PetzloverMaremma Sheepdog is originated from Italy but Talbot is originated from France. Both Maremma Sheepdog and Talbot are having almost same height. Both Maremma Sheepdog and Talbot are having almost same weight. Both Maremma Sheepdog and Talbot has almost same life span. Both Maremma Sheepdog and Talbot has almost same litter size. Maremma Sheepdog requires Moderate Maintenance. But Talbot requires Low Maintenance
Known also as the Cane de Pastore Maremmano-Abruzzese, the Maremma Sheepdog is often referred to as the Maremmano or the Abruzzese Sheepdog.
This is a working dog – a guardian of sheep and an indigenous dog to central Italy. The dog has been used for centuries already to guard sheep.
It was in 1924 that the first standard for the breed was published.
Known as the Talbot Hound, nobody really seems to have accurate records as to the origins of the Talbot dog breed but it seems to have originated in France.
It is believed that the Talbot, with his excellent nose, was a hunting dog, but he is now extinct.
It is thought that the dog descends from the beagle and the bloodhound. It came to England in 1066 and vanished towards the end of the 18th century.
The Maremma Sheepdog is a large dog with a muscular build. Some people who have owned these distinctive-looking dogs say he is like a big bear. He stands at 65 to 73 cm in height, both male and female, and he weighs 35 to 45 kg.
The coat is long, thick and white with a dense undercoat. If you look you’ll see flashes of pale orange or apricot amid the white. There is thicker, longer hair around the neck area.
The nose is black, the eyes brown and the ears medium length and floppy. The long tail is set low and is thickly feathered. You can expect 6 – 10 puppies from these dogs.
The Maremma has always been used to guarding sheep, and today even though he is looked upon as a wonderful, friendly companion dog, he also makes an excellent watch dog, being brave and courageous. He isn’t the kind of dog that you think of as getting wildly excited over something, as he has a dignified aura about him.
He is an independent dog, so training and sociaization will be absolutely imperative as he is strong-willed and likes to do things his way. Once trained and socialized, it is amazing to see such a large dog obeying all your commands such as ‘lie down, come, sit an stay'. He is very intelligent and shouldn’t have any trouble learning these basic commands.
He is calm and gets on well with children as well as other pets in the home. With his role as guardian of sheep, he has learned to be loyal and patient and will make a loyal ad loving family pet he takes his role as guardian very seriously.
He loves hard work, and shepherds have always appreciated the splendid work he does guarding their flocks. As a companion you will also appreciate the many excellent qualities he possesses.
The Maremma Sheepdog isn’t recommended for life in the city where there is a tiny garden. He has always been accustomed to large open spaces and requires a large garden. He won’t tolerate heat well with that thick coat of his and will require a shady spot in your garden to retreat to.
The Talbot hound was a large, white purebred dog. He stood at roughly 58 to 69cm and weighed between 36 and 50kg.
He had a large head and a short, smooth, coarse pure white coat. He has a long tail which he held upright and fairly long floppy ears. He was a slow but efficient scenthound.
It is believed that this strong, hard working dog was gentle, loving and loyal and that he would have made an excellent family pet.
They were the kind of dogs that needed lots of social interaction with his human family. His amicable nature would have meant him getting on well with children and other dogs.
Slow, it’s a dog that had low intelligence and he may have taken a long time to learn any simple tricks or commands. If he were around today he wouldn’t have been suited to city living as he was a vocal breed – having quite a selection of barks and howls to voice his opinion.
This is a beautiful dog, but large, so don’t make the mistake of wanting a large dog like this for his looks. He will be expensive to feed.
If you have the means to provide a good home for him, he is friendly and good natured, even though he is strong-willed and independent.
Provide him with a good home and you’ll have a most splendid pet and companion.
The Talbot is extinct, but he was no doubt a docile, calm kind of dog that would have made a great family pet.
He would have been an ideal dog for first time dog owners too as he was a gentle, affectionate dog.They were tough, protective, stubborn but loving and loyal, and more’s the pity that this dog has disappeared.
This ancient dog breed is robust and can reach 11 to 13 years of age when cared for properly. Like any other dogs, he can be prone to certain health problems.
One of these is hip dysplasia. Preventing your dog from becoming overweight can work towards preventing these kinds of musculoskeletal issues. Hip dysplasia occurs when your dog’s hip joints don’t develop properly so that the hips partially dislocate.
It is painful for your dog and it can be debilitating, leading to arthritis too and making it difficult for your pet to get around and to get up from lying down. There are a number of treatment options offered by your vet.
Nobody can say what the health status of the Talbot dog was, but being a hunting dog, out in the open and getting plenty of exercise, he was no doubt a healthy dog. But all dogs can fall ill at some time or another with any one of the many dog illnesses there are -
Ear infections in dogs are quite common, but more so with dogs that have floppy ears.
You’ll see your pet scratching and pawing at his ears and shaking his head. There will in all likelihood be redness in your pets ears and you may even detect an abnormal odor.
There are quite a few things that can cause these ear infections in dogs such as ear mites, an excess of dirt and wax and bacteria.
Don’t allow your pet to suffer – get him to the vet. Your veterinarian will also show you how you can clean the ear for future times with a gentle cleanser. You have to be so careful not to rupture the ear drum, and some people prefer to get their vet to do this or professional groomers.
The Talbot could have suffered with ectropion – when the lower lids are turned out. Ectropion disrupts the function of the lower lid so that it can't protect the eye, and there is abrasion of the surface of the eye.
This condition can also bring on conjunctivitis. Get your pet to the vet for treatment and relief.
The lifespan of the Talbot was anything from 9 to 12 years of age, and one or two other health problems that could have shortened his life were dermatitis, cancer, hip dysplasia and eye infections.
As already suggested, this large dog will need space and he will need to be exercised. Apart from long walks in he countryside or in the park or your neighborhood, he will also need other activities that stimulate him mentally and physically.
The thick, all-weather coat of the Maremma will need a thorough bushing at least twice a week to get rid of all those loose hairs. When you are brushing him, look around for signs of ticks and fleas too and run your hands over him to feel for any unusual lumps.
The Maremma is a large-breed dog, so before you get a big dog like this, decide whether you have the financial means to feed him and look after him properly. He is going to cost a lot to feed, so think it through first.
He will need to be fed a high-quality commercial dog food which has been specially formulated for a dog of his size. Keep the food of dogs simple. We’re all tempted to feed our dog treats like things such as chocolates, coffee, nuts, onions, grapes and raisins but these can cause havoc with your dog’s stomach.
Stick to simple, nutritious food. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and vegetables such as potatoes, spinach and carrots can do wonders for your pet when you sometimes mix this into his kibble.
Try and mix some raw meat into his diet occasionally. Make sure he always has access to fresh, cool water.
The Talbot with his short hair would have been looked upon as a low maintenance breed and would have required a brush now and again.
Because of the floppy ears, they would have needed to be checked inside for infection.
The Talbot was a strong, hard-working kind of dog so if commercially manufactured dog food was available in that time, you would have ensured a good quality one for strong, energetic dogs.
At that time, Talbot dog owners tossed their dogs bits of raw meat. Home-made food like boiled chicken, brown rice, spinach, carrots and sweet potatoes without any exotic flavorings would have been an excellent diet.