Cirneco del Etna

Having heard the foreign phrase “cirneko del etna”, few can to guess that it’s not about a sort of wine or a foreign resort, and about the breed of dogs – small greyhounds, whose history goes deep in centuries. And not surprisingly, the breed is quite rare and come across this an animal on the street is a big luck. Despite the slight Cirneco spread, the breed has its fans and gradually gaining momentum. What are these dogs famous for and what should know the future owners of such a miracle?

Content

1. History of breed origin
2. Description of the Cirneco del Etna
- 2.1. Wool and acceptable colors
3. The nature of the breed
4. For what purposes are dogs of the Cirneco del breed used etna
5. How to educate and train cirneco del etna
6. Features of maintenance and care
7. Breed diseases
8. Where is better to buy a puppy and how to choose
9. Photo Cirneco del Etna
10. Video about Cirneco del Etna
11. The best nurseries

History of breed origin

There is a legend according to which 1000 of these dogs were guards and watchmen of a religious building dedicated to the spirit Adranos volcano that was built by ancient people on one from the slopes of Etna. People believed that cirneko know how to distinguish honest a man from a thief and an unbeliever.

Researchers breed speak about its impressive age, which exceeds 2500 years. Genetic tests confirm that dogs appeared before the birth of Christ. Among close relatives of cirneko celebrate the pharaoh’s dog, but participated in the formation of the breed other mediterranean dogs.

The origin of the breed occurred on sunny Sicilian lands, near the volcano Etna. And thanks to the isolation of the island, its formation took place in vivo, without intervention people and the effects of other breeds.

The modest size of these greyhounds is associated with the fact that the island does not distinguished by an abundance of food. However, small dimensions do not interfere with cirneco del etna to be excellent hunters capable of catching a rabbit or another little game.

The distribution of the breed outside Sicily is associated with the name Baroness Agatha Paterno-Castello, a big fan of Cirneco del etna. Due to the presence of documents describing the features representatives of the breed and their improvement, already in the late 40s years of the 20th century, a breed standard was developed and approved, and half a century later it was updated.

The standard states that the representative of the breed is an animal with short smooth coat, elegant muscular physique. The body and limbs are proportional, the general format is square. Dog height is 42-50 cm, and weight varies from 10 to 12 kg. Males are larger females. According to the standard, pets have such external features:

Head. Elongated, with elongated muzzle and straight line of the nose. Eyes are small, sometimes even small, located on the sides, the look is soft, interested, without notes of discontent or aggression. Cirneko feature – light ocher or bright amber iris. Auricles located close, large, in a standing position, to the tips are tapering. The lips are refined, tightly compressed.
Torso. The neck is long, with a pronounced muscle relief and tight-fitting skin, the suspension is not It has. The back line is straight, runs smoothly, the bottom of the body is lean and dry.
Limbs. Straight, well muscled, strong and steady, terminate in paws, assembled in tight lump. Claws are brownish or flesh-colored.
Tail. Low landing, full length has the same thickness, saber-shaped or in the form of a “whip”. When the dog is excited, he rises “pipe”.

The peculiarity of dogs of this breed is absolute immunity to high temperatures. Dogs can run around just cooled lava, which a person is able to leave on skin burns.

Wool and acceptable colors

The coat of cirneco del etna is straight, harsh, smooth in the head, ears and limbs. On the body and tail, wool slightly elongated, but not more than 3 cm, it is as smooth and tight adjacent to the surface.

The standard provides for several types of dog coloring:

Wool of the same color – fawn tones – dark or light, also weakened colors are possible – isabella, sable, etc.
Red hair with white marks – weak or strong pronounced. They can be located in the head, sternum, limbs, tip of the tail and peritoneum. Individuals with a white collar colors are valued less.

Allowed individuals with white wool, white with red marks colors as well as red with light or dark by hairs.

The nature of the breed

Sicilian greyhound owners claim it is very friendly pet that quickly becomes attached to the family, but not loses some independence. The dog is glad to be near household and master, and at the same time often demonstrates his tender attitude towards them.

Cirneco del etna does not like to be alone, therefore, if people are often away for a long time, it’s better to choose yourself a puppy of a different breed. They are very sociable, well tolerated trips on any transport, while traveling does not occur special difficulties.

Such a pet is not intrusive and sensitively feels the mood of the owner. A plus can also be called the “silence” of dogs of this breed, they are not cast votes for no good reason.

The breed is rare, therefore information on how these dogs very few belong to younger family members. But according to available data, if a cirneko puppy grows simultaneously with a baby, between they establish a special, strong bond and lasts for all life.

Like all greyhounds, these dogs do not have watchdogs and security qualities, so they belong to strangers friendly, joyful and with interest welcome guests who have arrived. Throughout pets express their love and joy by jumping on a person and trying to lick it. If a dog’s similar behavior is human If it is considered unacceptable, then it can be adjusted during training.

Cirneko quite quickly find a common language with their own kind, especially with dogs of the same breed. This allows Owners to start several favorites at once, unless of course the conditions allow.

But it will be difficult for such a pet to get along with other animals, since the Sicilian greyhound has excellent hunting instincts. Cats, rabbits and other animals will always be for cirneko nothing but wonderful prey, and no doubt early or later the dog will start hunting.

The danger to other pets is that The greyhound does not just drive the beast, but works to defeat. there is cases when a puppy grew up with a kitten, and they still could establish an attitude, but this is, rather, an exception to the rule.

Experts warn that a greyhound can run after a runner past the animal, so you should drive your pet exclusively to leash, to avoid disastrous consequences.

For what purposes dogs of the Cirneco del Etna breed are used

At home in Sicily for more than one thousand years, dogs of the Cirneco breed used for hunting rabbits. Given their vast experience, instincts and abilities, dogs successfully complete the task, despite difficult rocky-desert terrain of the foothills of Etna.

The last half century these dogs are bred for sports and exhibition career. Pets give excellent results in the field trials, show excellent results in competitions in coursing and agility.

You can start a dog of the breed Cirneco del Etna as companion – this pet will give a lot of positive emotions and will be able to win over all family members.

How to educate and train cirneco del etna

Representatives of this Sicilian breed have a high intelligence and a tendency to dominate, so the owners should take care of the early socialization of your four-legged friend, to further avoid various problems.

Such a pet will not tolerate carelessness or rudeness, in addition, the owner should immediately exclude the use of physical punishment during training and education of the dog. But with this dog needs an owner with a firm hand and character that will combine rigor, justice and patience with training.

Cirneko need increased physical and mental stress, Moreover, classes should be regular, but not bother the dog. The owner is recommended to keep a special diary, where be a schedule and recorded success pet. Are important consistency and variety.

Do not exhaust your pet with long walks or exercises on the site. The dog can accompany the family during hiking, morning jogging, it’s also worth taking a cirneco with you to the hunt. The dog can take long runs next to the bike the owner.

Features of care and maintenance

People who want to get a dog of such a rare breed should take into account that its representatives are characterized by increased activity and energy, but they are not suitable for constant street residence. But being in the apartment all the time is not the best for them an option. The best accommodation is in a private house, with the opportunity to walk in the adjoining territory or in the aviary, especially in the warm season.

Cirneco del etna has a short, smooth coat that does not Needs complicated care. It is enough to clean 2-3 times a month coat using a special rubber glove or brush from natural bristles. Such procedures can not only remove dirt, but also dead hair, making the coat shiny.

They do not bathe cirneko often, usually when the pet is very dirty. Dog detergents that are suitable for this are used. type of wool. Particular attention should be paid to the dog’s claws – they must be short, as otherwise they can become cause injury to the animal.

If the puppy’s claws grow too long, there is a risk abnormal formation of limb bones, paws can become flattened or loose. You can cut the claws of the puppy yourself if the owner is afraid, you can see how it does professional and then repeat the manipulations. For the procedure It is worth buying a special tool – a nail clipper.

The teeth of dogs of this breed retain for a long time whiteness, are not covered with plaque, and does not form on the surface tartar. But experts recommend paying attention regular care – brush your teeth, removing soft plaque. For this you should use toothpaste for dogs and a brush that you can purchase at a veterinary pharmacy or pet store. For the extreme cases, you can use a solution of baking soda, a slice of fresh tomato or fresh juice of this vegetable.

Like other breeds, chirneko is recommended to be taught to various hygiene procedures from an early age. Puppy easier to tolerate manipulations and less expresses dissatisfaction. If a do it right, then the pet will gradually get used to and will be easier look after him. In addition, in this case subsequent visits veterinarian and medical procedures will be less stressful for the pet.

Breed diseases

The breed is also called a Sicilian dog or greyhound, however, this is not entirely correct, since, according to the classification and origin, it refers to native breeds. Her representatives are not afraid of neither low nor high temperatures, but their health can only be envied.

Perhaps there are any genetic diseases inherent in these animals, but due to the low knowledge of the breed and its rarities, nothing is known about them.

Where is better to buy a puppy and how to choose

As already noted, cirneco del etna is a rare breed of dog, therefore, acquiring a puppy can be difficult. Within the territory of countries there are nurseries, but they are not located in all cities, which means you have to make a trip to get puppy. You can also contact breeders with good reputation and experience in breeding this particular breed.

Experts do not recommend buying a pet from random breeders, as there is a risk of acquiring a cross or animal with deviations or illness, especially when it comes to offspring that do not have documents. The same can be said of buying in the bird market.

The cost of cirneco del etna puppies depends on various factors and above all from the class:

show class – kids who match as much as possible stand for breeding and participation in exhibitions about 100,000-120,000 rubles;
breed class – puppies who, due to minimal deviations from standard “do not reach” the show class, but they are allowed to exhibitions and are quite suitable for procreation. Their price varies from 100,000 to 50,000 rubles;
pet class – like puppies of the above classes, such kids have a pedigree, but it has a special mark – “not for breeding “. Such a pet does not outwardly differ from his brothers, perhaps, not all indicators comply with the standard. The average cost of puppies of cirneco del etna pet class is 30000 rubles.

If the future owner wants to buy a puppy not from Russian, as a European nursery, then he can focus on this cost. The following factors also influence the price:

offspring from offsite mating or local;
how many puppies are in the litter;
titles and achievements of parents of offspring.

Often a situation arises when the puppies are not in availability. In this case, be patient and reserve your future pet in the nursery or at an experienced breeder.

PhotoCirneco del Etna

Video about Cirneco del Etna

The best nurseries

In Moscow, engaged in breeding pets 1 kennel – Kennel Colisto`s http://www.cirneco.ru/colistos

Cirneco del Etna – a dog that has a lot of advantages, but it requires return from the owner. She charges with her energy does not get bored and becomes not just a pet, but a true family member and loyal friend.