My sister's friend has recently emigrated to a villa in Italy, in the countryside near Monti Sibillini, between Ancona and Pescara. One of the locals has given her a puppy (I am uncertain whether she asked them for a dog or not, my sister didn't say! Luckily for the puppy, it has fallen into a good home), and she doesn't know what breed it is. Local people tell her it is something that sounds like a "mawmawro", or something similar, and tell her it is going to be very big. They all keep saying it, and THEY seem to know what it is!
I've searched through the Internet, but I can't find anything like it. Maremmas are white, and this baby is black! Otherwise, it does look quite a bit like a Maremma puppy. I have seen some photos of it at six weeks, which was when my sister was last out there, and it is a very large baby (by elkhound standards), with a strong, solid head, strong bone and a jetblack, medium length coat. I haven't seen photos of it standing up, so I don't know what its outline is like.
Anyone got any ideas? It may not be a breed at all, of course. The owner isn't bothered either way, but I am curious myself as to what it might turn out like.