Italian Volpino
Temperament
Loyal, Energetic, Loving
[3]A relative of the German Spitz
The FCI standard traces the Volpino Italiano to old European Spitz dogs and says it shares ancestors with the German Spitz as a relative, not as its descendant.
[1]A small watchdog in homes and on the road
In Italy it was valued as a vigilant watchdog in both noble homes and ordinary households. The standard also describes it as a companion to Tuscan and Latium carters in the 18th century, alerting them to strangers on the road.
[1]A stand-off coat and three Italian colors
It is a small, compact Spitz-type dog wrapped in a dense, very long, straight, stand-off coat. The 2023 FCI standard lists white, red and black as solid colors and notes that the breed, after declining, was registered again in 1972.
[1]