The American Maremma Sheepdog originated in Italy where it has been used for many centuries as a guardian of flocks of sheep and goats. It was first imported into the United States for that purpose in the 1970's, and has continued to increase in number. You'll commonly hear them referred to as LGDs (Livestock Guardian Dogs).
The Maremma is a large white or cream colored dog, usually weighing between 70-100 pounds and standing 25-30 inches tall.  Properly trained, it has the ability to bond closely to sheep, goats, alpacas and llamas, with which it assumes a protective parental attitude.  It demonstrates an aloof awareness as leader of its adopted family, while at the same time, readily accepting a secondary role to its bonded humans.
A Maremma accepts the leadership of humans, but not their mastery. Born with exactly the right qualities for livestock guarding, the Maremma is not recommended for use as a pet.   The independence necessary for solitary guarding of a flock makes the Maremma somewhat unwilling to take orders, and all of its behavioral characteristics that make it an excellent guardian tend to become stronger as it matures.   A successful Maremma guardian dog will be good tempered, attentive and protective of the stock, and trustworthy.
If you are thinking about getting a Maremma, it is highly recommended that you spend some time talking with someone who has experience working with this fascinating breed in a working livestock guardian capacity.  These dogs need lots of room to roam, or at least a way to keep them securely in their home territory.  And, they will bark at night if they hear or smell something that warrants it.  We live along the border of a protected National forest with many different types of predators, so we could not sleep so soundly at night without our ever-vigilant protector—Cosmo.