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Protecting the Flock
SASSOCORVARO, Italy – Emilio Spada, a 36-year-old fourth-generation Italian shepherd, has found a method to protect his sheep from the jaws of the growing wolf population.
In the past, he has tried audio methods that are meant to scare predators away from farms, but they did not work. He tried electric fences, but they did not work either. He even tried videotaping the wolves to understand and predict their behavior, but this was unsuccessful as well. Other shepherds have tried using rubber bullets, but they require being near the flock at all times. These modern methods have failed to effectively protect Spada’s 2,200 sheep from this ancient enemy.
The Italian wolf, or canis lupus italicus in Latin, has been a problem for Italian shepherds for centuries. In the 20th century, this led to nationwide wolf hunting that brought wolves close to extinction. In 1971, the Italian government made it illegal to kill wolves, which frustrated many farmers who lose livestock to these predators. The controversy has become a canyon-size rift between farmers and government officials.
Luckily for Spada, there is another form of protection: the maremma sheepdog, or in Italian, cane da pastore Maremmano-Abruzzese, or simply, maremmani, a breed similar to Great Pyrenees in their guarding instincts.
Spada is from a long line of sheep farmers who have been using maremmani to protect their flocks for over 40 years. Cau & Spada, named for the families of his mother and father, is a 1,730-acre farm nestled in the rolling hills below the Apennine mountains 15 miles west of the walled Renaissance city of Urbino.
Spada says his 25 maremmani are “the only thing that really works to keep a balance between man and wolf.”
When a wolf kills a sheep
There are more than 1,500 wolves living in the Apennines today, according to an April article in The (London) Telegraph. Meanwhile, a 2017 EU livestock census recorded 7.2 million sheep in Italy.
Recently, the Italian government rejected farmers’ requests to kill wolves, but instead instituted a European Commission system to compensate farmers for lost livestock. This allows them to claim direct costs for damages to their livestock as well as indirect costs such as protection measures, and then be reimbursed by the government.
This compensation allows livestock owners and farmers to get reimbursed for fences or when purchasing livestock protection dogs and even the dogs’ veterinary bills, according to the European Wilderness Society. They can also be paid for search and rescue costs for missing livestock.
But Spada says that the compensation does not really cover all the damages. “When a wolf comes into a herd, there are a 100 or even a 1,000 sheep. A wolf is going to kill one, but the other 99 are going to be so scared and filled with adrenaline that we can not use their milk. Our damages are more qualitative than economical and we cannot report what we lost to the European Union.”
For Spada, his maremmani sheepdogs are the only sensible method of co-existence, because wolves will avoid the maremmani unless they are extremely hungry.
Studying the breeds
There are many breeds of livestock protection dogs (or LPD) that are more well-known than the Italian maremmani, such as the Great Pyrenees. A recent study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture evaluated the effectiveness of several other European dog breeds in protecting herds in the American Northwest.
The study found that different breeds’ effectiveness was based on each breed’s unique guarding traits. For example, it found the Bulgarian Karakachans are more likely to stay with their flocks wherever they go, while Kangals are more likely to investigate a threat and Transmontanos are better at assessing threats.
An article published in Carnivore Damage Prevention News saw 90 percent less losses within herds with the use of Pyrenees dogs as LPDs, which increased sheep production 125 percent in the Chacabuco Valley of Patagonia.
But maremanni are mostly Italian dogs and a traditional breed among southern Italian shepherds. Massimo Pandolfi, a former science professor at the University of Urbino, says that maremmani are accustomed to defending sheep from wolves. In his opinion, the maremmani have a “special capability of defending herds of sheep.”
One eye open
On the Cau & Spada farm, 11 employees maintain the pastureland and keep production rolling. But these fromagers (from the French word for cheese) are not the only ones whose jobs affect the production of the pecorino cheese. The maremmani play just as large a role as guardians of the flock.
Visitors are met by one of the largest dogs as she chases approaching cars. These mid- to large-size dogs, with thick white unkept coats, give off agrressive personalities with their deep barks, but they lose their rugged guard-dog mentality in return for ear scratches and belly rubs.
The maremmani need no formal training but are instead raised alongside the herds of sheep. The dogs feel as though they are part of the flock, Spada explains. This upbringing ingrains a protective temperament in them.
When the sheep are out grazing, two dogs stay with the herd while several others are out circling in the surrounding fields and woods to keep predators away.
Maremmani have been appreciated for their role in protecting sheep for centuries and have been represented in many art forms. Some examples include the “Wolf dogs of Abrussi,” an illustration from Penny Magazine of 1833, “Mariotto di Nardo,” a nativity scene from 1385, and the “Canis Pastoralis” from the second century in the Vatican Museums.
The maremmani may hold an honorable job as protectors of the flock, but when the dogs encounter wolves, it can be fatal for either party.
Spada recounts how one morning, more than 15 years ago, one maremmano came back from the pastures with a hole in his leg. While out protecting the sheep the previous night, the dog had gotten into a fight with a wolf. The maremmano’s injured leg became infected with rabies and the dog began to be aggressive toward Spada’s family, he said, so the dog had to be put down.
“The dogs. . .lose their rugged guard-dog mentality in return for ear scratches and belly rubs.”
As Spada solemnly describes this attack, a large dark-faced maremmano named Sif sits next to him. Spada adds that the dog they lost was not only one of their largest and best fighters, but was partners with Sif. With a grin, Spada admits that Sif is his favorite of the 25 maremmani on the farm. “She is my woman.”
Most fights between maremmani and wolves result only in scratches. But interaction between a maremmano and a wolf coming face to face triggers the dog’s instinct to fight with more anger and want to win future fights even more.
“When a maremmano meets a wolf it will not sleep peacefully the rest of its life,” says Spada. “It’s part of the dogs’ lives, but it’s not pretty to see because they always sleep with one eye open.”
Translation of interviews and other language assistance by University of Urbino student Lisa Oliva.
Video by Liza Moore & Allison Baxter
