Companion Maremmas - Do Livestock Guardian Dogs Make Good Pets? Part One

Mushroom, a Prancing Pony Farm Maremma Sheepdog companion puppy, with her new little girl

Should Maremma Sheepdogs (or other LGD breeds) be kept as pets? This is a hotly debated topic with many strong opinions flying around. The subject is also rife with misinformation on both sides, with many self-appointed "experts" telling others what they should and shouldn't do with their dogs. 

Livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) are a unique working dog group traditionally used to protect livestock from predators. They are known for their loyalty, protective instincts, and gentle demeanor with the animals they guard. But what happens when these dogs are kept as companions? While there's a lot to love about LGDs like the Maremma Sheepdog, there are also challenges to consider. Here's an in-depth look at the pros and cons of keeping a livestock guardian dog as a pet, my experience and opinion on the topic, and what you need to know before making that decision.

Are Livestock Guardian Dogs Really a Special and Separate Class of Dog?

Some of the same people who rally against LGDs as pets promote herding breeds like Border Collies and Cattle Dogs as pets. High drive herding breeds can be some highly challenging companion dogs around because of their active minds and bodies. Livestock Guardian Dogs, with their more laid back natures and low prey drive, can be much easier for some people to keep as companions than many herding breeds. It really depends on the individual situation.

One person who promotes herding breeds and many other "tricky" breeds as pets while claiming no one should keep any Livestock Guardian Dog as a pet even goes so far as to claim that there are only two "types" of dogs worldwide. She places Livestock Guardian Dogs in a group all of their own and all other breeds in another group, which she calls "companion dogs." That idea is not based in fact or history or how dogs are actually categorized by any "official" agency that categorizes dogs. "Companion dog" isn't a type or group of dog. It's a role any dog of any breed can fill—even Livestock Guardian Dogs.

Almost all breeds, except toys, were initially bred as working dogs, not companions. (And most toys are smaller versions of original working breeds, so many of them had beginnings as working dogs.) That's because, until recently, only the wealthy had the luxury of having a dog that was "only" a pet. They still may have been valued and loved, but most other dogs were kept because they performed jobs that provided value to the humans who fed and cared for them. Hunting dogs, herding dogs, property and livestock guardians, police and protection dogs, terriers - all were bred to do a job of some kind.

Later, the services those dogs performed weren't as common or neccesary for human survival and more people could afford to keep dogs as companions. That's when many of these breeds became pets. But they didn't start out that way and pretending they did and that Livestock Guardian Dogs are somehow different is ignorant.

Today there are many breeds that are used as both working dogs and as companions. These include dogs like German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois, who are equally popular as pets and for police work. (The Belgian Malinois is probably a much poorer choice as a companion for most people than a Livestock Guardian Dog, yet they are highly popular and even their breed club promotes them as pets - in the right home.) Labradors are extremely common companion dogs, yet they are also still used as hunting dogs. Many other breeds of dog are still used for the original work they were bred to do and kept as pets.. These aren't "companion" dogs. They are simply breeds of dogs that can fill either role.

Many of these breeds have "working lines" and "companion lines", with the higher drive dogs being considered unsuitable as pets for the average owner. These lines of dogs are developed because breeders focus on the traits they want to see more of, including temperaments. Breeders of hunting and herding breeds know that high drive dogs don't make good pets for most people. Some breeders choose to focus on working lines and sell to working homes. Some focus on dogs with less drive that will be better suited in pet homes. Some breed both or know how to place puppies in the home that will be best suited to their needs. This is what good breeders do. They make the best decisions for their dogs and their ideal clients and adjust their breeding program accordingly.

These are just a few of the many different dog breeds out there. Only the Shih Tzu was originally bred as a pet.

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Like it or Not, Livestock Guardian Dogs Are Being Kept as Pets

​The same thing has been done with Livestock Guardian Dog breeds. Some of the more common breeds have become so popular as pets that they have lost some of the original traits that made them well-suited as Livestock Guardians. They have developed traits (or lost original traits) that have made them excel more as pets and show dogs than as LGDs. The Great Pyrenees is a prime example of this. Many have no working instinct at all but they thrive as pets in the right home. It's easier to find a breeder who sells their puppies to companion homes than one who sells to only working homes, and some refuse to sell to working homes at all. The Great Pyrenees Club of America (the national breed club) promotes the breed equally as working dogs and companions on their website, as well as for therapy work and a large variety of sports, shows and competitions. They even have a special program called the "Versatility Program," wherein dogs earn special titles for accomplishments in multiple areas. Apparently the GPCA didn't get the memo that "Livestock Guardian Dogs don't make good pets." (I encourage anyone who's interested in knowing more about Livestock Guardian Dogs as pets to check out the GPCA website, where you can see all the things LGDs are doing besides guarding livestock.)

I have a friend who was looking for a pair of Anatolian Shepherds a few years ago to guard her dairy goats. She wanted unrelated dogs because she planned to breed them. She had the hardest time finding two different breeders who would agree to sell her dogs to do the job they were bred to do. They only wanted to sell to pet homes! She did eventually find them but I don't know how well they guard her goats because they are always running off to the nearby national park to play with park visitors, especially kids. Someone needs to explain their purpose to those dogs!

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The Great Pyrenees Club of America (the national breed club) promotes the breed as working dogs and pets.

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Maremma Sheepdogs are Different. Or Are They?

Maremma Sheepdog breeders are the most "elitist" group of all Livestock Guardian Dog breeders, with most breeders either refusing to sell to pet homes or refusing to admit that they do it. But yet there are a lot of Maremmas in companion homes, so someone is selling these puppies as pets. Whether that's good or bad it is happening and I believe that in order for these dogs and their families to thrive reputable breeders need to step up and take responsibility for their choices. If a breeder truly believes that Maremmas shouldn't be kept as pets then fine, don't sell your puppies as pets. That's your choice. But if you're going to do it at least be honest about it, and make sure you know how to support your puppy owners, whatever role their dogs fill.

As a Maremma breeder who works hard to ensure my puppies are well-suited to fill roles as Livestock Guardian Dogs (My pups recieve the same livestock socialization, even they end up in pet homes.) I believe there are many Maremma breeders that would better serve the breed and their clients if they felt free to breed for companion homes only. Most of the Maremma breeders in America do a very poor job of socializing their puppies as LGDs and an equally poor job of supporting their puppy owners in the ongoing training of their dogs. In truth a lot of their puppies go to pet homes, but since they don't feel free to admit this publicly, they also sell to working homes. And many of these puppies fail miserably as LGDs, and end up in rescue situations. But yet these breeders don't want to give up the breed they love. And why should they, if they are good at raising high quality, healthy companion Maremmas? If these breeders felt confident enough to admit they are breeding companions and to concentrate on the market they are good at maybe the breed as a whole would be better off. "Farming" is different than it was when Maremmas were first brought to America. Maybe it's time to embrace change. 

Titus and Pixie, two of my family's "pet" dogs.

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Motives for the "LGDs Can't be Pets" Mantra

Some people who believe Maremma Sheepdogs and other Livestock Guardian Dogs should never be kept as pets truly care about the dogs and believe they are doing what's best for them. Those I can sympathize with because they mean well, even if they are wrong. But a lot of the people spouting these opinions are just arrogant, elitist snobs who like having something only certain people can have. They like the power trip of deciding who "qualifies" and who doesn't, often denying even working homes who really do need an LGD for arbitrary reasons. (Their acreage is "too small", they don't have "enough" livestock, they are "treating their dogs like pets", etc.) Only these people know their true motives, but it's my opinion that anyone who makes blanket statements for everyone, without taking individual people, their circumstances and commitment to the dogs into consideration is probably in the latter category. And I have no respect for people like that.

I am NOT saying that keeping a Maremma or other Livestock Guardian Dog as a pet is for everyone. Absolutely not. There are good reasons to own a companion Maremma, and bad reasons. But the same can be said of working Maremmas. Even a working Livestock Guardian Dog can only be a good fit if people have realistic expectations of the breed. So that is the real issue. Ensuring that people understand the breed and accept the dogs as they are, regardless of the role they are to fill.

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Me at 14 at a pet show with my first Cocker Spaniel and my first goat, Squaka.

My History with Dogs (and Goats and Horses)

When I was a child growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, my family owned many different breeds of dogs, most acquired at the local dog pound or picked up as strays by my dad on his route as an Exxon truck driver. I adored dogs from a very early age. My favorite book was the AKC Complete Dog Book, which I poured over constantly, dreaming about all the different breeds of dogs I might own someday.

I began working at a local dog grooming shop when I was 14. There were no grooming schools back then. You learned the old-fashioned way. By getting someone to hire you and teach you. I was a very shy kid but I loved animals so one day I was brave enough to walk into a grooming shop and ask for a job sweeping up dog hair. The owner of the shop, whose name was Laura, said she would hire me to bathe and blow dry dogs instead. I started out working Saturdays, all day long, for $15 a day. I thought I was rich! And I loved it. A real job working with dogs and cats was a step up from babysitting. Eventually Laura taught me to groom dogs and I worked for her until I moved to Florida to get married at 19.

Laura helped me get started breeding Cocker Spaniels. And she introduced me to the Arabian horses she bred and trained. It was my lifelong dream to own my own horse. (A dream my parents always said no to.) My job and association with Laura helped me achieve that dream. My fist horse was an Arabian gelding named Imageatiq, that she had in training, who I bought and paid all expenses for with money from my grooming job. I have owned and loved Arabs ever since. She also helped me find my second horse, an Arabian mare named Opel that I owned from the time she was two until she died at age 31. Then she let me breed Opel (for free) to her amazing Khemosabi son, KNA Khriterion, resulting in my beloved gelding Kharney, whom my family owned until he died tragically at age 20 from pigeon fever.

​I also got my first goat from Laura, a Nubian buckling I named Squaka. And my second goat, a part Nubian doe named Sasha. (Both of them came from a goat dairy.) That started my love of goats and my path to breeding Mini Nubians. I will forever be grateful that Laura took a chance on a shy kid and started me down the path that landed me where I am today as a dog and goat breeder and business owner. And that she connected me with my first three horses, that I loved so much (And two that were also beloved by my family.)

Opel in her late 20's, with Jamie and Noah

Kharney and Michael (AKA Rider), best friends.

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The Way it Was Before the New "Experts" Came on the Scene

Way back in the 80s many breeds came into the shop on a regular basis that you don't often see nowadays: Afghan Hounds, Old English Sheepdogs, Bouvier des Flanders, Keeshonds, Shetland Sheepdogs, etc.  Dog breeds go in and out of fashion just like any other fad. I learned about the differences in dog breeds first hand by grooming so many of them. I learned which ones made "good" pets and which ones could be tricky, if not outright awful pets for most people. I learned which ones were most likely to bite (not the big ones, usually) and what would cause them to bite. (They all bite for different reasons.) I learned which dogs had nervous temperaments and which were what some people call "stubborn". (Funny I don't remember the LGDs being anything but pleasant to work with.) I saw firsthand what bad breeding practices (especially with "popular" breeds) and bad training can do to a dog, especially in regards to behavior and temperaments.

I once watched a West Highland White Terrier kill a kitten right in front of me, before anyone in the shop could stop it. (This horrifying experience resulted in me fainting, which was so embarrassing.) But Westie's are companion dogs, right? Yes and they are also working dogs, bred to kill small, furry creatures. You can make a terrier into a pet but you can't take the working instinct out of them. I know because I owned a Yorkie for 10 years. I loved her to peieces but she was the most challenging dog I ever owned and I would never want another one. I will take a Maremma as a pet over a Yorkie any day!

Livestock Guardian Dogs as Pets in the 80's

We also saw Livestock Guardian breeds in the shop, including Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherds, and Kuvaz. This was my introduction to Livestock Guardian Dogs, long before most of these "LGD Experts" ever met a Maremma Sheepdog or any other LGD Livestock Guardian Dog breed. 

All these dogs were pets; no one ever thought to say they shouldn't be. If I heard the term "Livestock Guardian Dog,"  back then I don't remember it, because though that's the category these dogs belonged to that's not the role they filled. These were all pets. Every single one of them. I don't think many farmers were bringing their LGDs to the groomer back then.

Working Dogs Versus Pet Dogs

​No one gave much thought to the "jobs" dogs were initially bred to do back then, either. They just found a breed they thought was cool, found a breeder (which wasn't considered "taboo" back then), and bought their dream dog. Good or bad, that's how it was back before the "adopt, don't shop" movement began. And before "experts" started telling people what breeds they should and shouldn't own. Experts who only discovered these breeds decades later. 🙄

Now it is very true that some of these dogs weren't well suited to be pets in some families. Dogs like Afghan Hounds and Old English Sheepdogs (which were very popular back then) have grooming requirements that are way beyond the capabilities of most people to keep up with, even if they bring their dogs to a groomer on a regular basis. And dogs often suffer horribly when they aren't groomed regularly enough. Being forced to torture a dog because it's owner wants "fluffy" brushed out but refuses to brush their "dream dog" between groomings will absolutely convince you that there are a lot of dogs that shouldn't be kept as pets besides Livestock Guardian Dogs. (Once I opened my own grooming shop I refused to brush out badly matted dogs. It's cruel to make a dog pay for the owner's choices.)

Many of the dogs I groomed had temperaments that were just not suited to be kept as pets in many of the homes they ended up in. This often resulted in aggression, nervousness, separation anxiety and all kinds of behavior problems. Many dogs ended up in shelters and put to sleep simply because someone chose a breed they didn't fully understand and weren't prepared for.

The same thing happens today with many types of dogs. That's my point with these "experts" who claim that Livestock Guardian Dogs are a separate class of dog that should never be kept as pets and that all other breeds are "companion dogs" and suitable as pets. If that were true then shelters would only contain Livestock Guardian Dogs that had failed as pets. But of course shelters are full of all kinds of "companion" dogs that failed at being pets. There are also plenty of Livestock Guardian Dogs that "failed" at the job they were bred to do, and the only role some people believe they should do. 

Consider the Source

If some "experts" want to make blanket statements and "rules" about entire groups of dogs and categorize them into "pet" and "companion" that's their choice. But it's entirely possible that this belief of theirs is based in ignorance. How many other breeds of dogs, besides Livestock Guardian Dogs, have they personally owned or worked with in a professional capacity. One? two? Five? If all you've ever really known and worked with is a few breeds then how do you know that "all dogs besides LGDs make good pets and LGDs don't?" Maybe a herding dog is the ideal pet for you, but that doesn't mean it's a better pet than an LGD for someone else.

One thing I learned through my years of grooming is all the breeds I think are cool but would never want as a pet of my own, because they aren't suited to my lifestyle. (I also learned which breeds I really don't care for at all.) That's why it took me so long to find another breed besides Cocker Spaniels that I loved well enough to breed. I owned other breeds, but there are many breeds I chose to just admire but not own, because I knew they would not be good pets for me. 

Teach Don't Preach

That's what it should be like for everyone. People should be able to do their research and decide what dog breed is right for them, based on that research. And dog professionals like breeders and trainers should be willing and able to educate people and help guide them to make the right decision. But deciding for them what dog they can and can't have is arrogant and insulting. 

As a breeder and trainer, I prefer to see every dog and every human as an individual. I strive to make wise decisions about what kind of homes I place my puppies in based on the evidence I see before me and the conversations I have with people who come to me with questions about Maremmas. I perfer to educate people who are interested in keeping a Maremma as a companion and help them decide if that's the right choice for them and for one of my pups. Sometimes it is the right choice and sometimes it isn't. My answer is always "maybe" before it's "yes" or "no" But there was a time when my automatic answer and only answer was "no." I had to go through that time to get where I am today, but I do regret it.

Afghan Hound

Old English Sheepdog

Bouvier des Flandres

Shetland Sheepdog

Great Pyrenees

Kuvaz

Anatolian Shepherd

Keeshond

Some of the common popular companion dogs I groomed in the 80's.

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My Roots as a Dog Breeder
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As mentioned, I began breeding American Cocker Spaniels during my teen years and continued doing so for a couple of decades after. That's where I got my in-the-trenches experience raising puppies and placing them in loving homes. Matching my puppies with excited new owners was always one of the best parts of my job. Raising all those adorable puppies was another part I loved. I'm one of those people that loves puppy breath!

Even when I stopped breeding, our family still owned Cockers for most of my adult life, and they were always my heart dogs. We owned other breeds, but none came close to replacing Cockers as my favorite breed. I never found another breed I liked well enough to breed them, until I discovered Maremma Sheepdogs.

Me at 19, with Midnight, one of my Cocker Spaniel breeding dogs.

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My Experience with Maremma Sheepdogs

Fast forward to 2015, when my family and I bought our farm in Lemoore, California. I knew there were a lot of coyotes in the area and that they would pose a danger to the goats and chickens I planned to add to my farm. (Along with the horses I had boarded for over 30 years.) So long before we closed on our house, I began looking into Livestock Guardian Dogs and settled on Maremma Sheepdogs as the perfect breed for us. We brought home Olaf, an unregistered 5-month-old male Maremma puppy, in early 2016. (Olaf's parents were registered but the breeder chose not to register the litter. Later, we added Genevieve, an unregistered female Maremma and her younger sister, Carina. We also kept a puppy named Polar, from Genny and Olaf's 2018 litter.

I was soon head over heels in love with the breed. For the first time, I found a breed I loved as much as Cocker spaniels. There's something awe-inspiring about a dog that would lay down its life to protect another species. I decided to breed them for our farm and others who needed Livestock Guard Dogs. Our first Maremma litter was born in our goat barn in 2017. ​

Olaf, the Dog Who Started it All

Proud mom, Genevieve, with her first litter in 2017.

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Maremmas Don't Make Good Pets?

I was told from the time I discovered the breed that "Maremmas don't make good pets," and I bought into this idea hook, line, and sinker. At this time, I only owned unregistered Maremmas and didn't even know that the Maremma Sheepdog Club of America existed. Besides a chapter in a couple of books on LGDs and a few websites, there was only one place to turn for information about Maremmas - Facebook. All the "experts" on Facebook said, "Maremmas shouldn't be kept as pets," so I believed them. 

During this time, I knew of no one saying that all Livestock Guardian Dogs shouldn't be kept as pets (though I know of at least one person who says that now) - only that Maremmas are a "special" class of dogs and the only breed of LGD in the entire world that can't be pets. That sounds ridiculous to say now, but it made sense to me at the time. The logic was that since Maremmas weren't an AKC breed, they hadn't yet been "ruined" like all the other AKC breeds (Like Great Pyrenese and Anatolians.) by turning them into pets and show dogs. (It was also preached that Maremmas aren't kept as pets in their home country of Italy, which I later discovered was not true at all.)

This line of thinking meant two things: Maremmas were a bit "wilder" and "pure to their roots" as LGDs and thus not suitable as pets. And that it was our responsibility as breeders to "protect" the breed and keep it "pure" by not selling our puppies to pet homes. No ethical breeder would ever sell a Maremma to a pet home!

Because I genuinely wanted to do right by the breed, I dutifully but gently turned down anyone who inquired about buying one of my puppies as a companion dog. I remember people who probably would have given my pups great homes that I turned down for no reason other than the fact that they didn't have livestock. Whether they lived in the suburbs or the country on acres of land didn't matter. All that mattered was that they had livestock of some kind. No chickens or goats? No Maremma for you! (What a fool I was.)

A Seed is Planted

Over time, I became passionate about this idea, getting into heated debates on Facebook. Eventually, I came across groups where some people kept Maremmas as pets. In some groups, there were more members with companion Maremmas than working LGDs. Or, at the very least, there were people in those groups who hotly debated the "Maremmas don't make good pets" idea. I even discovered "companion-only" Maremma groups with thousands of members. That blew my mind. "Maremmas don't make good pets," yet thousands of people keep them as pets. 🤔

Some people in those groups pointed out that in every other country where Maremmas exist, including their native country of Italy, they are commonly and successfully kept as pets and show dogs, as well as LGDs. Only in America is that considered controversial. Apparently many Americans believe they know what's better for Maremmas than Italians do. 

One person on Facebook boldly stated that the breed in America was doomed if ethical breeders weren't willing to sell to pet homes. His theory was that there aren't enough working homes for these dogs. (I don't think that's true, but maybe it depends on how you define "working homes." I don't define it only as large ranches with hundreds of acres.) He also said that if ethical breeders refuse to sell to pet homes, people will buy poorly bred dogs from backyard breeders. (That part did make a lot of sense.) I wasn't ready to accept those ideas back then, but a seed was planted.

Gianna, my first registered Maremma

The MSCA Comes into My Maremma Journey

Around the same time I found these "pet-friendly" Maremma groups, I also discovered the Maremma Sheepdog Club of America and began transitioning into breeding registered Maremmas, buying my first registered Maremma in 2019. Becoming a part of that world only solidified my resolve not to sell my puppies to pet homes and to champion "working only" Maremmas. I don't know if things have changed (because I care more now about my own opinion than the opinions of others), but back then, the MSCA's "official" position was that Maremmas "weren't recommended for pet homes." 

The MSCA is probably the only breed club in the world to make such a blanket statement. Most breed clubs proudly promote their breeds as working dogs and show dogs and pets equally. Maybe that's because they know that not all puppies in a litter have the conformation to win in the show ring or the drive, temperament, and other traits to be working dogs. What happens to these pups? They go to loving pet homes, of course. But not Maremmas, apparently.

I wanted to fit in with my new social group and didn't want to be seen as a rebel or "backyard breeder" (the ultimate slur in the dog breeding world), so I followed the MSCA's recommendation. A part of me was afraid I might "get into trouble" if I sold puppies to pet homes, but if I'm being honest, it was also very much a clique thing for me. I liked the exclusivity.

The truth is, I was at war with myself. On one side, I had people swearing that this blanket statement that "Maremmas don't make good pets" was garbage, and on the other side, I had others predicting doom and gloom if people did attempt to keep them as pets. And as time went on I didn't know what to believe.

Doom and Gloom, but is it True?

Some people claim that any Maremma sold as a pet is destined to fail, as if breeders who sell puppies to pet homes are solely responsible for all the Maremmas in rescue situations. But that's simply not true. Poor breeding practices and irresponsible ownership lead to "failed" LGDs, and plenty of working Maremmas end up in shelters and rescues.

The real problems that lead to failed dogs (working LGDs or companions) are:

• Breeders who don't choose health-tested, proven breeding stock with the proper temperament and genetics.
• Breeders who don't properly socialize their puppies with livestock.
•  Breeders who don't properly socialize their puppies with humans and expose them to various experiences.
• Breeders who don't properly vet buyers and set them up for success before the sale, including turning down potential buyers who aren't a good match for the breed, regardless of it its a pet or working home.
• Breeders who cut corners to sell "affordable" puppies for quick and easy sales with a low overhead and high profit.
• Breeders who don't offer ongoing training support and advice to their buyers for the life of the dog.
• Buyers who focus on low prices instead of the quality of the dogs and breeder support as their main criteria when choosing a puppy. (Most often this is because they don't understand that these things matter.)
• Buyers who have no qualified resources to turn to for training advice and support or choose not to seek help from their breeder (if the breeder is willing and able to help) or a qualified trainer when problems do arise. (Facebook groups are unreliable, and depending on free advice from these self-appointed "experts" on most of these groups will only cause more problems.)

Confession Time

I'll admit that part of me liked the "exclusivity factor" of selling my puppies only to working homes. It was so cool to breed the "only breed in the world" that was exclusively for work and not pets. Another part of me knew that idea was incredibly ignorant, elitist, and just plain stupid. 

I might never have questioned this idea if I hadn't been grooming dogs since I was 14 and studying hundreds of breeds through reading countless dog books. I have seen so many breeds of dogs people have owned over the last few decades. I knew for a fact that there are a lot of breeds that can be a disaster in the wrong home. Maremmas aren't some unique class of dog. Even Livestock Guard Dogs aren't. There are many common and uncommon breeds that the average person probably shouldn't own. Rescues are full of them. And some breeds thrive as pets despite the challenges of the breed. But I cared more about my peers' opinions than common sense and the nagging thoughts running through my head, so I tuned myself out.

New Friends and Influences

Back then, one of my "new friends" was one of the first breeders of registered Maremmas I met. I remember the very first time my husband and I met her. She told us that she sells most of her puppies to rich people who have big estates but no livestock and want to keep coyotes from pooping on their lawns. (her words) She also said she sells her dogs to "guard orchards" because apparently trees need protection, too. 🤦🏻‍♀️ This breeder owns a beautiful McMansion on several acres in one of the wealthiest parts of the country. She has a few "token" sheep and other livestock, but most of her Maremmas don't live with them, and her puppies do not live anywhere near livestock during their critical socialization period.

She is effectively breeding companions while spouting the "Maremmas shouldn't be kept as pets" garbage. Not only is she socializing her puppies as companion dogs and selling them to pet homes, but her breeding dogs are living as pets, not Livestock Guardian Dogs. But she will tell anyone with small acreage that they don't need an LGD, even if predators are actively stalking their livestock. She calls that a "pet home" simply because the acreage is small, while someone with a big, fancy estate and no livestock needs an "LGD." 🤔

This kind of hypocrisy made me question all my ideas about the roles LGDs should or shouldn't play. The ideas people had weren't logical or based on experience and reason. People just made up the "rules" as they went along and broke their own rules when it suited them. So, if rules are so arbitrary, why follow them at all?

The Maremma Guru

There is another "Maremma expert" that I was close to for a long time. This person has an even stronger opinion about the "unsuitability of Maremmas as pets," and she extends that idea to all LGDs. I admired and respected this person for a long time, so I took her idea as the gospel truth. And I was even more worried about her thinking badly of me for daring to sell a puppy to a pet home than anyone else. I cared too much about what this person thought of me in many areas until I later realized that though we had some common values we had a lot of very different beliefs and values that mattered more than what we had in common. That's when our friendship ended, but when I worshipped her as the Maremma guru, I worked hard to gain her approval. And part of that approval meant spreading the anti-companion Maremma gospel. I sided with her in many heated debates on Facebook when we were friends and "business associates."  It's no coincidence that I publicly began stating my support of Maremmas and other LGDs as companions within days of our friendship ending.

But is it True?

But before I made my 180 there was just that nagging voice in my head that wouldn't go away—the one that kept saying, "But is that true?" I started reading stories of people who kept Maremmas and other LGD breeds as pets. I started asking questions whenever I came across these people. I also asked questions of breeders who sold other breeds of LGDs to pet homes. (Because no Maremma breeders would admit to doing so.) Some pet LGD owners struggled, that's true, but no more than many people struggle with working LGDs. And many of these dogs thrived as pets, living happy, fulfilling lives with the humans who loved them. And isn't that what all breeders want for their puppies?
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The dogs I bred convinced me that the idea that "Maremmas don't make good pets" is silly. I had a few puppies sold as LGDs that later became companion dogs when their owners sold their farms. I always keep in contact with our puppy families, so I asked these owners how their dogs adjusted to pet life. Not one single person reported problems. The dogs were with their human family, so they didn't miss the livestock much, if at all.

I began to realize that many of my puppies were in homes where they were a combination of LGD and pet. Small family farms and suburban homesteads are the most common types of homes I place our puppies in. While they guard livestock, they spend as much time interacting with their human family members as any dog. Some went on vacations and camping with their families. All were very beloved by their families. What I discovered was that I was breeding companion Maremmas all along. I just didn't think of my dogs that way.

Mud, a puppy from our 2018 litter started as a goose and sheep guardian and later became a pet.

Our Family's Experience as Companion Maremma Owners

In 2020, I took a big step to see if this companion Maremma thing could work when our youngest daughter married. I gave her and her new husband, Joshua, one of our puppies as a wedding gift. The puppy, whom they named Titus, was raised as an LGD with our goats and other animals until he was five months old, and then he went to live with Jamie and Joshua at Camp Pendleton Marine base housing in Southern California. I knew he could return to us if the companion dog life didn't work out for Titus. 

Again, we kept waiting for problems that never materialized. Titus lived at Camp Pendleton Marine housing with Jamie and Joshua, our granddaughter Everleigh, and their Boxer, Emmett, for nearly two years. He went on walks on the base, to the dog park, on doggy playdates with other dogs, and to Starbucks for pup-cups. He did what any average companion dog does and had a wonderful life. 

Titus and Emmett had two happy years together as "brothers" at Camp Pendleton

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Titus not only proved the "Maremmas don't make good pets" mantra wrong, but he also proved the idea that "Maremmas shouldn't live in the suburbs" wrong. You don't get much more suburban than military base housing with townhouses close together and tiny backyards. Titus not only thrived in this setting, he rarely even barked. Emmett barked way more than Titus did.

Titus playing at the dog park.

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Titus Comes Home

Late in 2022, our daughter and her family learned the Marines would soon transfer them to North Carolina. Jamie felt overwhelmed with a new baby and two dogs and asked if Titus could return to live with us. Of course I said yes. We decided he would live in the house with our three small companion dogs. (A Boxer, a Cocker Spaniel and a Shih Tzu.) Titus could easily have been integrated into LGD life, but I had enough outside Maremmas anwanted to try having one in the house. Part of me had always wanted a companion Maremma of my own. I knew I could better support companion Maremma clients if I had experienced firsthand having one living in my own house. And besides, it would be cool having one in the house.

So we found ourselves the proud owners of a companion Maremma, which was pretty ironic, considering how adamantly opposed I was to them for so long. But Titus has been living in our home since November 2022 and I absolutely love it. He is a wonderful companion dog, and I couldn't imagine life without him. Having him here also gives me a lot of peace of mind. He guards the house, our family, and my other three companion dogs; I call him their personal guardian dog. He sleeps just inside the backdoor most of the time so he can guard the house and the yard. We have a dog door and a small fenced backyard, so he can come and go at will. His presence also extends the boundary of the LGD "ring of protection" by several hundred feet across our property, thus deterring predators even more. (No predator has stepped foot onto our property since Titus moved in. Before they occasionally came onto the house side of the property, which is far away from the pastures and the other Maremmas' territory. Titus keeps our barn cats and free-ranging poultry safe, just by being in the backyard.)

Other than the constant shedding (thank goodness for the Roomba!), there really is no downside to having a Maremma in the house. Titus does bark more here at our house than he did when he lived at Camp Pendleton. I think maybe he barks more here because there is more to see and because he can hear the coyotes in the orchard nearby. But we are used to barking from our other Maremmas, so it's not a problem. 

The "Expert" Weighed in, but Only in Private

Remember that "LGD expert" I mentioned that I used to be close friends and business associates with? Well, in 2023, before our friendship ended, she came to my house for an overnight visit. She met Titus and spent a lot of time with him. She told me, "He has everything he needs right here," and "I can see why people want to keep them as pets." But publicly, she is still adamantly opposed to LGDs as pets. Whenever a person refuses to acknowledge the evidence they see right in front of them or even their own words and thoughts, that makes me question everything else they say. But she was right. Titus does have everything he needs as a companion Maremma.

Titus, Cinder and Genevieve

Luna and Titus

My First Companion Maremma Placement

The first dog I sold strictly as a pet was a puppy born in 2021, named Mushroom. Technically, the family had acreage and chickens, but they were buying Mushroom as a companion for their young daughter. The family had never owned a Maremma or any other LGD before. In fact, they had never owned ANY dog in their lives. I broke another cardinal rule for Maremma breeders - only sell a puppy to people with dog experience, preferably experience with LGDs. I almost said no, but the client had done so much research and had such a detailed plan of how she would socialize the puppy that I finally said yes. I could always use the chickens as my "excuse" for selling them the dog, even though Mushroom isn't a chicken guardian. 

Well, Mushroom thrived in her "pet" home. Her owner probably asked me more about training, grooming, and caring for Mushroom than any owner of a working Maremma I've ever bred. She was very determined to do things right with her pup. Mushroom was crate trained, trained to go in the car, attended weekly puppy classes, and earned her AKC Canine Good Citizenship at 13 months old. She became a certified therapy dog at 15 months. She has gone camping, to fancy hotels, and to all kinds of places with her family. So much for the idea that Maremmas aren't for beginners. I could not be more proud of any of my working Maremma owners than I am of Mushroom's family. And Mushroom is every bit as happy, fulfilled, and loved as the working LGD pups are.

More Prancing Pony Farm Companion Dogs

There were other companion placements after Mushroom. I kept waiting for problems to arise, but they never did. All of these dogs and their owners made me very proud. And I finally began to realize that knowing that my pups are in loving homes is more important than whether they are guarding livestock or humans. ​

Charlie and Rosie

Charlie and Rosie

Sarge at the beach

Skye

The Proof is in the Dogs

Now that we have had Titus living in our daughter's home and ours and have learned from the experiences of my clients and other companion Maremma owners I've talked to, I've realized how ridiculous this "hot topic" of companion Maremmas is. Maremmas are actually kept successfully as pets in America and other countries, the same as many other working breeds, including all other LGD breeds. There's nothing magical and exotic about them. At the end of the day they are still dogs. 

Sure, there are differences between a Maremma and a lot of other breeds, but many dogs end up in rescue situations because the breed was not well suited to the family. What matters more when choosing a breed is that the potential owner does a thorough job of researching the breed, has a great understanding of the dogs and how they are wired, is committed to working with the dog's innate temperament instead of against it, and that they have outstanding breeder support, just like working LGD owners need. ​

All dogs struggle to some degree in the human world, which is why understanding the origins and traits of all breeds is important. In order to do that you need a Family Dog Mediator, not just a trainer. Luckily for you you've found one - me!

Family Dog Mediation

Maremmas like Charlie and Mushroom thrive as companions due to education and research and a partnership between breeder and owner to ensure that the dogs' innate traits are honored and their needs are met.

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A Pivotal Moment

What finally changed my mind about companion Maremmas was my experiences with five working Maremmas I had placed, who lost their homes in a short time. First was a puppy from named Juno, who was born in 2020 and was a goat and chicken guardian. She lost her working home when her owners got divorced. Juno was less than two years old when that happened. Luckily the owner was able to place her in a great home with a friend, and she put me in touch with them so I would know where Juno was and how she was doing.

Another client had bought two pups from me for their sheep farm: Pasta (Juno's littermate) in 2020 and Parma in 2021. In 2023, they decided to sell the farm and chose to rehome 3-year-old Pasta and 2-year-old Parma. They sold both dogs to a new home. Pasta was a good fit for her new home but Parma was not so she returned to me. When I sold those dogs I never expected them to lose their home in such a short time.

Around the same time, I had two other working placement pups, Cedar and Buckeye (Parma's littermate), returned to me nearly two years after I sold them. This time, it was due to "too much barking." Even though they were working LGDs guarding goats and chickens in the country, that couldn't ensure they remained in their home, living happily ever after. Barking can be a problem, even in the country. 

Five of my working pups lost their homes in a very short time. (Until then, I had only ever had one puppy returned for rehoming due to barking complaints from neighbors.) None of their owners even considered keeping them, even the ones who had other "companion" dogs that they did keep. That shook my world. If selling puppies only to working homes is the answer to LGDs succeeding and living long, happy lives with families who love them, then why did these dogs lose their homes? Why did no one love them enough to make it work?

It was all a lie and an all-too-common outcome for working LGDs. Livestock Guardian Dogs lose their homes regularly for various reasons: barking complaints, training mistakes, divorce, death and illness in the family. Sometimes, they are rehomed after years of living on the same farm with the same owners simply because the farm was sold. Sometimes, their owners quit farming and sell the livestock but stay on the property. But because there is this deeply rooted idea that "LGDs must have livestock to guard," people are getting rid of dogs they've owned for years. Maybe they think they are doing the right thing for the dogs or maybe it's just easier for the owners. Either way, this experience is traumatic for many dogs, who often bond as profoundly with their owners as they do with the livestock they guard. 

Working LGDs lose their homes for many reasons and often bounce from one home to another. Selling these dogs only to working homes doesn't solve all the problems or ensure 100% success any more than selling to companion homes automatically predicts failure.

People do indeed rehome companion dogs, but with working LGDs, it's often seen as "in the best interests" of the dogs to rehome them. Or they are rehomed for reasons that may not have been an issue for companion dogs. A companion puppy will never get into trouble for chasing livestock, though, of course, there can be other issues.

After my experiences with both successful companion placements and "failed" working placements, I finally decided that I didn't care what anyone else - other breeders, trainers, or LGD "experts" thought of the homes I chose for my puppies. As a breeder, it's in the best interests of my puppies to place them in loving homes where they have the most chance of staying and living long, happy lives with their humans. I no longer arbitrarily choose working homes over companion homes for my puppies. I select the best home for each puppy, period. I have also updated my breeding and puppy socialization program to help maximize my puppies' chances of succeeding in any home or setting.

Juno

Pasta

Parma

Buckeye

Cedar

Five sweet puppies, who went to working homes, only to later lose those homes due to life circumstances.

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So Should Maremma Sheepdogs be Kept as Pets? My Answer

So, after all my years of research and experience working with many breeds of dogs and as a breeder who has placed my Maremma puppies in both working and companion homes and who owns a full-time companion Maremma of my own, what is my answer to this question? "It depends."

I know without a shadow of a doubt that Maremmas can thrive in companion homes. I also know that they can fail miserably. But this is true of working homes, as well. It's more complex than working home = success and pet home = failure. The success or failure of companion Maremmas comes down to the same things that ensure the success or failure of working Maremmas:

• A breeder with an outstanding breeding program that produces healthy, well-socialized, resilient puppies, maximizing the chances that they will thrive in a variety of homes and settings.
• A breeder with both the expertise and willingness to support their puppy owners with training, behavior questions, and all other aspects of ownership after the puppy goes home. This breeder support can make or break the dog's success in whatever role it fills. If a breeder doesn't believe their puppies will succeed as pets then chances are they won't.
• An owner who has a thorough understanding of the breed and of their innate temperament and traits, and knows how to work with instead of against these traits to bring out the best in their dog. This part should be explored thoroughly before bringing home a Maremma puppy, regardless of whether is will be a working dog or a pet. Anyone who wants to "train" the natural traits out of any breed should not own that breed, for any purpose.

Conclusion

If you have those three things going for you, chances are you can successfully keep a Maremma Sheepdog as a companion. Here at Prancing Pony Farm, we have the first two covered for you. We breed and train Maremmas that excel as both working dogs and pets. And we are able, willing and deeply honored as breeders and trainers to support our clients and their dogs for life. You won't be left to figure things out on your own, no matter what role your dog fills.

As for number three, that's up to you. Given your family's unique situation, you need to research the breeds carefully and then ask yourself if owning a Maremma as a pet is realistic. Every family or person is different, and each situation is unique. The answer will be no for some, and for some, it will be a resounding yes. Either way, you'll be making an informed and well-thought-out choice for yourself and your family, instead of taking the word of "experts" who don't know anything about what is best for you, or what you are capable of.

However, due to my own experience in this area, I can help you with number three by answering all the questions you have (and probably some you had yet to think of) about keeping a Maremma as a pet. Stay tuned for part 2 of this series, where we will explore the joys and challenges of keeping Maremmas as pets. But in the meantime feel free to reach out for more info about these amazing dogs. 

Maremma Info

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