MAREMMA SHEEPDOG BREED TYPE

In this talk concerning the “Maremmano-Abruzzese” type I will, in some way, digress from the theme. In fact I am convinced that type includes both exterior conformation of an animal, which is vital for its function, and also the animal’s character, with particular regard to its working capacity. I will therefore, try to explain the concept I have of type, not only from a static view point, but also from an active one, in the sense that I will also mention what I think are the problems with which we are confronted to maintain the type – inclusive of appearance and character – in the breed , and those I think, may be the possible solution. I think that I was aseked to come to England and talk on the subject as I have been keeping and breeding this dog for almost 35 years. At the time of my birth my family owned the Estate called “Parrina” in the province of Grosseto right in the centre of the tuscan “Maremma”, only a few miles from the Tirreno sea, which is visible from the first floor windows. The Estate was more than a thousand hectars and was farmed in an extensive way, as malaria, which during the summer was a constant threat, had been finally conquered shortly before my birth .Wheat was the dominant culture and, as the cattle living on the estate were scarce and consequently the quantity of manure available insufficient, after two successful harvests of wheat the exhausted soil was let “to rest” allowing wild grasses to grow on the stubble, to be grazed by large flocks of sheep, who were brought there for the winter form the not far away Casentino and Abruzzi mountains.

Obviously the sheep were accompanied by quite a number of guard dogs. A couple of these were kept around the estate buildings as watch-dogs. At the time the ubiquitous Alsation had not spread in Italy as nowadays and a pair of Maremmano-Abruzzesi were kept in all Tuscan Land-Estates and Villas, including our town-house garden not far away from the Central Station in Florence. In the early fifties the greater part of Maremma Estates, were expropriated and sub-divided among the local rural families. The wintering flocks disappeared from one day to the other as the soil, with the help of irrigation, was more intensively cultivated. The only Maremmano-Abruzzese that remained in Parrina were the couple in the Estate yard. One day the dog, who was called “Vasco” was resting in the shade of one of the buildings, and, observing him as he was lyng there, dignified and majestic, with his dark brown almond shape eyes looking me calmly in the face, I was struck by his beautiful strong, but very distinguished head, by his powerful elegance and decided that so splendid an animal must be protected and kept for the future generations even if the use of these dogs as guards for the sheep seemed to have ceased forever. At the time I ignored that the breed was still numerous in the Abruzzo region and parts of the southern Italy. So I started -alas unsuccessfully- to try and breed from him. In fact during the following winter he survived an attack of distemper, but weakened in his hindquarters was never again capable of mating. This is how my enthusiasm for the breed started, which culminated in persuading my cousin Anna Corsini – whose family owned one of Italy’s largest Estates “Marsiliana” almost attached to Parrina, to let me join in her.

I will discuss first the head, which is the region where type reaches its greatest expression. The head of a typical Maremmano-Abruzzese must be immediately recognizable from the head of a similar breed such as the Kuvaz or the Pyrenean mountain dog, Tatra etc., by its typical shape and expression. The Italian standard, which in the present form was laid down with the utmost competence and clearness by professor Solaro, and officially adopted by the Kennel Club in 1958, states that the head of the Maremmano abruzzese must be “dolicocefala” in shape, and that the breed is to be classified “lupoide”. “Dolicocefala” means that the head must be long, rather than short, while surely the wolf-like similarity does not account for a heavy or mastiff looking head. So, the head and the muzzle, compared with the skull, must both not give the impression of being short or heavy, as the length of muzzle must be only 1/10th shorter than the skull. You may rightly observe that the head of an adult specimen –especially dogs- does not give the impression of being elongated, as, for instance, the head of a German Shepherd Dog. This is due to the fact that the Maremmano-Abruzzese head must also be broad among the ears – the distance between the zygoma must be 52.5% of the total length of the head – and the muzzle strong. In fact the width of the muzzle, measured at half its length, is 55% of the muzzlle’s total length. The result I would call solidity, which obviously does not mean heaviness. I think that the Italian standard is very clear that in general appearance, the head must remind you of a Polar Bear. The head of the Polar Bear not extend to the upper profile, as the polar bear muzzle and skull axes are markedly diverging, whereas in the Maremmano-Abruzzese the standard states that the axes must diverge only slightly. Converging axes in our breed is a severe fault in type as it tends to give a mastiff or pointer-like expression. On the other hand, if the axes diverge more than slightly, the head will end by having a collie or dobermann-like appearance, which must not be. A common fault, particularly, in bitches, is a certain snippynes of muzzle. This incorrect appearance is generally caused by concurrent causes- that is that the head is small compared with the size of the dog (head length must be 40% of the dog height); the width of muzzle and skull is not sufficient, and even the front side of the muzzle is not wide enough. In fact the standard justly says that the front side of the muzzle must have a sufficiently flat surface.

The total of these rezuisites will prevent “snipyness”. The standard also rules that the nose must not project over the vertical front line of the lips, but that it’s anterior surface must be on the same “vertical” surface of the muzzles’ anterior surface. I think Solaro meant by this that the front of the muzzle must be to a certain degree square. This “firmness”, as I would call it, must never be caused by the lips being abundant or much developed. On the under jaw the lip must be adherent to the bone and never pendulous. The upper lip must not be too developed as the standard states that it must just cover the mandibles teeth, it also states that lower profile of the muzzle must be given – when the mouth is shut - by the upper lip only its front part, whereas going backwards towards the throats, the profile of the inside of the muzzle must be given by the inside of the mandible. The “stop” must not be pronounced, but the standard says sloping – that doesn’t mean that, as I have often witnessed in working and show dog, that the stop doesn’t exist at all. A quite common fault in the head, even though the dog may still have a good expression, is an exceeding bulkiness of the skull. In this case the forehead is too pronounced due to exceeding development of frontal cavities. The general result is that the head loses the desired cone-shape, and ends up looking more like the head of a brown, rather than a polar bear. Resuming the similarity with the polar bear – the Italian standard expressly states the heads’ shape must be conical – this means that even the sides of the muzzle must not be parallel, but tapering towards the nose. I have noticed that when the sides of the muzzle are not tapering towards the nose there will very often be an over abundance of the lips – a general “fleshiness” (large thick ears, dew-lap, loose eye rims).

Never enough importance is given in this bred to the eye. The eye must be rather small – but not too small as is sometimes found, perfectly almond shapead, and not too deeply set, but certainly not prominent. The eye rims must adhere closely to the eye bulb.

I have noticed that in a good eye, you scarcely see the white solera, even when the dog rotates the eye. When a dog is made shy by being shut up in a cage at a show, with crowds passing in front, many a good eye may look somewhat round, especially if the dog is facing you and looking upwards with his ears cocked and the skin of his face contracted. In a well balanced head, the eyes must not be too close – generally associated with “snipyness” – not too far away from one another. This last possibility may often be visible in a dog with a coarse head. Even in strong adult the head, the cheeks must be – as the standard says – somewhat chiselled. This, combined with the right shape and colour of the eyes gives the dog the “liquid” “smiling” expression which gives the greatest joy to all who love and admire the breed.

I am convinced that the right quality of the dogs coat has some influence on the expression. If the coat is of the right texture, with firm, rather “vitreous” longer closely set outer hair interspersed with abundant soft undercoat, then even the hair on the head will be very thickly set producing what I call a soft “velvet” sort of effect. This causes the outline of the head to become in turn soft, and all asperities, wrinles, curves, prominences and depressions are smoothly blended together, so that in the end the velvet effect of the head is in very pleasing contrast with the ruff around the neck. The ruff, particularly in dogs can never be too abundant, and itself too important in achieving true type. It extends also the survival abilities of the dog, especially the males, as a thick ruff as protective to the throat during fights with predators, or even with others males. Even in the Abruzzi mountains, the dogs, through negligence of loss, may be not wearing the protective collar with iron spikes meant to protect the dogs throat during fights. A very thick waterproof coat is essential during the winter as even this palins of southern Italy, where the flocks spend the cold part of the year, are swept for days on end by cold, wet north winds. The right type of coat is instantly recognisable. A thick ruff, which must start from the latter part of the forehard, so that the hind part of the skull is concealed by shortish but upright standing hair. The ruff must have no parting on its upper side when the animal is in full coat. Even the tail may have longer hair on its underside, but when the dog is in full coat the hair must be standing upright, even on the upper side, so as the reminiscent of the brush of the fox. No long fringes should be present on the back side of the arms and legs, but these must be thick, and look woolly. No long hair is desirable on the rear side of the hock and around the foot. If the ruff is abundant, it will conceal many a too big, or not well inserted or carried ear.

The Maremmano-Abruzzese ear must be small and triangular; its tip must be only slightly rounded. It must be mobile and inserted, as the standard clearly says, much above the zygoma. This doesn’t mean that the ear be inserted near the ruff of the skull as is sometimes the case. Neither must the ear be inserted exceedingly backwards – a fault I have several times noted with the dogs living with the sheep. Anna Corsini has told to me that Solaro awarded the ear reduced number of points, considering the working dogs have their ears clipped and so are impossible to judge. I am firmly convinced though, that the shape of the ear is very important to achieve the right type, as a large ear may be accompanied by an abundance of skin which can influence the shape of the eyes, size of lips, dew-lap and so on. The ear can very often be badly carried even if its size is correct. It may be twisted and sometimes curled, resembling the petal of a frilled fancy cyclamen flower. I want to remind breeders that the faulty carriage of the ears is easily set right by keeping the ears tied under the dog’s throat for about a fortnight when the dog is 6-7 months old. In fact many puppies carry their ears badly after their third month, but many set them right again as they grow older. If this doesn’t happen, just attach a loop of broad plaster to both sides of the ear, which must be shaven beforehand and rubbed with alcohol on its inner side, to take away the grease (otherwise the palster won’t stick). Then you pass a string through the loops and tie the ears – at first loosely – under the dogs throat, and immediately take him for a long walk in the open, to try and make him forget about this “impediment” which he will otherwise immediately and very efficiently remove. I have always had a very good result with this method.

The carriage of the tail is still an unsolved problem, even in Italy . The first third of the tail, starting from his insertion in the rump, should never be carried above the level of the back , even if the latter part of the tail may be flapping gaily during movements. I myself, however, have in the past, and even today, owned dogs with a perfect tail carriage. In this case the tail must be possibly so long as to reach the ground with the tip of the longer hair at its end. The standard does not mention it, but many shepherds in the Abruzzi and myself do not object, and in fact rather appreciate, the tail ending in a small upturned hook, which can be a very gracious finish, especially in a bitch. When the dog is in full coat, you can hardly see it, but you can feel it distinctly with your hand. Anna Corsini complains about one of her bitches who, when wagging her tail indoors, very often gets it caught in the telephone cable, displacing the receiver. Mrs Franca Simondetti who, besides being perhaps the world’s most capable Maremmano-Abruzzese breeder, is also a judge, as many of you surely know, says that a correct carriage of the tail is influenced by the dimensions and correct position of the rump. The Italian standard says that the rump must be 33.3 of the dogs height and that it must be inclined at 20 degrees to the horizon. A common fault, even in our own “Vergherie” strain was in the past the excessive sloping of the rump. When this occurs, the upper profile of the back is spoiled, and the hindquarters may even result higher than the withers, and the gait may be stiff or jumpy to some extent.

Francesco Giuntini – 1992

Published with permission of the CPMA (Circolo del Pastore Maremmano Abruzzese)
Source article including pictures: http://www.cpma.it/english/yesterday.html