in reply to the bergamasco question?

Question

For those people who say "they take more upkeep than me" I suggest they actually read about the breed coat-care before they comment on it because, in fact, they take less coat care than my border collie! Torbaynewfs why do you say they are not a breed for most people? And they belong hearding sheep- origionally in Italy NOT Jamaca

For those people who say and I quote! "that would take more upkeep than me" I suggest they actually read about the breed coat-care before they comment on it because, in fact, they take less coat care than my border collie! Torbaynewfs why do you say they are not a breed for most people?

sorry for being so "serious" but you did say "that would take more upkeep than me" if you actually look back and i get agrivated with people and the whole jamaca thing 'cause iv'e heard it that many times it isn't funny to me naymore. Sorry!

thank you so much for your replys i agree with with everything gou have said apart from this>>>> "Now that coat is amazing - and it is an incredible amount of work!! When the dog is growing, that coat can be DAILY work to keep clean and maintained, and, at minimum requries weekly care without fail if the dog has been out in the weeds, brush and muck.. Unless you have groomed a Komondor or a Puli, it is not anywhere near as easy as it sounds."
THAT IS TOTALLY WRONG! i have 3 bergamaschi and have met more owners than i care to count and the coat truely is easier to handle than my border collie even when the coat is first forming we don't have to do anything to it -honest!

Answer 1

You know, I do understand your offence at some of the remarks. they are much the same as comments that i encounter about my breed.. However, after a few years of taking the insults all too personally, I came to realize that is was the BEST thing that could happen to a wonderful breed!! No, your breed, nor mine ARE the dog for just anybody...If a person needs a dog to jump through hoops, and do tricks, the right dog is a poodle, or a Sheltie..

Your breed, and mine are independent thinkers.. They present all the more challenge to really understand the purest of canine psyche...And, the more you understand their origins and motives, the dearer they become, and the more you respect them to be and behave as exactly what they are intended to be..

Anyway, the reason that is the BEST thing to happen to the breed you love, is that they just may be lucky enough to side pass the irresponsible breeder, and will hopefully never be subject to the uncaring mass production for the common market..

So, just smile, and say.."Yes, I know they are not the right breed for just anybody, but they fit my family to a tee! I think that their individualism is much of what attracted me to the breed in the first place"..

You will be keeper of a best kept secret..and take joy in that, rather than offense..

Answer 2

WOW!! They are the darker cousins of the Hungarian Komodor as the Italian Maremma is the Italian equivalent of the Hungarian Kuvasz. They are larger than the Hungarian Puli and about the size of the lower end on the Komondor.

They did herd BUT THEY ALSO GUARDED the herd which makes them a HERD GUARDING BREED. READ THE BREED HISTORY "Function: Shepherd dog used in....and guarding herds,"

Sounds like the breed dual functions taking on the tasks of the Komondor (herd guarding) and the Puli (herding). That means you MUST take that herd guarding temperment into consideration

Big BIg BIG difference.

In the EU, Anatolian Shepherds, Komondor and Kuvasz are in the Pastoral Group also and they are HERD GUARDING DOGS..

I KNOW - I have Kuvasz,and while I have trained them to advanced obedience work and as Service Dogs, the fact that I got them to do it left most of the breed club stunned. (On my side, I have been training all breeds for 43 years and was handling patrol dogs in my teens when the dogs outweighed me by 20-30 lbs,)

The temperments of the herd guarding breeds are NOT suited for most owners.

You MUST ABSOLUTELY understand that this a HERD GUARDING breed. These are NOT "herding" dogs like Lassie or border collies or Australian Shepherds. These are NOT "guarding" breeds like the GSD or Dobe or others used in police and protection work.

The temperment and behavior is COMPLETELY different in the herd guarding dogs - Turkish Akbash, Anatolian Shepherd, Italian Maremma, Hungarian Kuvasz (white wolf posture when on defense against a threat) , Great Pyreenes (the most mellow of the group) , Tibetan Mastiff (alerting and warning a truly friightening sight) and the Hungarian Komondor.

These dogs guarded the herds and the farms. Their first response is to alert to a threat (bark); then get between their charges and the threat and shove their charges back and away; then block the threat's path; then charge at the threat to intimidate it; then charge at the threat and knock it back or down; then charge at the threat and do a grab/pinch; and (if the threat has been stupid enough to stick around), go into flat out combat to kill. All these breeds will stay in the fight unto death in order to protect their charges and will self-sacrifice if necessary. They will not abandon their charges even if they are starving or injured,

These dogs were bred to live alone with the herds and act independently without human direction in carrying out their job. This good in that they are very very very smart: This is bad in that they were bred to make the decision and your input is optional. THEY are going to make the decison - particularly about potential threats and you truly better be the boss of the pack if you are going to tell them otherwise. They will work with you on regular tasks but only on absolutely equal terms (tipped a bit in their favor); and it thee is a threat, all bets are off and that is their job. Unless you can be very determined, very strong-willed, very very Alpha, DO NOT GET ONE OF THESE DOGS.

You are NOT - repeat NOT - going to train one of these breeds with "postive-only kitchy-kitchy koo if you do it, I'll give you a cookie." (That nonsense doesn't work on the other 145+/-AKC breeds that well and these dogs will laugh at youa they take the cookie and do what they want when they want.) You must be able, through your body language, voice, 150% consistency, determination, never yielding behavior and 150% insistence that they do as you say NOW, to keep the upper hand and be the Alpha. You never ever beat or mistreat these dogs or get physically severe - they will never forgive you. You absolutely must be able to keep control through the force of your personality.

Lets say these are not the dogs for timid, self-effacing or meek individuals.

Imagine 5 month old LGD (livestock guarding dog) who solidly knows not only the voice command but the hand signal for "down," and he decides he doesn't want to do it. He not only ignores you but he actually braces himself in the 'sit' waiting for you to try to make him to do. After 30+ minutes of "scoop the front legs sideways and dump the puppy and back to the sit and scoop the legs....." he then grudgingly, very grudgingly slowly moves one front foot forward at a time in the slowest "down" in history. And that is a LGD - any not yet a teenager and not yet an adult wth all the adult assurance...... The fight wasn't over his knowing th ecommand - it was "Oh yeah? And who is gonna make me? You and what army??? I DARE YOU TO TRY!" And even when you win, they will still give a shoot every few weeks to see if maybe this time......

At the same time you have to reward the correct behavior with love and praise and attention.

The LGDs are incredibly devoted and velcroed to your side. They can not deal with being separated from their humans - their charges. They are glued to your heels and have to know where you are at all times.

Now the upside is they are moderate energy dogs since they had to spend so mnay hours remaining on guard and watching, They do not have the activity level of, say, a border collie; but they do need some each day to romp and play.

How do I know all this about them? I live with Kuvasz.

Now that coat is amazing - and it is an incredible amount of work!! When the dog is growing, that coat can be DAILY work to keep clean and maintained, and, at minimum requries weekly care without fail if the dog has been out in the weeds, brush and muck.. Unless you have groomed a Komondor or a Puli, it is not anywhere near as easy as it sounds.

f you have never had a LGD, you will need a breeder who will always be availble for help and advise on everything from behavior to coatcare.

_________-

It would be an interesing breed. I would however, want to see everal of the dogs in person and view the temperments that predominate in the different bloodlines.


Any in the US????

Answer 3

i said they LOOK like they are more upkeep. it was a JOKE! thank you!and also joking about jamaca i know they come from italy. don't get so serious

Answer 4

COOL