Italian Shepherd
Encyclopedia
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
, Marche
and Northern Lazio, there existed mid-sized dogs with wolf-like features used as livestock
herders and known locally as Cane Toccatore
. Accettella acquired some of these dogs and crossbred them with Abruzzese Mastiff
s, a breed of molosser
, to increase their size. The result of this cross was a dog of great intelligence, wary of strangers and a tenacious guardian of property
and livestock. The dogs have been found to be ideally suited to the role of guard dog
and are easily trained for this task.
The Italian Shepherd is medium to large in size and is very agile and powerful. It has a very strong constitution
, is mature when 4 years old and can live up to 17 years.
Male Italian Shepherds are 62–70 cm (24–28 in) tall, females 56–65 cm (22–26 in). An adult male Italian Shepherd usually weights between 35–45 kg (75–100 lb), a female 25–35 kg (55–75 lb).
Cepagatti
Cepagatti is a comune and town in the Province of Pescara in the Abruzzo region of Italy....
, in the province of Pescara
Pescara
Pescara is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. As of January 1, 2007 it was the most populated city within Abruzzo at 123,059 residents, 400,000 with the surrounding metropolitan area...
, in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, noticed that, in the surrounding Italian regions of Abruzzo
Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
, Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
, Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
and Northern Lazio, there existed mid-sized dogs with wolf-like features used as livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
herders and known locally as Cane Toccatore
Cane Toccatore
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...
. Accettella acquired some of these dogs and crossbred them with 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...
s, a breed of molosser
Molosser
Molosser is a category of large, solidly-built dog that includes several breeds, probably all descended from the same root stock. The name derives from Molossia, a subregion of ancient Epirus, ancient Greece, where the large shepherd dog was known as the Molossus.The proper noun "Mastiff", however,...
, to increase their size. The result of this cross was a dog of great intelligence, wary of strangers and a tenacious guardian of property
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
and livestock. The dogs have been found to be ideally suited to the role of guard dog
Guard dog
A guard dog, an attack dog or watch dog is a dog used to guard against, and watch for, unwanted or unexpected people or animals. The dog is discriminating so that it does not annoy or attack familiar people.-Barking:...
and are easily trained for this task.
The Italian Shepherd is medium to large in size and is very agile and powerful. It has a very strong constitution
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, is mature when 4 years old and can live up to 17 years.
Male Italian Shepherds are 62–70 cm (24–28 in) tall, females 56–65 cm (22–26 in). An adult male Italian Shepherd usually weights between 35–45 kg (75–100 lb), a female 25–35 kg (55–75 lb).
External links
- Italian Shepherd and video in Italian
- Breed description in Italian
- History of the Italian Shepherd breed in Italian
- Article on the Italian Shepherd breed in Italian