Abruzzenhund

The Abruzzenhund is part of the working dog group, they are known as vermin destroyers, watchdogs, and family pets.  This breed is an attractive breed with a head like that of a bear, with lock tight jaws and whirly hair.  Their ears are v-shaped and pointed, their nose black with a little pink showing up as they age. 

The Abruzzenhund is a balanced flock guardian breed, they are very dedicated and brave, fighting for the protection of their flock.  They are very determined and excellent at guarding, yet very friendly and loving.  Their intelligence and independence make the Abruzzenhund hard to train unless you have a mutual respect in handling and voice.  Dominance is a huge thing with Abruzzenhund, for they like to take control of their flock and family.  This should be taken care of early on, before they have a chance to begin this habit.  This breed loves their owners, but is not a very affectionate breed.  They are down to earth and are friendly to other dogs, but they don't get attached very easily, nor are they very outgoing.  But they love to work and they do an excellent job.

These dogs need a job, they need to be exercised in order for them to gain energy.  Otherwise they can become very lazy.  They have a very long coat, which needs to be combed and brushed often to remove all the dead hair, leaves and brambles.  This breed has a small genetic pool causing the chance of entropion (inversion of the eyelids) to occur.  The average life span of this breed is 12-15 years, average height is 60-73cm.  They originated from Italy and can weigh up to 66-100 pounds.