Spino Degli Iblei

The Spino degli Iblei is a Sicilian herding and guarding dog from the Hyblaean mountains in the south-east of the island.

History

It worked sheep, goats and cattle on the dry limestone uplands around Ragusa and Modica, guarding as well as moving them. Sicilian breeders and Italian cynologists began documenting it in the twenty-first century; before that it existed simply as the dog local shepherds used, with a rough coat suited to thorn and heat.

Temperament

The breed is known for being watchful, self-directed and attached to its own household, wary of strangers and steady with stock.

Care and training

It needs substantial exercise and work, secure boundaries and early socialising. The harsh coat needs brushing.

Health

Generally robust from working selection; nothing is widely documented as breed-specific. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.