DMAR Alpaca and Maremma Blog

Maremma lgd puppy with cleft lip:

I want you all to meet Sofia. She was one of 10 maremma lgd puppies born to Donatella and Vincenzo on November 29th, 2010. She and one of her sisters were the smallest of the litter. I didn’t notice anything the first day of Sofia’s life but on day 2 I noticed that she just wasn’t latching on to mom enough to get a real good drink. I tried over and over again to help her but when she kept falling off mom’s nipple after only 2 or 3 sucks. I picked Sofia up and immediately saw the issue.

Sofia was born with a congenital defect of a cleft lip. Although her pallate has a crevice in it where it wasn’t fully formed I was relieved to find it was closed off at the roof of her mouth. I double checked this by running my finger along the roof. So I know that she should be able to swallow with little problem of the milk coming back out of her nose.

Luckily I had Tom prepare puppy milk a day in advance in case I wanted to supplement the pups. Donatella had a large litter last year and so I wanted to be able to help her if needed. Of course now I would need to help little Sofia eat. I went to the house and warmed up the formula which consists of whole cow’s milk, a raw egg, yogurt, and a little karo syrup.

I have never dealt with a dog with a cleft lip. I was nervous giving this tiny, tiny (I didn’t weigh Sofia on day 1 but on day 4 she weighed 8 ounces) a baby bottle. The nipple on it looked huge and how would this tiny little creature be able to open her mouth wide enough to accept the nipple? How wrong I was to be nervous. With a little persuasion I realize that Sofia has quite a mouth and it is no problem for her to accept the nipple. She was hungry but had a hard time getting enough suction to get any milk out. The first day I had to squeeze the bottle a little at a  time to allow the milk to come out.

I brought Sofia into the house for the night. I had a shoe box with a towel inside that should have made her quite comfortable. I was so wrong to think that she would stay in it. Sofia might be small but she can sure move around and found little problem climbing out of the box. I ended up holding her against my stomach in the palm of my hand. She let me know how discontent she was being taken away from her siblings and mom. She moved around a lot and cried. Eventually she calmed down and took a nap.

Every hour and a half to two hours Sofia would begin to cry. She was hungry. The bottle took a little while to warm up but she made me feel like it was taking way too long. She cried so loudly that when I called Tom on the phone he said he couldn’t hear a word I was saying over her cries. It was like having a human baby in the house. She cried that loudly. Of course once I gave her the bottle she would quiet right down.

That night I had little to no sleep. I had her on my belly as I tried to rest but who can sleep when you are worried that you might roll on her? Not to mention that it seemed that as I finally got my eyes closed it was now time to get up for another bottle.

Day 3 in the morning after feeding Sofia I placed her back in with mom and siblings and from there I give her a bottle every 2 to 3 hours. I decided not to bring in Sofia that night. I was exhausted from the previous night and figured she needs to learn to suckle from mom.

Day 4 I was out to the barn early and Sofia was eager for her bottle. I no longer have to squeeze the milk out. Sofia can suck it out on her own. She is so small that she doesn’t even drink 1/2 an ounce at each feeding. However, she works the bottle. I wish you could hear her little feeding noises of content as she drinks and her little paws are kneading away at the air. I found my scale that weighs ounces and found that Sofia is 8 ounces. Tom wants me to bring in Sofia for the night but I said no. I think it is real important for her to stay with mom and siblings and learn to nurse more off of mom.

Day 5 I again go out early to the barn. Sofia is a little slow to start her morning feeding. It’s cold even though we have the heater and two heat lamps on them. Sofia ate a little less than normal. I’m worried and think to myself that if she hasn’t gained any weight then I probably should bring her into the house tonight. I weigh Sofia after her second feeding which went much better and find that she has gained 1/2 an ounce since yesterday. That’s progress to me and so she gets to stay another night with mom and siblings and I get to sleep again too.

I spoke to my vet and emailed her pictures of Sofia’s lip and pallate. She will review the pictures but she was thinking that all she will need is a stitch or two to get her lip as one. Other than that Sofia is nursing, breathing, and going to the bathroom just fine so there doesn’t seem to be anything else wrong with her. Sofia should grow up to be a fine lgd dog. She just needs to figure out how to eat her food to suit her mouth.

Sofia is quite the character and her cleft lip just adds to her overall personality. She has already won me over.

Sofia is for sale. Her price will be discounted due to her cleft lip, however, we don’t think it will stop her from being the ldg dog any rancher is needing. If you would like more information on Sofia please contact me (Janice) at info@desertmtnalpacas.com.

Donatella, Maremma LGD, whelps 10 pups on 11/29/10:

On the 28th Donatella refused to eat all day. I knew that the time of labor was upon us. At times while walking she would whimper. I sat with her for what seemed like endless hours just waiting for her to begin. After the evening chores I grabbed my laptop and some magazines. I figured I would spend the night in the barn with her. At 9pm Donatella was resting peacefully. It was cold so I decided to go into the house and would return at 11 pm. At 11 I went back to the barn to find Donatella sleeping. That’s it I was coming in for the night.

At 4:30 am I got up to go check on Donatella. Sure enough she had 4 puppies already on the ground. I had left the small heater on but it was still too cold so I went to turn on the overhead heat lamp. I sat with her helping to dry off the pups. While I sat with her she had 2 more pups. After cleaning them off I went back to the house to feed house dogs and the cat.

At 6:30 am I returned to the barn to find another pup was born. I helped Donatella clean up the pup and then proceeded to feed the alpacas and the other maremmas. Each time I did a feeding I would check on Donatella to make sure she was ok and look for the puppies to nurse. Sure enough she gave birth to another pup. My count was now seven, four girls and three boys.

By 10:30 am I was now just about done with my outside chores and Donatella was up to nine pups. I went to sit with her and give her plenty of attention for a job well done. As I did so out popped the 10th pup! This is where she finished. Vincenzo and Donatella are the proud parents to six males and four females. All of the puppies are doing well.

I am spending more time with the runt of the litter, a little female, who was born with a cleft lip. The lip doesn’t allow her to suck as well as her siblings but she is getting the hang of it. I supplement her with a bottle that she eagerly drinks. She is quite the character. I brought her into the house the 2nd night so I could feed her around the clock. I thought this would be easier but my goodness she can scream when she is hungry! I thought the bottle would never heat up. Last night I left her in with her mom and she did just fine.  The vet said that she will be fine and we can probably stitch up the lip. Today I will take pictures of her and forward them to the vet to get the final opinion.

Now all I can think about is to complete our puppy proofing of the area. With the last litter of five pups I was running around like mad. I can only imagine the nightmare it will be chasing after 10 curious pups!

All the maremma lgd pups are for sale. They are $850 each which includes the first vaccination, first deworming, microchip, and registration paperwork. Our maremmas are registered with the Maremma Sheepdog Club of America. Both parents are onsite and guard an alpaca herd of 26. Initially the pups are raised sharing a fenceline with the alpacas. Eventually they are integrated with the alpacas.

The pups will be ready to leave for their new homes by the end of January 2011. Contact Janice at info@desertmtnalpacas.com if you are interested in getting your own maremma lgd puppy. To view more info on Donatella and Vincenzo please visit my page at www.desertmtnalpacas.com/maremmas-livestock-guardian-dogs.html.

Maremma pups now six weeks old at DMAR:

The six wk old Maremma Lgds are quite the handful. They are getting faster and faster and unless they are tired it takes both Tom and me to get them into their whelping area for the night. They hate being closed up for the night and they are very vocal about their disapproval. In the morning they come out and spend some time with the adult females under my heavy supervision. The adult females don’t like have little puppies under their feet. In the afternoon the pups are allowed to stay with the juvenile and yearling females who are more tolerant of them being under foot. Early evening they spend time with the older females again before bed.

Personalities are now abundant. Sadie, going to TX, is an expert climber and is very adventureous. She is the most outgoing of all the pups wanting to explore new things. Then you have Romeo, going to a sheep farm in Puerto Rico, who is extra playful and loveable. He runs over to you and then is quick to roll onto his back for a quick belly rub. He is quite the looker with his curls and waves. Next we have Vita, going to a farm in Montana, who is very mellow and laid back. She likes to play but is more quiet in her ways. The last of the sisters is Aria, going to a ranch in Washington, who is surprising me more and more. She is quiet and very watchful. She has the look of innocence but this is just a disguise. She follows her sister, Sadie, over the boards and under the perimeter fence. She will walk quietly up to a sibling and then with a pounce and a growl is on top of them. Last, but definitely not least, is big boy. He is still for sale. He is so loveable that he makes you want to pick him up. However, I have to think twice as he is sold and heavy like a rock weighing over 15 lbs already. This pup takes after his powerful dad, Santino. I can see he will be very relaxed until he hears or sees something and then will jump into action barking, growling, and sounding very intimidating. He needs a new working home to go as this little male deserves the alpha dog of his own herd. Contact me if you are needing a livestock guardian dog. Both parents live onsite and care for a herd of 26 alpacas. Mom is full Italian import and dad is first generation.

Here is the young male in action:

For Sale: Maremma LGD Puppies

The puppies are currently 2 weeks old. The eyes are almost all completely open. Some more than others. Puppies are using their back legs more to get around and can go urinate and defecate without mom’s help.

The Maremma lgd puppies are beginning to interact with each other and me more. I have to trim their nails as they are cutting my arms like little razor blades. They are quick to suckle and just today one grabbed hold of my arm that when I pulled away it was listening to a sucktion cup disengage. I thought it was going to leave a hickie on my arm.

Gianna is being a great mom. She loves her babies but allows the alpacas to come close to the gate to look in. At first she didn’t know what to make of it and a couple of times she barked. After that she cried a little but now she doesn’t care. Basically the alpacas are more interested in the hay that is stacked up where the puppies are rather than the maremmas themselves.

Santino is stuck to Gianna’s side whenever she is away from the whelping area. Since Gianna is still discharging he thinks she is in heat. He tries to breed her only to get growled at and sometimes a quick snap of a bite to the cheek. Gianna is no way interested in breeding.

I picked up a puppy this morning and it was snuggling in my arm. Santino started to bark at me but it wasn’t an angry bark. I felt as if he was telling me to be careful with his offspring.

I have four Maremma lgd puppies for sale. 2 male and 2 female. The price includes first shot, deworming, microchip, and registration paperwork.

To read more on the parents you can visit my site by Clicking Here.

Feel free to contact me as well by emailing info@desertmtnalpacas.com or calling 520-220-2778.

All the Maremma lgd puppies will be ready by November 8, 2010.

Here is a short video of the Maremma lgd puppies from Santino and Gianna:

Looks like Maremma LGD Puppies are Coming to DMAR:

  Mom to be is Gianna who is currently 20 mths old. This will be Gianna’s first litter. Gianna is a direct import from the Abruzzi region in Italy. She is a big girl weighing at 101 before her pregnancy. Gianna’s temperment is very loving and truly loyal to her herd and family. At the moment I can see changes in both Gianna’s attitude and physical changes in her mammary glands. She is quite hormonal and won’t tolerate any messing around from the other maremmas. She loves to spend her days in front of the fans trying to cool down from this Georgia heat and humidity.

Gianna is due at the end of August or early September. We are quite busy preparing for the birth of her pups by setting up a whelping area in the barn.

  Santino is Gianna’s mate. Santino is a first generation import. He is currently 4 years old and this will be Santino’s third litter. Santino is a wonderful guard dog and spends most of his day marking and patroling his territory. We sleep peacefully knowing that Santino will take care of the alpacas.

Santino is a great partner for Gianna. He makes sure he leaves a little something in his bowl for Gianna at every feeding. He is very attentive to Gianna even though she can turn and snap at him for absolutely no reason at all these days. He simply ignores it and keeps going about his business. Like the rest of the Maremmas at DMAR he is very loyal and loving towards his alpacas and family.

Both parents guard 24 alpacas at the DMAR ranch in Mansfield, GA. Puppies will be raised alongside the alpacas. Initially they will only share a fenceline but will begin to be introduced slowly starting at approx. 5 to 6 wks old under heavy supervision.

For more information on maremmas Click Here or you can read more about past litters and view photos by clicking on the maremma link from the menu on the blog. Puppies are available for purchase and will be ready by early November. Females sell for $850 and males for $750. Please contact us for more information.

Maremma Pup, Aspen, Finds Home in CO:

Aspen, female Maremma pup, left this past Sunday with new owner, Ish Phillips of Walls Edge Alpaca Ranch, to live in Colorado. She is the first puppy to leave our ranch, but she is in good hands and will be guarding approximately 10-15 alpacas. Before she left we had her vaccinated, dewormed, and microchipped. Tom said she didn’t even cry when he placed her into the kennel. She was well behaved all the way to the airport and then even more behaved when she met Ish. It really has paid off to introduce the kennel to the pups when they were 3 weeks old. Keeping it in their area for playing and sleeping has made it less stressful on the pups.

On Monday I sent Ish an email to see how Aspen was liking her new place. Ish was kind enough to allow me to post a direct quote from his email back to me. Here is what he said: “Aspen seemed to be happy with her digs.  It looked like she slept in her coop on the straw.  I introduced her to the boys this morning.  They are a bunch of wimps.  Everytime she would get up and take a step, Max would alarm call and he wasn’t even in the same pasture as Aspen.  She seemed right at home in the pasture, just keeping her distance from the boys but always watching.  Chris took her over to the girls tonite and they were quite curious.  We saw more smarts in one day from her than we have seen in a lifetime with other dogs.  Chris absolutely adores her and can’t wait to see her full size because she probably wants another one.  In fact, put us on your waiting list for Gianna’s litter.  All i can say is aspen has really wowed us on day 1.  Thanks again to you and tom for everything.” 

What else can I say? I love happy customers and am thrilled that Aspen has a good home.

I still have puppies left. 3 males and 1 female. They are 9 weeks old now and ready to go take care of your herd of alpacas, sheep, goats, etc.. Contact me for more information.

Taking Care of a Maremma LGD Puppy is not much different than taking care of any other puppy. They are mischievious and curious, therefore, they need to be watched and the area needs to be puppy proofed. This means making sure that any openings are closed off, so the pup cannot escape or get into areas or pastures they shouldn’t be in.

Supervising your Maremma lgd puppy is absolutely necessary while introducing the pup to its livestock. The fear in the beginning is not that the Maremma pup will hurt the livestock, but that the livestock may hurt the puppy. While still young a swift kick could end the puppy’s life. It is best to not leave your puppy with the herd unsupervised until they are able to run away from the livestock. This usually occurs at 3 to 4 mths of age.

Large breed puppy food should be fed to the Maremma lgd for at least for the first 6 mths. After that you should slowly switch to a large breed adult diet. Large breed adult food has less protein in it than puppy food and will help the Maremma pup to not grow too quickly and lessening any growth issues. Always provide fresh clean water.

Maremma lgd’s are found nationwide. My Maremmas live with the livestock 24/7. Our temps go as low as the teens in the winter and as high as 105 in the summer. As long as the Maremma has shade in the summer and shelter to get out of the wind the lgd will be fine.

All Maremma puppies need to be vaccinated at 8, 12, and 16 wks. Your vet will probably have a puppy package you can purchase or you can ask your vet what type of vaccine you should purchase for your area. At 16 wks you will also want to vaccinate for rabies. This is really important as your dog may come across a rabid animal while protecting his/her herd.

Maremmas are loyal to their family and weary of strangers. They are wonderful with children and the household pets.

Maremmas will bond with the livestock and consider them their own. The livestock too will learn to respect the Maremmas. They will be able to decipher between barks, which are to be ignored and which mean to get up and flee.

Maremma lgd pups do not need to be trained on how to guard. This is instinct for them and the breed has been doing so for centuries. However, the puppy will need to be taught to be obedient. Commands such as sit, stay, and drop need to be reinforced to have well behaved dogs.

The biggest fear most ranchers have is that the Maremma will hurt their livestock. This is a reasonable fear, but usually only occurs to the ranch in which the puppy was not supervised and reprimanded on unacceptable behavior.

Overall Maremma lgd puppies will grow into wonderful guard dogs. They will give their owners unconditional love and will guard their herd to the death. I simply love this breed!

Maremmas of Desert Mountain Alpaca Ranch:

Santino (laying down) and Biancaneve.

Vincenzo (standing) and Donatella

Gianna – 11 mths old.