Hi Reader,

Quick heads-up: starting Tuesday, September 29, our weekly Maremmas Made Easy Q&A calls are moving to 5 pm Pacific. Details below.

Tuesday's Maremmas Made Easy Q&A call didn't go quite the way I planned. A couple of people signed up and didn't make it, so only one family came.

It turned out to be one of my favorite calls yet.

What Happens on a Maremma Sheepdog Q&A Call?

Honestly? Whatever you need it to. There's no agenda. It's a bit like open mic night.

​Last week, four people joined me. There was Tom, one of my clients, who owns his wonderful "little dude", Jimmy. (I laugh because Jimmy is over 100 lbs at 10 months old, but Tom still calls him "the little dude".) We also had a couple of people who already own working livestock guardian dogs, and someone brand new to the breed who's probably a year or more away from bringing her dogs home. (She's very smart for researching early.)

This week it was Sarah and Casey, my puppy clients in Maui, and their wonderful girl Caia. Casey had to leave early but Sarah and I talked for over an hour about:

• Recall training. Sarah is always trying new training programs with Caia and is currently using Susan Garret's Recallers Program, which utilizes choice-based games and tiered treat values, and it's working. Caia now whips her head around when she hears her name. Who says a Maremma can't learn recall?!
• Growls between dogs. Why a growl between dogs is often communication and not the crisis it feels like. (Never suppress a growl!)
• Vet visits. How to help a dog who has decided the vet is the worst place on earth. (Counterconditioning, accomodations and medication options.)
• Training expectations. Why a Maremma won't train like most non-LGD breeds, and why that's okay.
• And so much more. It's really nice to have someone who loves talking about these amazing dogs as much as I do.

Can a Maremma Sheepdog Be a Pet? Ask Caia

Sarah and Casey reserved Caia before she was born. Because of Hawaii's rabies requirements, she stayed here with me until she was about five months old. Sarah wrote about the process of bringing Caia to Maui as a guest post on my blog. Caia's almost a year and a half now, and here's her life:

• Daily walks around the neighborhood (So much for the myth that says if you walk your LGD off property, they will run away. 😆)
• Hikes around their beautiful island
• Regular trips to the beach (Casey and Sarah are professional athletes, involved in water sports, so the beach is a big part of their routine.)
• Dog friends, family, and visitors at home (everyone loves Caia, dogs and humans alike)
• Frequent visits to friends' houses and other places
• Greeting Sarah's clients in her gym and hanging out during the sessions
• The bank. Inside the bank. Sarah took her in one day, everyone was thrilled to see her, and now she goes all the time.

Why do Some People Insist That "Maremmas can't be pets"?

You may have heard people say Maremmas can't be pets. It's actually the official position of the breed club. I can't speak for the club, but I understand how someone gets there, since the club runs a rescue, and they see a lot of "failed" Maremma pets. (To be fair, they also see a lot of failed working dogs, but they aren't against those. 🤔) If your only experience is with dogs who came from breeders who don't properly socialize their puppies, fail to educate and prepare potential owners, and offer no ongoing support to those owners afterward, you'd probably reach the same conclusion.

And that is exactly where those "failed" Maremma pets (and most of the failed working Maremmas) come from - unethical breeders who have no business breeding Maremmas in the first place, regardless of the type of home their dogs will end up in. The role the dogs play, or the type of home they will live in (pet or working LGD), isn't the issue. Breeder selection is.

Likewise, an otherwise great breeder who feels strongly that "Maremmas can't be pets" shouldn't sell to pet homes because they won't be able to support their owners. If a breeder truly believes their puppies would fail as pets, they most likely will. So if you want a Maremma as a pet, go to a breeder who has the experience and confidence to support you and your dog for life. And that breeder having their own companion Maremma, as I do, is also important. (How can a breeder know what it's like if they haven't experienced it firsthand?

​

​Read: Do Maremmas Make Good Pets?​

Most of my puppies go to working homes, and that's the heart of this breed. But for the right person, a well-raised Maremma is a calm, quiet, wonderful companion. And for the dog, a pet home isn't a compromise. It's an equally wonderful and fulfilling role. The role the dog fills doesn't matter nearly as much as the love and support it receives.

Don't just take my word for it. Sarah told me she'd happily talk with anyone curious about life with a companion Maremma. So would Tom, who joined last week and lives in LA with his companion Maremma, Jimmy. And Fan, who lives with 5-year-old Mushroom in the heart of downtown Chicago. And Ezio and Beverly, who live with Sofia in a southern California suburb. Regardless of what some people say, my clients and their dogs are living proof that Maremmas can thrive as pets.​

​

Why Face-to-Face Support Matters for Maremma Owners

I'll admit I was hesitant about Zoom. I've done Maremma Discovery phone calls for years. But seeing faces changes everything. It was genuinely fun. I got to watch Caia napping in the background the whole call, and Sarah and Casey got to see my dogs, including Titus, my companion Maremma. (Companion Maremmas tend to nap all day, just like working Maremmas do. 😴)

Sarah and I text all the time, but this was different. Special. Life gets busy and good intentions to stay connected slip away. A standing weekly call fixes that.

What's Changing with the Maremma Sheepdog Q&A Calls?

We're still working out the kinks, and I'd rather be upfront about them.

The new time: Tuesdays at 5pm Pacific (8pm Eastern). Right after I announced the first call, I heard from several of you that 3pm didn't work. So I sent out a poll, and most of you asked for weekday evenings. Starting September 29, we'll try 5pm and see how it goes. Nothing's set in stone. I'm just trying to find what works for the most people.

You can come every week. My confirmation email called it a "one-time" free seat. That was my mistake, and I'm sorry for the confusion. You're welcome at every call, as often as you like.

You only need to register once. Zoom was set up so you had to register separately for each call, which I don't think anyone realized. One of you wanted to come back this week but never got a reminder, and I didn't send one either. I'm switching to register-once-and-attend-any, so one sign-up covers every Tuesday.

Reminders will be in your inbox. Look for the call reminder in my weekly email every week.

What's Coming in the Maremma Sheepdog Membership?

These calls are the beginning of something bigger. My membership launches soon, and it will include:

• Recordings of every call, so you can watch later
• Private discussion areas (not on Facebook) organized by topic: training, health, bringing your puppy home, brand new to the breed, and more
• A searchable library, with courses and training videos to come

It isn't a Facebook group where anyone chimes in and bullying, drama, and misinformation are the norm. It's a safe space run by a KPA certified dog trainer and licensed family dog mediator and it will keep growing based on what members need.

Join the Next Maremmas Made Easy Q&A Call

Tuesday, September 29, at 5pm Pacific. Free. Whether one person shows up or a hundred, I'll be there.

Bring your questions, your stories, or just listen in. If your dog is around, bring them too.

​Save your spot →​

Available Puppies, Adolescents and Adults

We still have pups available from our summer litters, and a couple of adolescent and adult dogs just came up. I'm working on updating the website, but you can apply for more info if you're looking for your own Prancing Pony Maremma.

See you Tuesday,
Kim

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. Save My Spot →

Kim Crawmer, KPA CTP, LFDM Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner Licensed Family Dog Mediator