Lions at the Gate: How two dogs changed the game in Ranch land

Big puppies playing

Ever since a mountain lion banged her head against our glass kitchen door and stared into my soul, I have been obsessed with them.

Well, I finally met a kindred spirit. Liz Delfs is the executive director of "My Little Horse Listener” (mylittlehorselistener.com) in Cerrillos, New Mexico. The organization is dedicated to connecting miniature horses, kids, and families going through difficult times.

Liz had a similar "wake up" call to mine: We live among mountain lions.

Here is the situation.

In 2024, a ranch a few short miles from Liz's lost a foal to a mountain lion. The next night they lost another one. Then, a phone call from a game warden stating that the lion who killed the foals was tracked very close to her heightened her anxiety.

As Liz said, "tragic incidents change your perception of safety." I couldn't agree more.

She was worried her two miniature horses, donkey and mule could be at risk. She moved her desk out to the barn so that she could keep an eye out for any trouble.

Lions on a night prowl

So what else do you do?

You get dogs, of course, But not any kind of dog, but rather a breed that has been protecting flocks from predators for thousands of years.

Meet the Abruzzese Maremma. (also known as the "Gentle Wolf-killer")

They can grow up to one hundred pounds (Liz’s are still puppies and are already almost 110 lbs.) and look like an all-white Great Pyrenees. They are livestock guardian dogs, indigenous to the Tuscany region of Italy. These dogs are legend in Italy, with statues dating back to the fourteenth century.

Liz and her husband, Gary, adopted two Maremma’s from a breeder in Idaho in September 2024. They were nine months old (and according to Liz, they still haven't forgiven the humans for the sixteen-hour drive back from Idaho). Their names are Sherlock and Mr. Holmes. They live outside with their charges; their thick coats make them impervious to cold weather. They get two visits daily to the house for socialization with Liz, Gary, and their cat and house dog named Boo.

The most important point is that Sherlock and Mr. Holmes are working dogs: They need a job. Maremma’s were bred to be alone with a herd of sheep. They are fiercely loyal to their flock and their people, but wary at first of strangers.

Their superpower is their bark. Sensing any kind of danger (coyotes, other dogs, and, of course, the presence of a lion), they will let out a hellacious bark. The goal is to convince a predator that coming closer is not worth the risk.

That Maremma’s are different enough from other breeds led Liz to hire a coach to help them figure out how to train them and what to expect. The coach emphasized patience and positive reinforcement. It took some time for all the animals to get used to each other, especially for the horses to realize that Sherlock and Mr. Holmes were not predators but were there to keep them safe. After training and exposure, the dogs follow the horses around the property. Liz pointed out that while horses run from danger, the Maremma's run towards it. And an extra benefit, unlike other dogs (I'm looking at our Great Pyrenees, Toby) Maremma’s don't roam. They stick close to home and to their charges.

This all sounds like they are great dogs. However, the vital message is that they are not for everyone. Suppose you don't have chickens, sheep, horses, or cows or lots of kids who need a guardian (and lots of land). They are not the breed for you. But the sad fact is, because of mixed expectations, many Maremma's get taken to shelters where over thirty percent of them are euthanized. They are not dogs that can be locked in a crate or home all day while the humans go to work.

Sherlock and Mr. Holmes have found the perfect arrangement: a ranch in New Mexico, loving guardians, and a small herd to guard.

And it works out well for their nemesis, the mountain lion. When a mountain lion attacks and kills domesticated animals, they are usually tracked down and euthanized — keeping the lions away from the herd results in fewer lions being harmed. (I am a pro-mountain lion, just not in our backyard.)

This is just another example of the amazing role that dogs have played and still play in our lives. They have been our working partners for thousands of years.

Hersch’s award winning book, “Dog Lessons: Learning the Important stuff From our Best Friends” is available at bookstores and online.