Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdog

Maremma-Abruzzese Sheepdog
Other names	Cane da Pastore Maremmano-Abruzzese; Maremmano Pastore Abruzzese Pastore Maremmano Abruzzese Mastiff Mastino Abruzzese Abruzzo Sheepdog Abruzzese Sheepdog Cane da Pastore Abruzzese Maremma Sheepdog Maremmano Sheepdog Abruzzese Shepherd
Origin	Italy
Traits Height Males 65–73 cm (26–29 in)[1] Females 60–68 cm (24–27 in)[1] Weight Males 35–45 kg (77–99 lb)[1] Females 30–40 kg (66–88 lb)[1] Coat long, thick Colour white[1]
Kennel club standards Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana standard Fédération Cynologique Internationale standard
Dog (domestic dog)

The Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdog (Italian: Cane da pastore maremmano-abruzzese), also known as the Maremmano, Maremma Sheepdog, or Abruzzese Sheepdog (Italian: pastore abruzzese), among other names, is an Italian breed of livestock guardian dog. It is indigenous to central Italy, especially to the Maremma region of Tuscany and Lazio, and to northern areas of Southern Italy, particularly to Abruzzo. It has been used for centuries by Italian shepherds to guard sheep from wolves. The "Maremmano" name derives from that of the Maremma marshlands where, until recently, shepherds, dogs and hundreds of thousands of sheep over-wintered,^[2]: 33 and where the dogs are still abundant although sheep-farming has decreased substantially. However, the breed is still widely employed in and closely culturally associated with the nearby region of Abruzzo, where sheep herding remains vital to the rural economy and where the wolf (specifically the Apennine wolf) remains an active and protected predator. The “Abruzzese” portion of the dog’s name derives from its ubiquity in Abruzzo and the surrounding area.

It may share a common ancestor with other European breeds of similar appearance and function such as the Pyrenean Mountain Dog, the Kuvasz of Hungary, the Polish Tatra Sheepdog and the Šarplaninac.^[3][4]