The Maremma Dogs
Big, white and tireless — the dogs who stand watch when wolves come close
A real challenge on the farm
In 2004, following wolf attacks on the alpine pasture the previous winter, we brought in our first two Maremma sheepdogs. This wasn't a sentimental choice — it was a practical response to Switzerland's decision to coexist with large predators: wolf, lynx and bear. If the policy means sharing the landscape with them, protection dogs are how you make it work.
How it works
Maremma dogs don't confront wolves directly. Instead, they mark territory and make their presence known across the pasture — deterrence rather than confrontation. Over about ten years we've invested heavily in veterinary partnerships, behavioural training, ongoing assessment, and educating the local community about how these dogs work.
If you encounter the dogs
- Stay calm if the dogs bark — it's normal behaviour
- Walk around the flock rather than through it
- Keep your own dogs on a lead
- Avoid sudden movements
- Do not feed or pet the working dogs
- Let the dog escort you away at its own pace