Maremmo-Abruzzese Shepherd Dog: when white and fluffy are not synonymous with kindness (7 photos)

It just seems that snow-white woolen buns and flies won’t be able to offend you. In fact, maremmas can be very offensive. And then catch up and offend again! Because for centuries this breed of dog has served as protectors of herds and possessions from all sorts of enemies: protecting their own and offending strangers is in their blood.





There is some cloudiness.

In the pictures, Maremmo-Abruzzese Shepherds somewhat resemble either Labradors or Golden Retrievers. However, in life these are completely different dogs: they are larger, heavier and not so soft. In the literal sense: if the coat of the Golden Retriever is silky and delicate, then the fur of Shepherds is coarse and multi-layered - the upper part consists of spinous hair, and the lower part consists of dense undercoat.



Did you want to hug them too?

The differences between Italian Barbos and the same Labradors become even more noticeable once you get to know the White Barbs better. They do not look into their owner’s mouth and do not run headlong to carry out commands. This shepherd was bred for completely different purposes, and she behaves accordingly.





With such a disguise, the wolves definitely won’t smell a trick!

Since Roman times, maremmas have been valued for their courage and devotion to protecting their flocks of sheep. The dogs spent their entire lives following large flocks, helping shepherds protect their livestock from attacks by wild animals and intruders. In gratitude for their difficult work, Maremmo-Abruzzese shepherd dogs were immortalized in bas-reliefs, paintings and engravings - can you imagine how much they were admired then?



How can you not capture such grace?

Today, not everyone can understand the character of this breed. Italians are independent, self-sufficient and smart enough to blindly trust their owner. Like other native dog breeds, they know how to think and act deliberately. And this is very cool, because in a life-threatening situation, the Maremma will not wait for your command, but will immediately begin to solve problems. Shepherd dogs are very suspicious of strangers and anything strangely new, so they make an excellent bodyguard. And not only for people!



We apologize, non-white and non-furry people are not allowed in.

In recent years, biologists have found several new industries where all the abilities of Italian shepherds can be fully utilized. In Patagonia, dogs protect flocks of sheep from pumas. At the same time, the percentage of farmers killing big cats is significantly reduced - isn’t that great?



And the sheep are safe, and the pumas are not killed.

And in Australia, animals guard rare penguins and chickens. Penguin security has not yet come into force, but the Maremma chicks are protected one hundred percent. Advanced “eco-poultry farmers” decided to take their business on a green note and keep chickens not in cages, but on free range and fresh grass. Naturally, with this approach, the birds cannot be left to their fate. And then our shepherd dogs came to the rescue - their balanced, calm and vigilant temperament turned out to be ideal for protecting birds.



When you're in charge of chicks.