Mac "chillin' out" with baby bull, Timitch Hill Caesar ( Timitch Hill Alexander x Mugga Adroit) born 07.07.07.

This is a story of ebony and ivory, and in particular, of Mac, the Maremmano of Timitch Hill

Mac is rather special, but so are his Australian Lowlines
who he loves and protects

Like them, Mac has old and distinguished genealogy. In Italy, where they'd
call him a "cane da pastore Maremmano-Abruzzese," his ancestors have guarded sheep from wolves and human predators in the mountains of Abruziz since before Roman times. Centuries of selection for dogs that were gentle with lambs but
fiercely protective of their flock, created a breed with a calm, intelligent disposition
that bonds with families and farm animals. The Transhumance, which is a seasonal migration to pastures thousands of feet below, brought the dogs to attention of the rich Tuscans of Maremmano and from them came the Maremmano name.

When Max arrived at Timitch Hill, he was a six kilo, six week old ball of fluff.
Michelle couldn't leave him shivering and whining in the rain and mud in the yards
with the Lowline weaners, could she? So Mac ended up in the house, despite his long coat which sheds prolifically. That was 18 months ago and he's still there.

Mac was intended to be the livestock guardian, but instead became a lifestyle guardian
with responsibility for the entire farm - chooks, dogs, cattle and humans.
He sleeps and plays with the Lowline calves, introducing himself as soon
as they are born by licking little faces. Some of the older cows don't like dogs, but Mac can handle that. He subtly avoids mum while converting her calf.

Mac gets very concerned about venturesome calves, especially those that
don't listen to their mothers. When he decides that a new calf has wandered too far, he gets it up, lets it stretch for a bit and then nudges it with his nose all the way back to mum before going back to watch duty.
When an older calf wandered through the fence into another paddock, Mac was not impressed. He cast backwards and forwards, trying to find a place to push the calf back, then went and found Michelle to get the gate open and took it back to where it should have been. No second chances for that recalcitrant little bull. Mac remained on watch lying between the calf and the fence just to make sure.

Says Michelle:" Neighbours describe him out on patrol seeing an errant wallaby off through the fence, then strutting away, tail wagging, job well done,
to snuggle down with the bulls. You know when he's been with them because of white hair on the black backs. Visitors who come when we're away, report that "the polar bear" kept them honest. And wherever we go on the property, Mac is never far behind. We often find him in the afternoons "chillin' with the weaners" in the yards, a large white shape amongst the black bodies although whether this is to keep cool in their shade or a ploy to try and pinch some feed is questionable.
He always checks the feed trays just in case anything tasty remains."