Overview
The Segugio Maremmano comes from the Maremma coastal hills of Tuscany, where it is still used in large packs to hunt wild boar. It is smaller and more compact than the Segugio Italiano, often brindle or fawn, with a short or coarse coat and a tough, no-nonsense build. Italy recognised it as a breed only in the twenty-first century.
That working background shapes everything. A Maremmano is bold, persistent and used to making its own decisions in thick cover. With people it tends to be good-natured and easy; with a trail it is single-minded in a way that catches owners out.
Exercise and walking needs
Ninety minutes a day is a fair baseline for a fit adult, and the dog will take more. This is a hound that expects to run and bay through cover, so a route with scrub, woodland and long grass is far more satisfying than open parkland.
Give it something to find. Scent games, a hidden toy or a treat trail at the start of the walk take the edge off and make the rest of the outing easier to manage.
On the walk
- Recall: Treat as absent unless the owner can show you otherwise. A pack hound bred for boar does not come back because you asked nicely.
- Pulling: Determined and surprisingly strong for a dog this size. Use a harness and keep the lead short near roads.
- Other dogs: Pack life means most are relaxed around other dogs, including unfamiliar ones. A good dog for group walks if the recall question is handled.
- Voice: Loud and frequent on scent. The breed was bred to be heard across a valley, so pick routes where that will not cause a problem.
Tips for professional walkers
- A long line in open spaces gives the dog freedom to work while you keep hold of the outcome.
- Check between the toes and under the collar for thorns and ticks after a walk through scrub.
- Keep sessions mentally busy rather than simply long; a bored Maremmano starts hunting on its own account.
What to ask the owner
- Has the dog ever hunted, and how does it react to livestock, deer and other wildlife?
- Is the dog comfortable being handled by a stranger, and does it have a known escape habit?
- How vocal is the dog on a walk, and is there a cue the owner uses to quieten it?