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Country of Origin: Italy
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: the classical studies on the subject
of canine breeds disseminated in the Mediterranean basin have come to
the conclusion that the Cirneco dell'Etna would descend from ancient
hunting dogs bred in the valley of the Nile at the time of the Pharaohs,
dogs which would have arrived with the Phoenicians, but very recent
research speaks in favour of a new conception, according to which it
would concern a native breed of Sicilian origin from precisely the vicinity
of Eva. Coins and engravings prove in effect that the Cirneco existed
in those parts many centuries B.C.
GENERAL APPEARANCE: primitive dog type of elegant and slender
build, medium size, not cumbersome, but strong and hardy. The morphological
conformation is a long/limbed dog of light construction, square outline;
the coat is fine.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: length of body equal to the height at
the withers (square outline). Depth of chest is slightly less than the
height from ground to elbow. Length of the muzzle does not reach half
the length of the head (the ratio skull-muzzle is of 10 to 8, but preference
is given to dogs whose length of muzzle reaches that of the skull.
BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERAMENT: hunting dog, adapted to difficult
terrain suitable especially to the hunting of wild rabbits; endowed
with a strong temperament, it is at the same time gentle and affectionate.
HEAD - SKULL: oval shaped lengthwise, the planes of the skull
and muzzle are slightly divergent or parallel. The upper profile of
the skull is so slightly convex as to appear almost flat; the width
of the skull between the zygomatic arches must not be more than half
the length of the head; the eyebrows are not very protruding; the frontal
furrow is only slightly marked; the occipital crest and the occipital
protuberance are only slightly developed.
STOP: at an angle of about 140º between nose and skull.
FOREFACE - NOSE: of quite rectangular shape, rather large, its
colour corresponding to colour of the coat (quite dark chestnut, light
chestnut, flesh colour).
MUZZLE: the length of the muzzle is at least 80% of the length
of the skull; its depth or height (measured at the middle of the muzzle)
is at least half the length of the muzzle itself, its width (measured
at the middle of the muzzle) is less than half its length. The muzzle
is therefore pointed with a straight bridge of nose; its lower lateral
profile is defined by the mandible.
LIPS: fine, thin and taught, only just covering the teeth of
the lower jaw. The commissure at the corner of the lips is hardly visible.
JAWS: normally developed although do not appear strong; lower
jaw lightly developed, with receding chin. Incisors, set square in the
jaws, are perfectly in line and adapted.
CHEEKS: flat
TEETH: well developed and complete, scissor bite.
EYES: the eyes, which seem rather small, are of a not too dark
ochre colour, amber and also grey, never brown or dark hazel; in lateral
position; soft expression; oval shaped, with pigmentation of the eyelid
rims corresponding to the colour of the nose.
EARS: set very high and close together, erect and rigid, the
opening towards the front; triangular shape with narrow tip, must not
be cropped. Their length is not more than half the length of the head.
NECK - PROFILE: upper profile well arched (convex). LENGTH:
same length as the head.
SHAPE: of similar shape to a truncated cone; the muscles are
visible; especially along the crest of the neck.
SKIN: fine, taught and very close; no dewlap.
BODY - TOPLINE: straight, sloping from the withers towards the
croup.
WITHERS: raised above dorsal line, narrow because of the convergence
of the shoulder blades; join harmoniously into the neck without any
break in the line.
BACK: upper profile straight, with moderately developed muscles;
the length of the chest part measures about 3 times the length of the
loin; the length of the loin reaches about 1/5 of the height at the
withers and its width is close to its length; muscles are short and
firm but not very conspicuous.
CROUP: upper profile rather flat, obliqueness below the horizontal
reaching around 45 degrees. The length of this lean and solid sloping
croup reaches about the third of the height at the withers, and its
width is nearly half of its length; muscles of the croup are not conspicuous.
CHEST: the length of the chest is slightly more than half the
height at the withers (about 57%) and its width (measured at the widest
part) is slightly less than the third of the height at the withers,
the chest reaches to, or nearly, the level of the elbow, but without
going beyond that level; the ribs are only slightly sprung, but never
flat; the perimeter of the chest, which is more than the height of the
withers by about 1/8th, determines a rather narrow chest.
UNDERLINE: the lower profile corresponds with an evenly ascending
line along the belly without any sudden interruption. Belly lean and
tucked up, flanks of equal length to that of the renal region.
TAIL: low set, rather thick and equal thickness in its entire
length, reaching the point of hock or slightly longer, carried sabre
fashion when in repose, it is lifted over the back, trumpet fashion,
when the dog is alert; short hair.
QUARTERS - FOREQUARTERS: Seen in profile a vertical line drawn
from the point of the shoulder touches the tip of the toes. Another
vertical line, starting at the elbow joint and ending at half-length
of the pastern, divides the forearm and the wrist in two more or less
equal parts. Seen from the front, the limb must correspond to a vertical
line lowered from the point of the shoulder which divides forearm, wrist,
pastern and foot in two equal parts. The height of the foreleg from
the ground to the elbow is slightly more than half the height at the
withers.
SHOULDER: the length of the shoulder blade must reach about 1/3
of the height at the withers with obliqueness below the horizontal of
55 degrees; the upper tips of the blades are close to each other; the
angle between the shoulder and upper-arm (scapula-humeral) measures
115- 120 degrees.
UPPERARM: its length is equal to half the length of the leg measured
from ground to elbow; the arm is almost parallel to the median plane
of the body, slightly oblique below the horizontal, with noticeable
and distinct muscles.
ELBOW: set at level or below the line of the brisket, parallel
to the median plane of the body; the angle between the upper arm and
the forearm (humeral-radial angle) measures about 150 degrees.
FOREARM: its length is equal to the third of the height at the
withers; straight and parallel; the cubital-carpal groove is well marked;
bone structure is light but solid.
WRIST: extends the straight line of the forearm; pisiform bone
prominent.
PASTERN: its length must not be less than 1/6 of the height of
the foreleg, measured from the ground to the elbow; wider than the wrist,
but flat and dry, the pastern is slightly sloping from back to front;
bone structure is flat and lean.
FOREFOOT: oval shaped (hare foot) with well knit and arched toes;
nails strong and curved, brown or fleshy pink nearing brown, but never
black; pads hard of the same colour as the nails.
HINDQUARTERS: Seen in profile, a vertical
line, which descends from the rear point of the buttock to the ground,
touches, or just, the tips of the toes. Seen from behind, a vertical
line drawn from the rear point of the buttock to the ground, splits
in two equal parts the point of the hock, the hind pastern and the hind
foot. The length of the hind limb measures about 93% of the height at
the withers.
UPPER THIGH: long and wide. Its length measures the third of
the height at the withers; muscles are flat and the rear edge of the
upper thigh is slightly convex; its width (outer surface) is equal to
¾ of its length; the angle between the pelvis and upper thigh
(ileum-femoral angle) measures about 115 degrees.
LOWER THIGH: of slightly inferior length to that of the upper
thigh, shows an obliqueness of 55 degrees below the horizontal. The
covering muscles are lean and very distinct; bone structure is light;
the groove along the Achilles tendon is well marked.
STIFLE JOINT: must be on the vertical which goes from the buttock
to the ground; the angle at the stifle joint (tibial-femoral) is about
120 degrees.
HOCK: the distance from the sole of the foot to the point of
the hock is not more than 27% of the height at the withers; its outer
surface is wide; the angle at the hock joint (tibial-tarsal) is about
135 degrees.
HIND PASTERN: its length is equal to a third of the length of
the foreleg measured from ground to elbow; of cylindrical shape and
in vertical position, thus perpendicular to the ground; no dewclaws.
HINDFEET: slightly oval with all the same characteristics as
the forefoot.
GAIT / MOVEMENT: gallop, with intermittent trotting phases.
SKIN: fine and taut, colour varies according to that of the coat.
The mucous membranes and the skin of the nose are in the colours described
for the nose and must never show black nor be depigmented.
COAT- TEXTURE: hair smooth on the head, on the ears and legs;
semi long (about 3 cm) but sleek and close lying on the body and the
tail; hair straight and of vitreous texture.
COLOUR: a) self-coloured tan, darker or lighter shades or diluted
like Isabella, sandy colour, etc.. b) tan with more or less extensive
white, white blaze on the head, white mark on the chest, white feet,
white tip on tail, white belly; a white collar is less appreciated).
Self-coloured white or white with orange patches is tolerated; a tan
coat with a mixture of slightly lighter and darker hairs is allowed.
SIZE: males: from 46 to 50 cm [18.11 to 19.68 in]. Tolerance
up to 52 cm [20.47 in]. females: from 42 to 46 cm [16.53 to 18.11 in].
Tolerance up to 50 cm [19.68 in].
WEIGHT: males: 10 to 12 kg [22.04 to 26.45 lbs]. females: 8 to
10 kg . [17.63 to 22.04 lbs].
FAULTS: any departure from the foregoing points constitutes a
fault which when judging must be penalised according to its seriousness
and extension.
ELIMINATING FAULTS: convergence of the skull/foreface planes;
concave foreface (dish-face); accentuated undershot mouth; black pigmentation,
even slight; totally hanging ears or bat ears; black nails; black pads;
tail curved over the back; self-coloured brown or liver; black or brown
patches; presence of black or brown hairs; height lower than 2 cm [0.78
in] under the minimum indicated by the standard for both males and females;
height exceeding 52 cm [20.47 in] for males and 50 cm [19.68 in] for
females; brindle coat; black mucous membranes.
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS: walleye, overshot mouth, total depigmentation.
NOTE: males should have two apparently normal testicles fully
descended into the scrotum.
FCI translation revised August 2001 by Jane Moore
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