Maremma Hound: temperament, price, health, and breeders

The Maremma Hound is a scent hound originating from the Maremma, a coastal region of southern Tuscany and northern Lazio. Selected for generations by local hunters for wild boar hunting in the Mediterranean scrubland, it was long considered a simple regional variety of the Italian Hound. The ENCI recognized it as a breed in its own right, and the FCI admitted it provisionally in 2018, in group 6 of scent hounds.

It is a medium-sized scent hound, about 46 to 54 cm for 13 to 23 kg, more compact and shorter than the Italian Segugio. The head is light, the muzzle straight, the ears drooping and shorter than in other segugi. The coat comes in two varieties: smooth and harsh, or harsh at about 3 to 4 cm. The coat ranges from light fawn to dark fawn, black and tan or brindle, sometimes with white markings.

Courageous, tenacious and cautious, the Segugio maremmano has a strong temperament when hunting, which it practices alone or in a pack, generously giving voice. In everyday life, it is affectionate, sociable with other dogs and rather calm at home when it has had sufficient exercise.

It is above all a hunting dog, which needs wide open spaces and significant physical activity. It lives better in the countryside than in the city and does not tolerate inactivity well, which can result in barking and running away.

Independent like most scent hounds, it requires patient and consistent training. Recall is difficult to achieve when it is on a trail: outings are preferably done in a fenced area or on a long line outside of hunting. It is highly motivated by scent work.

The Maremma Hound is mainly bred in Italy by hunters. Puppies are generally more affordable than those of companion breeds, but dogs that have already proven themselves sell for more.

A rustic breed resulting from strictly functional selection, the Segugio maremmano is renowned for its good health. The main risks are related to its activity: hunting injuries, ear infections and parasites.

Its energy needs vary greatly between the hunting season and rest. The diet must follow this rhythm.

In the Maremma, it traditionally hunts wild boar in the « macchia », a dense scrubland where its compact size and hardiness are real assets. Its resonant voice allows the hunter to follow the hunt from a distance.