Cane Toccatore
Encyclopedia
The Cane Toccatore’s job is to drive a flock of sheep wherever the shepherd intends to go. The dog is wolf-like in appearance and stands 50–55 cm at the withers, while weighing 20–25 kg. Its name derives from the fact that it will nip at the stock to make the animals move. It is characterized by erect ears, a wolf-like head and a scissor bite. The coat has a thick underlayer and comes in gray, brown, black or leopard. The dog is extremely agile, fast, strong and possesses great stamina. It can work from dawn to dusk, always on the go. It is a very intelligent and vigilant dog, who can perform a demanding job. It is a territorial dog, with natural guarding instinct, but is very affectionate towards his human family, and will make a great family dog. The dog can work in any climatic condition and is very frugal. It was selected based on his working abilities. Wolf blood has entered the breed on several occasions, because of contacts between domestic toccatores and wild wolves. The breed is also called Cane Paratore in certain areas of Italy. The Pastore Italiano (Italian Shepherd
)was developed from crosses between Cane Toccatore and Abruzzese Mastiff
specimens.
Italian Shepherd
The Italian Shepherd, or Pastore Italiano, is a breed of dog. The existence of this breed can be traced back to 1975, when Piero Accettella, of the Little Ranch Kennels, in Cepagatti, in the province of Pescara, in Italy, noticed that, in the surrounding Italian regions of Abruzzo, Umbria, Tuscany,...
)was developed from crosses between Cane Toccatore and Abruzzese Mastiff
Abruzzese Mastiff
The Abruzzese Mastiff is a breed related to, but distinct from the Maremmano-Abruzzese from the Italian region of the Abruzzi...
specimens.