The Volpino Italiano was brought back from the brink of extinction in 1984, but if its name is new to you, it certainly isn’t to generations of Italians of all classes who favored this breed since 3,000 BC. Whether it was decked out in jeweled collars made of ivory and gems as the pampered pets of royalty, or tied to the carts of traveling merchants, the breed also known as Il Picoli Guardiani (the little guardian) served its owners well by offering companionship, being a playmate to children, and providing a robust vigilance that made it supremely effective as a guard dog. In fact, on some estates, a Volpino’s duty was to wake up large sleeping mastiffs guarding livestock, and when they did, then all hell broke lose for thieves and rustlers. Not a bad showing for a dog typically measuring only around 11 inches at the withers.
This spitz-type dog also known as the Italian Pomeranian is most familiar as a white dog, but breed standards recognize red as another color option. That said, black is an additional color known in its native Italy, but its an exceedingly rare color in the breed.
In 1903, the FCI recognized the Volpino Italiano as an Italian breed, but by 1965, only a handful of Volpinos were registered with the Italian Kennel Club. After a decade, it was thought the breed was extinct since no one had registered a dog. In 1984, the ENCI (Italian Kennel Club) launched a recovery project for Italian breeds, and it was then that the discovery was made that some Volpinos had survived in rural areas on farms. The breed remains uncommon, with only about 4,000 dogs thought to exist worldwide, but it’s making a comeback, and the Volpino Club of America is petitioning for acceptance into the AKC.
Image: Volpino by Haiyan Artist
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