A Maremma should not be aggressive and certainly never with people - in fact they should be calm, tolerant and "docile" (in the words of
the Italian standard) unless their charges are threatened. Even then they use only necessary force - so if they can see
off the threat by barking and posturing, they will. They only use physical force as a last resort.
However they do have some behaviours that can be misinterpreted as aggression and which, particularly in companion settings,
need to be understood. If they feel someone or something is a threat they will bark. This can involve the "rush and bark" tactic
where the dog runs at the threat barking then retreats to give it time to leave! This guarding behaviour can alarm
people if it happens in the park! Another reason why if you have a companion Maremma you need to socialise it really well.
Young Maremmas can go through challenging phases as their guarding instincts kick in but they still lack confidence and
they are not sure how to respond correctly to situations.
In a pack situation they would be corrected for over guarding by their elders, so you need to take the same role.
Read our article A Tractable Breed? on surviving
the teens for some tips.
One final point to note - some Maremmas smile pulling back their lips and showing their teeth! It is not
unheard of for this to be misinterpreted as a growl, although the body language is completely unthreatening - usually head down or
to one side and often accompanied by the Maremma "wiggle"! Smiling shows how pleased they are to see you and is usually reserved for their
favourite people - enjoy it!
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Last updated January 2006
