Re-training an adult Maremma as a working dog for poultry.

(written after much deliberation and thought, with some trial and error, to re-train an adult dog)
# this article is the author's opinion only

To re-train a Maremma dog is a long and very slow process, potentially with many pitfalls along the way.
This way was devised over a period of months regards a way to re-train them.

There is no right or wrong way.

This is an outline of how it can be done and I hope that it may be of help to anyone who needs some advice.

The first night

The dogs first night with you in a strange place = it is best to shut it in a safe secure shed for the night.

The person who is going to be handling the dog will need to go and reassure that dog several times through the night.

Remember it has been torn from all it knows and loves and won’t understand or know the reason.
It is scared and frightened and can’t understand what has happened.

Talk to it before you even attempt to go in the shed so it knows you are there.

Your first job will be to win over the dogs trust. This is easier said then done. With the dog being an adult you need to set aside 15 minutes to ½ hour everyday to sit with it, talk to it and if able, pat it lightly. Just your presence will reassure the dog that it will be ok and you are aware that it is very confused.

Assuming the dog is lead trained, walk it around its new yard on the lead a few times morning and evening, this will become a bonding time for the dog and give it confidence that you are going to stay with it.
Making this a special time for the dog is important and it will start to look forward to you coming out to spend time with it.

The day after the dog’s night in a shed, take it out to where you want it to live. If it has been with goats or other stock and you want to train it for poultry then you need to start with 2 pens and some adult poultry. The dog in one pen and some poultry in the other. Adult birds not juvenile chicks as it is an adult dog. Have the dog in one pen seperate for about two weeks where it can watch and get used to the poultry noises.
If worried about the dog getting out at night, lock it in the same shed it was in the first night for the first few nights to a week.

Remember night time is there active time when they normally work. All this dog will be thinking is everything is strange to it,
but by the second night the shed becomes familiar, the pen within a week.

Just keep on reassuring the dog through the day and night. 

After the first two weeks the dog and poultry can be put together. Be careful doing this. You must supervise this, because with adult dogs there are no second chances for the birds. You will have to find the biggest, hardest most ‘dominant’ voice you can and if the dog wants to play with the birds yell NO and push the dog to the ground via the scruff of the neck onto the chest and belly.

Don’t forget to walk the dog around the property morning and evening each day.
It will calm the dog being part of its routine and bond it further to you and the property.
This is important for later on in the process.

Put the dog with the poultry for about 1 hour 3 or 4 times a day. After a week gradually extend this time a little.
As the weeks go on give the dog and poultry more time together until they are together all the time.

You will see the dog eating and rolling in the droppings of the poultry, don’t worry it is part of getting to know the birds.
This process will take a couple of months or longer to happen, remembering the dog was brought up with different stock or
even as a pet.

Always keep an eye on the dog at all times during this whole re-training process.

Do not have the dog living near your house = it must be in the yard it will live in.
It must be away from all traffic so the dog will not get distracted.

Remembering again to walk the dog morning and evening every day.

Once the dog has settled with the birds and you are sure that it is safe to have the two together all the time then you need
to add more birds to the mix.

Remember though that the original birds are the dog’s new family and must stay with the dog at all times.
Accepting new birds may not be easy for the dog as they do know there are new ones in with them.
This may take some time so don’t worry. And it is the next step for later flock guard work.

When you are sure the dog has accepted the birds, it is time to give the dog full run of the poultry yard and sheds.
As you have been walking the dog around this area daily it knows the area is ‘his’. When the dog has full run and you are feeding and watering your poultry let the dog wander in and out of all sheds and check everything out.
This is the way that they learn there is more birds than just their ‘family’.

Things that could be a problem with adult dogs.


You may notice the dog does not know what a lead is and will not come to you at all.

I teach the dog using a long chain dragging along the ground. It can be 5 metres long.
Make sure there is nothing the chain can snag up on.

If the dog is not aggressive – most bitches are timid at first, you have to take each male dog as it comes.

Walk over to where the chain is on the ground and you put your foot on it.

Kneel down so you are nearly at the dog’s level and call the dog by its name. Pick the chain up in your hand and as you call the dog you slowly pull the dog closer to you saying ‘come on girl' or whatever the name is until the dog is in front of you.

Use that chain every time you call the dog, that way you are teaching the dog to come to you and always give the dog a good pat when you have done this. This also teaches the dog to be led easier. This will take as long as it does.
When the dog comes to you every time, you don’t need the chain anymore for this new command.

Aggressive dogs are much harder to deal with but you must not show them you are scared of them or they will rule.
These dogs need to be put in a secure small yard and you will need to spend many hours just talking with them.

Working around them, not in their yard but where they can see you.
This way you will win them over, so they accept you. In time you will be able to pat and handle them.

You must teach them to sit if they dont already know the command and have them to sit for each meal.

Under no circumstance get in that yard with them until you know you have won their trust.

You will know because Maremma smile when they are happy. They are accepting of change when they are happy again.
This will be the time you start the training.

However, if months later you have not won their trust, and they still show aggression, you never will win it.
It is time to consider another alternative.
Sadly the dog may have been poorly, if ever, trained and possibly badly mistreated and you need to consider alternatives, you may have to consider having the dog euthanased .

Fencing and Maremma

Many have wring-lock fencing and the dog is getting through it and escaping to a neighbour’s or into where it should not be.

If this is happening, you will need to consider a special collar. You will need 3 pieces of pvc pipe, each cut about 50cm long,
and wired together about 15 to 20cm from each end forming a triangle with extensions.

The distance depends on how big the dogs neck is.
Then attach this to a leather collar around the dog’s neck with heavy cable ties.

The end result is a neat triangle of pvc around the dogs neck with lengths of pipe sticking out to catch on the wring-lock to stop the dog from going through the fence.

If you see the dog trying to get through the fence also shout NO very loudly to the animal.

Remember that it is your responsibility to keep your dog on your property at all times.

Most recommend that working dogs be desexed to eliminate problems with stray dogs, dingos and foxes when the dog comes into season. This also stops any unwanted puppies. 

There are many other problems that may be en-counted but these are the main ones I have experienced training dogs.

I have trained a number of adult dogs, and helped with several others, and it is different to some extent with each dog.


# The previous training of adult dogs and insights regards the dogs and breed, helped to retrain one particular male dog =

A person, known by the dog from when it was 8 weeks old, and was a regular at the property in question had always been accepted by the dog =
Until the day this person made a serious mistake. The person made a malicious (and stupid) point of going into the dog’s paddock and running at the dogs birds. Then shouting and raising his hand to strike the dog when it got defensive.

It resulted in my being forced to run at and flying tackle the dog to save this stupid person.
Obviously though, the desire was to flying tackle and ‘subdue’ the person.

You can only imagine the ensuing ‘conversation’!
These actions confused the male dog, as 'mum' stopped him defending his birds, and he became lazy regards the birds.
​He also became violently dangerous each time this other person came onto the property. Forcing the need to be retrained.
But with careful and patient retraining this dog is again a serious working dog and a force to be reckoned with.

The training also came into play a bit when we moved and the dog was confused and upset with the change.



Previously published article
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