An ancient Italian sheepdog breed is gaining serious attention across rural Australia as farmers look for effective, affordable ways to protect their livestock from feral predators. The Maremma — a large, white guardian dog with roots stretching back thousands of years — is being adopted by producers who have grown frustrated with escalating losses to wild dogs, foxes and feral pigs.
A $1 Billion Problem on Australian Farms
The scale of the threat facing Australian livestock producers is significant. According to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES), pest animals including wild dogs, feral pigs and foxes cost farmers almost $1 billion a year in livestock deaths and infrastructure damage. For many producers, that financial pressure is enough to threaten the viability of their entire operation.
While options such as predator-proof fencing, alpacas and donkeys have all been used as deterrents, recent research suggests the livestock guardian dog — and the Maremma in particular — may offer one of the most practical and economical solutions available to farmers today.
From Devastating Losses to Dramatic Recovery
For Central West NSW farmer Leo Tompkins, the decision to introduce Maremmas onto his Wattamondara property came after a series of devastating attacks on his flock. Wild dogs were not only killing lambs and ewes directly, but in some cases were chasing sheep to the point of death through stress and exhaustion.
"We were looking at losses for mature ewes up to 75 per cent of the flock," Mr Tompkins said, adding that his entire lamb crop had been wiped out on multiple occasions by a neighbouring wild dog.
After weighing up various options — including expensive predator-proof fencing — Mr Tompkins settled on Maremmas as the most cost-effective approach. The results were immediate. "We started with one [dog], and our numbers for sheep mortality and lamb mortality dropped drastically," he said.
What the Research Shows About Maremma Dogs
University of Tasmania researcher Linda van Bommel has spent 20 years studying Maremmas and their effectiveness as livestock guardians. In a survey of 150 producers who used the dogs, the findings were striking: around 66 per cent reported that predation stopped entirely once the dogs began working, while a further 30 per cent said predation had decreased significantly.
Ms van Bommel described the presence of a Maremma as sending a clear warning signal to potential predators — though she acknowledged not all animals heed it. "It's up to the predator to decide whether it heeds that message or not, and sometimes they get a bit ballsy, and they go in anyway," she said.
She also highlighted one case in which a farm was losing every single lamb at birth to predators. After introducing guardian dogs, their lambing rate climbed to around 70 per cent. "Just that difference of the before and after dogs, it's really striking," Ms van Bommel said.
Even a partial reduction in predation, she noted, can be enough to determine whether a farming business remains profitable or becomes unviable.
Training Is Key to Making the System Work
The Maremmano-Abruzzese sheepdog — named after the Italian regions it originates from — has an instinctive drive to guard, much like a kelpie is naturally inclined to herd. However, researchers stress that this instinct alone is not enough. Proper training is essential to ensure Maremmas are committed to living with and protecting their flock, while remaining approachable enough for their owners to feed and provide veterinary care.
Researchers are now calling for greater access to information and training resources for farmers considering taking on a Maremma, arguing that with the right support, the breed could become a widespread and sustainable tool in the fight against feral predators on Australian farms.
