Tag Archives: Maremma

So much has happened in the past year that it seems impossible it was only 8 months ago that Lucy surprised us with an unexpected litter of puppies. From almost the moment the pups opened their eyes and began to have personalities, I was completely smitten with the runt of the litter. I named him Gnocchi because he was so tiny, and because his father was named Fettucini. I figured this little pup would need to draw on his mighty lineage if he was going to be a livestock guardian dog.

Fearing Gnocchi wasn’t getting enough to eat (what with all those bigger brothers fighting for a chance to nurse from their mama) I took to giving Gnocchi supplemental bottles each day, and weighing him to make sure he was gaining weight. (FYI, that bowl is not big. It would hold maybe two apples.)

This picture is from the first day we took the pups out of the barn and introduced then to the world.

As you can see from this picture, Gnocchi was just built of a different scale than his brothers. So many people told me I was doing the wrong thing in selecting him to be the one puppy we kept at the farm, that I was allowing myself to be blinded by sentimentality. But I sensed something of his father in Gnocchi, and the decision to keep him wasn’t so much a decision as a forgone conclusion.

I am happy to report that that Gnocchi is turning into a first-class guard dog, just like his father.

I know what you are wondering. Is Gnocchi still small for his age? The answer is no. Gnocchi is nearly the size of Sabine and a fair bit bigger than Lucy, his mama. He isn’t Cini-sized yet, but then, Cini is very large for a Maremma.

He is also a sweetheart, rivaling Sabine for the Nicest Dog in the World title.

So far, Gnocchi is the gentlest of my Maremmas and hasn’t exhibited any of the troubling behavior that you usually see in dogs in their “teen” years. (Knock wood.)

He is a very watchful, thoughtful dog. Happy to see you but never over-the-top, crazy excited.

Watching Gnocchi reminds me of watching a politician work the crowd. Gnocchi is the mayor of Juniper Moon Farm.

Have you ever seen such a handsome dog? I am incredibly proud of him.