There are about a dozen breeds of dog from Italy. Many of these breeds are hunting dogs, but there are a few other types as well. These other Italian dogs work with livestock or are guard dogs or companions.Both the Bergamasco and Maremma Sheepdog are Italian dogs originally used with livestock, although they each have their own abilities and purpose. The Bergamasco is a herding dog from the Italian Alps, most often used for herding sheep. The Maremma Sheepdog is a livestock guardian. They would live with flocks of sheep and guard them from wolves and other predators. This dog is now found not only in Italy, but most of Europe as well.
The companion dogs of Italy include the Bolognese and Volpino Italiano (Italian Spitz), the later sometimes was also used as a guard dog. The Bolognese is a member of the Bichon family of dogs; they are small, white dog that was once quite popular with the Italian Royalty. Volpino Italiano were originally kept as guard dogs on farms, used to alert the larger dogs of an intruder. Now they are commonly kept as companions, although they are virtually unknown dogs outside of Italy and several other European countries.
Other Italian guard dogs are the Cane Corso and Neapolitan Mastiff. These breeds are more recognized worldwide than some of the other Italian breeds. They are both recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), although currently the Cane Corso is only listed in the Foundation Stock Service. These dogs were often kept on Italian farms.
The remaining Italian dogs were used for various types of hunting. They include pointers, retrievers, and sighthounds. One of the more unique breeds is the Lagotto Romagnolo, or Romagna Water Dog, which is most often used as a retriever in water. However, the breed can also be used to hunt for the non-prey, truffles. One of the more common Italian hunting dogs is the Italian Greyhound.
