Mastino Abruzzese

The Mastino Abruzzese, also known as the Maremma Sheepdog, is the oldest of the Italian sheepdog breeds, having developed about 2,000 years ago in the Abruzzi region of Italy. They likely descended from the ancient Alabai, Albanian dogs, and large white Balkan dogs such as the Merdzan Sarplaninac and the White Greek Shepherd. These large, white dogs were often employed in packs of 4-10 to protect flocks, with the pack leader being the one to take on any predators. This alpha dog often wore a spiked collar to protect its neck. There are 5 regional varieties of the Mastino Abruzzese with slight differences such as head shape and temperament, but unfortunately, due to the lumping of all varieties under one breed standard, much of this differentiation has been lost. The Mastino Abruzzese is not currently recognized by the American Kennel Club.