Latest News & Updates

We have now given Fresca her own page! She is just 4 weeks old but a real sweetie and we will be updating it as she grows up.

www.aniwa.com has some great pictures of the groups at Crufts – the pastoral group includes some really good ones of Anna Albrigo’s BOB winner. Go to the Crufts’ slide show
and flick through the pages until you find the Maremma (after the Lancashire Heeler and before the Norwegian Buhund if that helps!).
The order of the pictures is group placings, then each breed alphabetically, then the shortlisted dogs. So the Maremma has 4 shots under
breed and 2 more a bit later in the last section. Pictures 95-98 and 146-147 are the Maremma! Hope you can find them. I particularly like 146.

I have created a new album of the puppies at 24 days old – unfortunately the lighting was problematic so no video and only a few pictures. Will try again in a few days.

As part of my “other life” (work!) I had the opportunity last night to hear Sir Tim Berners-Lee (inventor of the WWW) speak. He talked about how and why he came to start the Web project and way it has grown and developed over the past 15 or so years. It all started with a memo he circulated at the CERN lab in Switzerland proposing using hypertext to solve a documentation sharing problem (everyone having different machines, formats etc. so not being able to share documents). It struck me how amazing it must be for him to be able to see what an enormous impact that idea has had on the world!

This may seem to have little to do with Maremmas but it has. Think about the difference the Web has made to this breed. There are many dogs who literally would not be alive if it wasn’t for great new homes found for them via the web. There are also people who had never heard of Maremmas who are now enjoying living with one (or more!) because they found out about them on the web. The web has also helped develop the breed outside Italy. Yes of course there were Maremmas in the UK, US, Australia, Scandinavia etc long before the web was invented. But there are many dogs in those countries now that are there because their owners made contacts with Italian breeders via the web. This has widened the gene pool in all these areas and provided welcome new blood to improve the breed.

And that is all before you count up the hundreds of friendships made, the information and advice given, the joys and heartaches shared, each of which would make it worthwhile in itself.

A few months ago one of the UK Maremma magazines published an article which effectively slated the web as the source of misinformation on the breed. And yes of course there is some out there. But what a negative view of something which has been overwhelmingly positive for our breed.

I doubt when Tim Berners-Lee wrote his first memo proposing the WWW that he either imagined or cared that his work would help a breed of magnificent white Italian shepherd dogs. But nonetheless I reckon we owe him one!

Check out the Photo Gallery for pictures of the puppies at 16 days old. I have started a new album under Our Dogs-Puppies-Osca’s Litter to make new pictures easier to find. I will start a new Album each week. There are also a video clip of the puppies – if you have reasonable bandwidth it is very cute (just ignore Sue and I exclaiming about the merits of cameras at the beginning!). They’d just had their first attempt at solid food but some I think swam in it rather than ate it! Hence the wetlook hairstyles on some!
You’ll find the link on the main page of the website as well.

Today was the Maremma Sheepdog Club of Great Britain show. The day started not too auspiciously with an AGM that could at best be described as “heated” – sadly some appalling behaviour from people who should know better – why do disagreements have to descend into personal attacks and petty comments? Differing opinion and debate is healthy but not when noone even bothers to listen to the other side because they are shouting their own case! Anyway we got through it and hopefully noone can now argue that the new committee has not been openly and fairly elected by the AGM and perhaps they will be allowed to get on with the job of promoting the cause of the Maremma Sheepdog in Britain with the support of all members. I really hope so.

The show itself was delightful. Our judge Pamela Jeans-Brown has been an interested supporter of the breed for many years and was lovely with all the dogs, from the new and rather apprehensive puppies to the seasoned veteran (Florence!). She was very sweet about Florence who at a week or so off 11 years old was enjoying her day out hugely. Grace and Jake came along for the ride but Osca of course is otherwise occupied for now.

Best in Show, fresh from her BCC at Crufts, was Ch Biancaluna Di Selvaspina of Silvermere, owned and handled by Janet Atkins. As honorary members of “Team Bilu” we were all delighted with this. Reserve BIS was Anne Latimer’s Sonymer Gaiety (also a bitch) and Best Opposite Sex, Jacqui Downes’ new male puppy Milwyr Valiant. Best puppy was litter sister to the BOS, Jacqui’s Milwyr Vienna. Congratulations to all concerned.

Once again entries were low especially in the males. Hopefully this should improve later in the year as recent litters have been predominantly male. But we still need to encourage more people to show their Maremmas – and even more importantly make sure that the atmosphere is welcoming and positive when they do. For once I was thoroughly relieved that no newcomers attended the AGM!

… are finally in the photo gallery!

Great day yesterday for Maremmas at Crufts 2005. Anna Albrigo brought her Ch Ali Baba Di Selvaspina over from Italy to the show – not only was he Best of Breed but he was shortlisted to the final 7 in the Pastoral Group – the first time a Maremma has been shortlisted in a group at a UK Championship show for around 10 years! Many congratulations to Anna. This can only do good for the breed in the UK – showing judges and the public alike a top quality Maremma male performing impeccably, especially when the breed has been rather in the doldrums of late.

Congratulations also to the BCC winner Ch Biancaluna di Selvaspina at Silvermere – also of course bred by Anna and owned and handled by Janet Atkins. Bilu was BOB last year so a pretty good record so far!

Osca had her puppies on Thursday – 7 boys and 1 girl – mother and babies all doing well so far. Pictures will follow when I get my computer mess sorted out!!

HUGE thanks to Sue and Barry (Sunhaze) for looking after them all so well.

I have had a major disaster with my main computer – technicians are still working but it seems likely I will lose a lot of stuff – some is backed up in some form – some isn’t! (I know, I know – as someone said to me this morning – this only happens to people once….).

One thing that may well be lost is my email – messages and contacts – so please if you have emailed me in the past could you get in touch again so that I can start to rebuild my address book! Also many people had kindly shared photos of Maremmas over the years – if that is you I would love to have copies again. Thanks all!

And particularly – if you have enquired about puppies and are still interested please email again!!

Thanks