MAREMMA SHEEPDOGS
Welcome to Black Alder Ranch Maremma Sheepdogs! The Maremma Sheepdog is an Italian livestock guardian dog which has been used to protect the flocks for over 2000 years, especially from the wolf.
Livestock guardian dogs are unique in the world of dogs. Selected for independent thinking, great courage, devotion to the flock, and low prey drive, they are unlike any of the other canine breeds.
The Maremma Sheepdog is a partner to its owner, able to think and react intelligently on their own - they are not predisposed to pleasing their masters as most other breeds have been bred for. Maremmas are extremely intelligent and look at all requests if they are reasonable for the situation, which the Maremma decides if they are, or not, on their own.
We have had Maremma Sheepdogs since 2012, but I have been involved in the world of purebred dogs for over 30 years. While I was in college, I volunteered at the Idaho Humane Society, something I feel every person who is thinking about breeding dogs should do. My time with the rescue animals at a shelter gave me a deep and unwavering moral compass when it comes to breeding dogs - to know that I am responsible for the lives that I create, and that I will never knowingly let one of those lives suffer without a home - for their lifetime, they will always have a home with me. I started raising, training and showing Dobermans in 1985 and Rottweilers in 1988 for working, herding and conformation.
When we moved back to the farm, I had decided to learn about livestock guardian dogs because of the number of large predators found in our area: coyotes, bears, cougars and wolves, just to name the wild ones.
We selected the Maremma Sheepdog for the exact qualities I was looking for in a livestock guardian dog: not a constant barker (yapping at the breeze), not a roamer (prefers to stay with its flock, considered a close-in guardian versus a perimeter guardian), not too much or too little hair (a nice thick, but manageable coat), more social for small farm life (not aggressive with human visitors when introduced properly), but very dedicated and serious about their duty (innate guarding ability has not been lost in the breed from generations of pet-only use or being used as fighting dogs, like many other livestock guardian breeds today) and of course, amazingly intelligent and beautiful!
Livestock guardian dogs are unique in the world of dogs. Selected for independent thinking, great courage, devotion to the flock, and low prey drive, they are unlike any of the other canine breeds.
The Maremma Sheepdog is a partner to its owner, able to think and react intelligently on their own - they are not predisposed to pleasing their masters as most other breeds have been bred for. Maremmas are extremely intelligent and look at all requests if they are reasonable for the situation, which the Maremma decides if they are, or not, on their own.
We have had Maremma Sheepdogs since 2012, but I have been involved in the world of purebred dogs for over 30 years. While I was in college, I volunteered at the Idaho Humane Society, something I feel every person who is thinking about breeding dogs should do. My time with the rescue animals at a shelter gave me a deep and unwavering moral compass when it comes to breeding dogs - to know that I am responsible for the lives that I create, and that I will never knowingly let one of those lives suffer without a home - for their lifetime, they will always have a home with me. I started raising, training and showing Dobermans in 1985 and Rottweilers in 1988 for working, herding and conformation.
When we moved back to the farm, I had decided to learn about livestock guardian dogs because of the number of large predators found in our area: coyotes, bears, cougars and wolves, just to name the wild ones.
We selected the Maremma Sheepdog for the exact qualities I was looking for in a livestock guardian dog: not a constant barker (yapping at the breeze), not a roamer (prefers to stay with its flock, considered a close-in guardian versus a perimeter guardian), not too much or too little hair (a nice thick, but manageable coat), more social for small farm life (not aggressive with human visitors when introduced properly), but very dedicated and serious about their duty (innate guarding ability has not been lost in the breed from generations of pet-only use or being used as fighting dogs, like many other livestock guardian breeds today) and of course, amazingly intelligent and beautiful!
Proud Code of Ethics Breeder
We feed Purina Pro Plan dog food and Whole Prey Model Raw diet.
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