Maremma Sheepdog

Like many of its relatives, the Maremma Sheepdog's history is a bit of a mystery, but the most common belief is that its origins lie somewhere intertwined with the ancient Mastiff and developed through the lines of other native mountain dogs a bit more resemblant to wolves. They have been described and depicted throughout history as early as Roman times, the details of which are still quite accurate to the dogs that exist today. The first Maremma was registered in 1898 but a breed standard was not released until 1924. This breed was once considered two separate breeds, the Abruzzese and the Maremmano, each stemming from their own region, which a few hundred years ago were actually two different countries, one from the mountains and the other from the plains, each with only slightly different characteristics in terms of build. In the late 1950's, due to the transhumance occurring in both regions and inherent crossbreeding, it was decided to consider them one, only a few short years after their numbers had dwindled as a casualty of World War II. Since then, their numbers have slowly increased, even with the decrease in their usage as traditional guarding dogs, thanks to a rise in popularity as companions. They can now be found around Europe and even the US and Canada, but they are still considered somewhat rare outside of their home country of Italy. Over time, they almost lost their hunting drive entirely, making them extremely well-tempered with other non-canine animals and are quite gentle with children. Overall, they make only modestly good family pets unless give a large space to roam, a good amount of exercise, and a steady hand to assume the alpha role. But when those elements combine, they can make excellent companions, as they are loving, affectionate dogs with few needs outside of a place to stay cool and something to do.