Training a maremma for chicken guard duty

[S5apiotrowski]

If the Rottie isn't very chicken aggressive then I think it would be OK. In fact, it might be a good idea to get them to eat together to sort out any potential food aggression early on. It will be good for them not to perceive eachother as competitors, especially if they are both males. Both breeds are very strong and potentially lethal as adults, as you probably know.

About the job: What I found with our Maremma is that he guards the property more as a whole and the chickens (and the cat) are basically a part of the property. They just sort of coexist. Sometimes he chooses to sleep next to the coop, sometimes not but always within earshot. I am not sure how he decides. He rarely uses any of the dog houses except in cold wind and rain. I don't think there is the same kind of bonding as there would be with sheep or goats (or humans and maybe cats, too). Although, I have seen him get in the middle of two fighting roosters to try to break up the conflict - an interesting observation that makes me wonder about his regard for the birds.

As a disclaimer, I am no expert here, so I don't want to lead you astray, but I have had a very interesting decade raising chickens and lifetime dealing with different dogs. I am sure you will be as suprised and amazed at the differences in the nature of this breed of dog as I have been. And for all the thinking and worries that I had in the beginning that there would be tragic mistakes and injured birds, in the end it seems like he naturally knew what he was supposed to do and now we sleep easy at night knowing he is out there. Let good 'ole common sense rule and remain positive and patient.

Thanks for the description. We have a breeder in the area and are somewhat interested, and this if very informative!