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Ixobel Maremma Sheepdogs
Discover the Wairarapa Eco Farm
The aim across everything we do is to facilitate and catalyse the transformation of our community into a society based on food quality, environmental care and inclusive, holistic thinking. We call it Soul & Soil-Based Living.
Discover
Ixobel Maremma Sheepdogs
The Maremma Sheepdog is an ancient Italian breed celebrated for its historical role as a loyal and effective livestock guardian. Discover their amazing character!
Our Dog Journey
30 Years to build paradise
In the past 30 years, we have fallen in love with dogs. At first, with Fox Terriers that helped us to keep hares from our new piece of paradise. We had just planted 1000+ small olive and 2000 shelterbelt trees on the open and windswept Tauherenikau plains. The hares prefer wide open spaces and ring-barked many young trees.
The Country Life
Then came Frits, our beloved Labrador, a great playmate for our young children and gave us a safe feeling living in the country. When he died, after a battle with cancer, we decided upon a new dog that would be dual-purpose. With everything we do (life and work, work and life – it is very much interconnected), we wanted a dog to fit the farm’s needs. Following our permacultural principles, we looked for a multi-purpose dog.
Discovering Ixobel Maremma Sheepdogs
We came across Maremma Sheep Dogs, an old-world breed also known to be very good working dogs, as they have been bred to guard a large flock of sheep on the plains and mountains in Italy.
Livestock Gardians
Ixobel Maremma Sheepdogs
Discover
The Livestock Guardian
They are working dogs on our multi-faceted certified organic mixed farm, helping us in a natural and pesticide-free way to keep opportunistic predators away, such as harrier hawks swooping in on our free-ranging chickens, possums and pukeko wanting to nibble on our young seedlings and fruit trees, and rats and mice on the lookout for stores of food kept on the farm. Next to this, they help us feel safe living in the country and are great playmates for everyone who will take the time to get to know them.
Check out the family movie OddBall (2016), a great Australian story about Maremma dogs protecting a threatened colony of penguins.
Is the Livestock Guardian right for you?
01
Space
Big Friendly Dog
These are big dogs; they need space to roam. They suit farmhouses or lifestyle properties best.
Please feel free to ask any questions before you decide to buy one.
If you have no experience with this breed, please do research. Below you can find some links to good articles and websites.
02
pests
Ecological Approach
A natural and pesticide-free way to keep opportunistic predators away, such as harrier hawks swooping in on our free-ranging chickens, possums and pukeko wanting to nibble on our young seedlings and fruit trees, and rats and mice on the lookout for stores of food kept on the farm.
03
Safty
Guardian Dog
The dogs are kid and animal-friendly and will guard your livestock and property.
They do need a lot of space, and they do bark a lot at people or things they do not know.
04
Please Note!
Not Suitable
In residential areas,
kept as an indoor pet (or in a small space).
Or if you find big dogs intimidating.
This bread is not like NZ sheep or herding dogs; they have been bred to work with and without human commands. So training them is a bit different.
Connect with us!
Please feel free to ask any questions before you decide to buy one. If you have no experience with this breed, please do research. Below you can find some links to good articles and websites.
If you are interested in owning a purebred Maremma for yourself or your farm, please email us at wairarapaecofarm@gmail.com to register your interest.
Not every place is the right one for a Maremma, so please ask us as many questions as possible to see if a Maremma is the right dog for you!
Discovering our new favourite breed
Introduceing
Our dogs. We have 3 purebred Maremma Dogs, Leonardo, or Louie for short (28/4/17), and Australian import Allevare Olive (1/12/2000) and our latest cutie Luna, both dam Olive and sire Leonardo are NZ Kennel Club registered:
Dam Olive
(1/12/2000)
Sire Leonardo
Leonardo NZKC 04942-2017
(28/4/17)
Dam Luna?
Has…
There are not many of these beautiful and rare dogs in New Zealand, and we think there is an enormous opportunity for them to be positively useful on farms and livestock blocks. Florence had her first litter in April 2018, and we hope to breed with Olive when she is older. Give us a call if you are interested in a Maremma Sheep Dog as your guardian angel.
More Information about LGD’s
For more Information on Maremma Livestock Guardian Dogs, check out the following links:
- Guardian-Dogs-web HANDBOOK Aus 2010.pdf
- I Just Brought Home a Livestock Guardian Dog.pdf
- Maremma Info.pdf
Request a puppy? Simply fill out our form!
When is the next litter?
Depending on interest, we are planning a new litter for the end of 2025. The pups will be ready at 8 weeks old.
OddBall
Check out the family movie OddBall (2016), a great Australian story about Maremma dogs protecting a threatened colony of penguins.
Stay up to date with our Ixobel Maremma Sheepdogs and puppies!
Yes, we will have more puppies sign up for our Ixobel Maremma Sheepdogs Newsletter!
The Wairarapa Eco Farm
Where we embrace Soul & Soil Based Living. Here, we model and educate agroecological environmental principles and values. Join us for a symbiotic relationship with our Mother Earth and to see how a farm can function as the cornerstone of the community.