Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdog

"Benelli"

Meet the protector of our herd, "Hungryland Farm's Benelli". It took us a long time to finally commit to having a livestock guardian dog, but we could not be happier with the incredible girl that we were lucky enough to bring home. Benelli is everything we could have hoped for. She has been a healthy and happy girl and knows her job well. After raising several German Shepherds, I was very curious to see how a Maremma would compare, and I can honestly say I've never met a smarter dog. Benelli almost trained herself.

When she came home, she was set up in a pen outside where she could see the goats, and everyday as we worked with the herd, she was allowed out to interact with them under supervision. She did go through some short phases where she thought chasing them was a fun game, but unlike German Shepherds who seem to try to figure out ways to get around the rules, once she understood that she was not allowed to play that game, she simply accepted it. By a year of age, much earlier than is what is typically accepted for LGD's, she was out with her herd 100% unsupervised and has been rock solid in her protection work. She protects them by barking and alerting to danger and her presence deters predators from trying their luck.

Even thought Benelli's job is to live out with her herd, her training as an all around good citizen in our modern society was not neglected. She was trained to walk on a leash, was easily housebroken, was taken to puppy classes and was socialized carefully so that she understood how to confidently accept visitors and behave when she needed to be taken off farm.

Update 2026: Benelli turned 2 years old this January and passed her health clearances with OFA "good" hips and normal elbows! We plan to raise a litter or two from her and have started our search for a stud dog worthy of pairing with her. If you are potentially interested in a Maremma puppy, feel free to reach out and you can be placed on a waiting list.