Italian Dog Breeds (Part I)

By Corey Farrugia Before buying a puppy, Dog Collections, Facts and Fun 0 Comments

Italy boasts a culture as rich and ancient as its history, overflowing with incredible art, world-renowned cuisine, and beautiful landscapes. But beyond the famous landmarks lies another treasured aspect of Italian heritage: its native dogs. An old Italian proverb wisely states, “Whoever loves me, loves my dog,” and as you might expect, Italy’s dog breeds are deeply woven into the fabric of the country’s rural and cultural life.

From the majestic guardians of the sweeping countryside to the nimble herders of the Alps, let’s explore some of Italy’s most remarkable canine companions.

The Fierce Protectors: Guardian Dogs

For centuries, Italian farmers and estates have relied on powerful, imposing dogs to protect their livelihoods from predators and intruders.

The Abruzzese Mastiff & Maremma Sheepdog

Bred to guard livestock in the rugged Italian mountains, the Abruzzese Mastiff is an enormous, heavily built dog. It is so exceptionally talented at its job that the breed has been imported to places like Norway and the United States specifically to fend off bears that prey on livestock. Its close relative, the Maremma Sheepdog, plays a very similar role. Working in highly coordinated packs of three or four, these dogs can seamlessly protect a single herd of sheep, fiercely fending off feral dogs, coyotes, and wolves.

The Cane Corso The Cane Corso cuts an incredibly imposing figure: highly muscular but sleek, featuring a slight dewlap and large, intelligent, almond-shaped eyes. Although most heavily associated with guardianship, the Cane Corso is remarkably versatile and has historically been used for both hunting and herding. The breed tragically faced near extinction in the 1970s but was successfully revived by dedicated enthusiasts. Today, their popularity across the globe continues to soar.

The Neapolitan Mastiff

Another giant of the guardian world, the Neapolitan Mastiff is massive and powerful, but boasts much looser skin and a heavily wrinkled face compared to the Cane Corso. Courageous and deeply protective, they rarely bark. Instead, they prefer to stealthily sneak up on intruders to catch them off guard. Due to their immense size and strong guarding instincts, extensive socialization and proper training from a young age are absolute necessities.

The Cane da Presa Meridionale

Visually similar to the Neapolitan Mastiff, this breed is considered to be the more “functional” and athletic working version. Breed enthusiasts are actively seeking to recreate the working drive of the traditional Neapolitan Mastiff, arguing that many modern mastiffs have been bred strictly for dog shows rather than actual fieldwork.

The Italian Shepherd

The Italian Shepherd is a relatively modern creation, descending from the Cane Toccatore and the Abruzzese Mastiff. In the 1970s, Piero Accetella (owner of Little Ranch Kennels in Pescara, Italy) crossed these two breeds, hoping to create a larger herding dog that retained the wolf-like (lupine) features of the Cane Toccatore. The result was the Italian Shepherd. Despite the name, this robust breed is actually far more suited for guardianship, as they are highly intelligent, naturally wary of strangers, and boast an impressive lifespan of up to 17 years.

The Nimble Workers: Herding Dogs

While the guardians were built for sheer power and protection, Italy’s herding breeds were developed for endurance, agility, and intelligence.

The Bergamasco Shepherd At first glance, the Bergamasco Shepherd might easily be mistaken for a Hungarian Komondor. It boasts a very similar, striking coat composed of matted strands of fur that strongly resemble dreadlocks. However, what makes the Bergamasco truly special is that its coat contains a mixture of harsh guard hairs and downy undercoat fur, whereas the Komondor’s coat is predominantly downy. Originally bred for herding in the freezing Alps, the Bergamasco is highly athletic and excels in modern canine sports like agility and flyball.

The Cane di Oropa Hailing directly from the Alps, this medium-sized dog has been used since ancient times to drive cattle and sheep across steep, treacherous terrain. Highly intelligent and athletic, the Cane di Oropa is typically bob-tailed, often sporting a striking merle coat paired with expressive brown eyes.

The Cane Toccatore & Variants The Cane Toccatore is a highly intelligent herding breed characterized by a wolf-like head. They are known for their specific herding style: a tendency to gently nip at the heels of livestock to urge them forward. Clever, resilient, and agile, they possess strong guarding instincts but still make wonderful, affectionate family dogs.

A highly rare, specialized variant of this breed is the Cane Lupino del Gigante, found primarily in the Apennine Mountains. Sadly, due to a sharp decline in local sheep farming, it is estimated that only around 200 of these beautiful dogs remain today.

The Sardinian Shepherd Dog This ancient, rugged breed hails from the island of Sardinia. They are the ultimate versatile farmhands, equally skilled at herding, catching, and guarding livestock. Rough-coated and highly expressive, they feature a unique “monkey face” due to the unusually frontal position of their eyes. Interestingly, this breed has a slightly notorious reputation: they were historically known to steal food from neighbors, sneaking away completely unseen with their prize, making them a popular companion for local bandits! Their bravery and adaptability even led to their use by the Italian army during the Libyan campaign.