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Barnyard Buddies:  Eli the Maremma  |
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shepherdgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1008 Posts
Tracy
California
USA
1008 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 14 2007 : 12:02:43 AM
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To all of you who asked, I would be happy to tell the "Tales of Eli." I have to say that raising a critter like him is NOT for the fainthearted or anyone who has a problem "disciplining" their dog. These dogs are HUGE and they are EXTREMELY intellegent. The first time I had to grab him and pin him to the ground for bad behavior was a little scary, to say the least! I was told by his breeder that that is what his mother would do, and it was a way to establish my "Alfa Dog" status over him. I had a problem with him chasing the sheep and it was always one ewe in particular. He would chase her and bite the inside of her back legs. I actually took her out of his area and put her in a separate pen. Talk about a pout fest! Eli was SO UPSET! He wanted that ewe back! But I am happy to report that he no longer chases like he did, though he WILL chase them away from his food, but who can blame him there?
The first lamb born after he was brought home also suffered a little from Eli's "affection." He was a chewer as a pup (of course) and he actually took the skin off her ears. As they started to heal, they got infected and eventually fell off  , so I have an earless ewe afectionately known as "Nubs." She's 3yrs old now and the proud mamma of two gorgeous daughters. Eli played "midwife" at each birth, as he has for every lamb born since to ALL the ewes, and I have to say he does the job quite well. Also, every single one of those lambs has two ears!  This year he is "Mom" to my bummer lamb Grace. He took care of her the day she was born since her mother basically dropped her and just walked off  . He gets a little irritated with the lamb now and then and he DID bite her on the head the other day leaving a gash that I doctored and is healing well. She knows now when he tells her to "Back off."  He and I had a "talk" over that incident, and he has been thoroughly chastized for it. I think he's truly sorry and he hasn't hurt her since.
Eli is an amazing dog, though he can sometimes be a challenge. If he wants out, he usually finds a way. His favorite thing to do is let the goats out. He will even LIFT up the fence to let them out. He'll open gates, doors etc.... All I have to do though is say "Eli! Get your goats back in!" and he will lead them all back to the barn, or wherever he let them out at, and they will follow right along complaining the whole way! Well, that's all for now. Stay tuned-- there's more to come! Feel free to ask any questions and I will try to answer them as best I can. |
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junkjunkie
True Blue Farmgirl
1306 Posts
Judy
Lawrenceville
NJ
USA
1306 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2007 : 06:33:56 AM
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| He sounds like quite a character! It's good that he's helpful with your livestock....although there were a few mishaps in the process. What kind of dog is he? I read in another thread about Pyrenees (sp?). I remember many years ago a friend had a Pyrenee, and this dog was really huge! He was white in color and sort of resembled a small polar bear. |
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junkjunkie
True Blue Farmgirl
1306 Posts
Judy
Lawrenceville
NJ
USA
1306 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2007 : 06:50:29 AM
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| Ok....your dog is a Maremma. I didn't read the title of this thread. I never heard of them, so I looked it up on Google. They are beautiful! |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2007 : 06:58:16 AM
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Sounds like MY Eli! Only, he's not such a fancy breed...just a black lab/border collie mix, but similar trates. Must be the name! Our Eli knows how to open things, too....when we were crating him, if he got into a bit of mischief, we would say "Hey, get to work" and he would walk dutifuly over to his crate and flip open the gate with his nose. Now he just opens the storm door with his long collie nose if he decides he's going somewhere in the car.
I'd love to hear/read more tales of your boy. And some photos of he and his barnyard charges!!!
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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Miss Bee Haven
True Blue Farmgirl
4331 Posts
Janice
Louisville/Irvington
Kentucky
USA
4331 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2007 : 07:41:54 AM
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Yes, more stories, please. And photos, too! He sounds wonderful! :)
"If you think you've got it nailed down, then what's all that around it?" - 'Brother Dave' Gardner |
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JudyBlueEyes
True Blue Farmgirl
657 Posts
Judith
Spokane
Washington
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2007 : 10:32:30 AM
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Wow! I googled Maremmas and they are just gorgeous...Love the Eli stories, look forward to more. Judy
We come from the earth, we go back to the earth, and in between, we garden! |
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Love-in-a-Mist
True Blue Farmgirl
367 Posts
Shannon
Independence
Oregon
USA
367 Posts |
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Bluewrenn
True Blue Farmgirl
1122 Posts
Erin
Texas
USA
1122 Posts |
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Bluewrenn
True Blue Farmgirl
1122 Posts
Erin
Texas
USA
1122 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2007 : 6:15:23 PM
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well it looks like the Maremma are probably the ones I want... They like cats and can get along with other animals, including the family dog... Some of the other breeds sound like they get really mean if not constantly socialized. Is that a problem with the Maremmas? Our place is kinda isolated and won't get a lot of human traffic.
My Homesteading Journal http://toomyvara.livejournal.com
My craft journal http://bluewrenn.livejournal.com
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 14 2007 : 8:26:58 PM
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Can you post a picture of Eli?
Alee |
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shepherdgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1008 Posts
Tracy
California
USA
1008 Posts |
Posted - Jun 18 2007 : 9:54:11 PM
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Hello Ladies! Sorry, I've been away from the computer a few days. So many questions! I don't know how to post pictures on this site yet, can't quite figure that out. I'm not very computer savvy, but I will see what I can do. Another thing is-- Eli is camera shy. I don't know why. I don't think he likes the flash. I kind of have to take pictures of him on the sly. I was taking pictures of the lambs a few days ago for one of my buyers and Eli kept hiding behind the ewes, then he flew out of the barn with his ever present little shadow. (Miss Grace-- our little bummer lamb. She goes wherever that dog goes and I swear she leaves quite a dust trail! Never seen a lamb move so fast! Or one that thought it was a DOG!)
As for LIKING cats, well, that's a bit questionable. They will have to be raised with them from puppyhood. Eli was ok with the cats once he realized they were SUPPOSED to be here. Also, it helped that we had a really stupid one that wasn't afraid of him, although Eli DID get him by the tail one day and tried to pull him through the fence. The cats head was a bit too big to fit and I hollard at Eli to let the cat go. Needless to say, he didn't hurt the cat one bit and the cat was STILL never afraid of the dog.
Judy- The Maremmas are very similar to the Pyrenees, in both coloring and personality, though they are a bit lighter in build. They have also not been in this country as long as the Pyrs, so they have not had their guarding instincts bred out of them. (though some Pyrs still retain a strong instinct to guard-- others don't. At least when it comes to livestock!) The Maremmas are VERY effective guardians and you can bet they will do the job they were bred to do.
Erin- Eli has two coats. The under coat is shed in the hot summer months, and boy does he SHED!!! It looks like it snowed in the barnyard! and Grace seems to have it hanging from her nose and both ears every time I go out to feed her! He also LOVES water. We have an old bathtub that we fill up for him and he spends a lot of the hotter days wallowing happily in it. He also likes to dunk his entire head in the 14 gallon water bucket in the barn. When he was a pup I heard all this splashing and I thought one of the ewes had gotten herself stuck in the bucket again, but when I went to help her get out, I found the dog "diving" into it with his whole upper body. He was having quite the time!
Jonni- yes, it's quite a little name for such BIG personalities, isn't it? But it fits them! I chose the name for my monstrous puppy because I needed something I could call out QUICK! I did my homework on the LGD's and I was prepared for the worst! Thankfully, he has been much more of a blessing than I ever expected. I will share more with you all very soon and I will look into getting some pictures posted as well. Tracy |
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nut4fabric
True Blue Farmgirl
885 Posts
Kathy
Morgan Hill
CA
USA
885 Posts |
Posted - Jun 19 2007 : 09:01:29 AM
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Eli sounds like quite a character. Please keep us posted with stories about him. I am owned and operated by two yellow lab brothers, and they are never boring.
Hugs, Kathy |
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shepherdgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1008 Posts
Tracy
California
USA
1008 Posts |
Posted - Jul 14 2007 : 8:41:32 PM
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| It's been awhile since I posted anything about Eli, and, unfortunately, this post is not happy news. Oh, Eli is fine, or at least he will be. We lost our little bottle lamb, Grace, a few weeks ago. Eli has been beside himself since she's been gone. I came home one day after work, and when she didn't come running out behind him like usual, I knew right away something was terribly wrong. Eli took me to where she was and when I found her I was shocked! She was the size of a beach ball! So bloated she couldn't breath. She had made a pig of herself eating the green grass on the other side of the pasture fence, which she wasn't used to, and her little stomach just couldn't handle it. For the first time I can remember Eli didn't run in front of me and try to stop me from taking one of "his" babies-- especially THIS baby! I think he knew I was trying to help her. Unfortunately, Gracie died in my arms as I rushed her to the house to get a knife--- the bloat was that bad. There was nothing I could do for her and I never even had a chance to call the vet. The first few days without her were very hard on Eli-- (AND ME!) HE was her mama after all. All I did was supply her food. He took care of everything else. For those fools who say animals don't have feelings, I wish they could have seen my poor dog. As pesky as that little lamb was to him, he loved her as any dog could have. When she died we could hardly get him to eat and he moped for days. I spent a lot of time with him those first few days and all he wanted to do was lay there with his head in my lap. I have never seen an animal grieve so terribly. There was no "smile" on that usually happy face, no sparkle in his eyes-- just a quite sadness when you looked at him. He didn't want anything to do with the other lambs and he was kept to himself most of the time. He's been getting out a lot lately too-- I think he's still looking for her. He's sticking very close to his goats now too, more so than usual, and he cries if they are on the other side of the fence from him. Soon I will be breeding a few of the Does, and the ewes will be bred this fall. A new crop of babies is what he needs, he loves them so, especially the goat kids! I will keep you all posted, and hopefully only good news will follow. Thanks for the "Chats" ladies. As soon as I figure out how, I will post a picture of Eli for everyone to see. Take care -- Tracy |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jul 14 2007 : 8:52:23 PM
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Hi Tracy-
I am so sorry to hear about little Grace passing away. Poor Eli. I hope he gets to feeling better with the new babies that will be around. It's very touching to hear about him loving that little lamb so much though!
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora! |
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shepherdgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1008 Posts
Tracy
California
USA
1008 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2007 : 12:03:57 AM
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| Yes Alee, Eli is an AMAZING dog! If someone had tried to tell me about a dog like him a few years ago I would have thought they were making all those things up. I wouldn't believe HALF the things he does if I didn't see them with my own two eyes! But, apparently, it IS the nature of the breed. If you go on the "Maremma Sheep Dog Association" website you can read about all their little quirks. Truly amazing dogs. In another year or two I am going to get another puppy. Though it will be a female this time, and Eli will be her mentor. Hopefully she will be very much like him in temperment and personality. It might just be a little sister! Thank you for your condolences. Eli and I BOTH thank you. -- Tracy |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2007 : 08:43:08 AM
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Oh, Tracy, I'm so sorry to hear about the little lamb, and I know all too well what you must see in Eli. I've seen it time and time again at the shelter, and here, in my little animal world. They absolutely DO feel, and love, and everything else in between.
I am thinking of you and Eli....give that bug a kiss on his big ole' nose for me!
"She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2007 : 4:41:42 PM
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Tracy-
Are you getting a little female to be his girlfriend? Are you looking to start breeding?
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora! |
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Barnyard Buddies: Eli the Maremma |
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Eli the Maremma
