, and Jimmy just looks at him like, “Okay, no big deal.”
Here’s what I’ve seen: Maremmas do sometimes resource guard, but I’ve only seen it directed at other animals, like another dog or a goat. I have never, ever had one resource guard toward a human. Jimmy and Gidget occasionally have little shouting matches over food, but it never gets physical. Tom feeds them at the same time and in equal amounts, so nobody has something the other one doesn’t.
Quick takeaway: Set up mealtimes so nobody has to compete. Tom’s routine is a great example.
How Can You Tell a Maremma From a Great Pyrenees?
When I go to the vet, everybody assumes my dogs are Pyrenees. Most people have never heard of a Maremma Sheepdog. (I always say they’re like Pyrenees, but better. 😆)
A few differences we talked about:
Drool. For Tom, no drool was the deciding factor. I hadn’t even thought about it until my client, Violet, sent me a photo of her Maremma, CC, who she bought from me in 2022, and her GP, Marshmallow, lying on their backs, and I saw the droopy lips on the Pyr. Maremmas are the drool-free LGD!
Feet. Pyrenees have big, wide feet. A Maremma’s are more refined.
Rear dewclaws. Maremmas usually don’t have them, though every now and then I’ll have a puppy with them.
Staying home. I haven’t owned a Pyrenees, but the biggest problem I hear about is wandering. Violet’s neighbors have a right-of-way through her property so she uses an invisible fence at the open gate. She tells me that Marshmallow often takes off off after coyotes through the gate (despite the shock) while CC always stays with the goats.
Quick takeaway: Both are livestock guardian dog breeds, but if you want less drool and a dog who sticks close to home, a Maremma may be your dog.
Looking for a Smaller Maremma?
Some people tell me they’re nervous about big dogs. I can tell you for a fact that my biggest dogs are absolute teddy bears. Bigger doesn’t mean more aggressive. But I understand wanting a dog that’s easier to handle.
My imported stud dog, Pippin, is probably 85 or 90 pounds, and Nova is about 75-80. If you want a smaller Maremma, a puppy from Nova and Pippin’s June 2026 litter might be just what you’re looking for. I took Pippin to the vet the other day and lifted him into the van by myself. I can’t do that with any of my bigger dogs!
Whether you’re looking for a working livestock guardian dog or a companion, I’d love to help you find the right fit. See our available puppies or hit reply and tell me about your place and your goals.
Where Can You Get Maremma Sheepdog Answers Every Week?
Small call or big call, the stories are always the best part. These calls are free for now. The Maremmas Made Easy membership is coming soon, and the weekly calls will move inside it. Register once and come to any session. The link is in the box below.
Talk to you soon,
Kim
P.S. Tom had me in stitches relating another funny “Jimmy story” on the call. It seems Jimmy recently slipped his leash early one Sunday morning and joined a passing jogger for a few wind sprints, then did zoomies in the middle of an empty intersection. Tom would like the record to show he was not chasing her. He was her jogging coach, making sure she kept her heart rate up. (The jogger was a good sport. Turns out she’s been around big white dogs before.) 🐾
Join Our Maremmas Made Easy Calls!
Every Tuesday at 5pm Pacific, I host a free Maremmas Made Easy Q&A call on Zoom. Whether you’re researching the breed, waiting on a puppy, or already living with a Maremma, you’re welcome. Register once and come any week.
For a limited time, come talk Maremmas with other Maremma owners and me — free. Have a different livestock guardian dog breed? You're welcome here too — most of what we cover applies to all LGDs.
These calls and their recordings will become part of the Maremmas Made Easy membership community soon, so signing up now gets you a free sneak peek at the membership, plus first access to founding-member pricing when it launches.
For a limited time, come talk Maremmas with other Maremma owners and me — free. Have a different livestock guardian dog breed? You're welcome here too — most of what we cover applies to all LGDs.
These calls and their recordings will become part of the Maremmas Made Easy membership community soon, so signing up now gets you a free sneak peek at the membership, plus first access to founding-member pricing when it launches.
