Corvus Farm
Farm Companions & Farm Hands in Pescadero, California
Following organic practices as we dedicate ourselves to regenerative agriculture
100% pure blooded Italian Maremma
Livestock Guardian Dogs
That’s why the most important farm partners on the property are my livestock guardian dogs, Vino and Grappa. They are 100% pure blooded Italian Maremma. It’s a breed not even recognized here in the United States. They resemble a Great Pyranese, but their personalities are all their own.
Grappa definitely is the brains of the operation. She only looks diminutive standing next to Vino, who looks like a polar bear. She is lightning fast and always on aleart when she isn’t busy standing on her hind legs and insisting on a “dance” with me.
Vino, on the other hand, is the muscle of the outfit. He is alert, but just massive. At just over a year old, he is already 130 pounds with another year of growing ahead of him. He takes his job seriously, and is always on guard.
Vino and Grappa, though, are still puppies. Livestock Guardian Dogs are not that common to most people in the U.S. These dogs are always working, and they live 100% of their time out on pasture with their livestock. They genuinely love the animals they guard, and they actively monitor the boundary fences as well as the skies overhead for any potential threat.
At just over a year old, though, Vino and Grappa have some growing still to do. They’re learning their roles on the farm are as protectors, not as puppies. Very large, very rough and tumble, hard-playing puppies that love to knock over the farmer when he isn’t looking.