Lupino del Gigante Breed - Facts and Information

Appearance
The Lupino del Gigante is a breed with well developed muscles, but which has quite athletic body, with strong back and long legs, deep chest and well sprung ribs. The average height of Luvin is between 48-62 cm, which is 19-24 inch and weight is usually between 20-30 kg, which is 44-66 lbs. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males.
This breed has a relatively small, almond shaped eyes, that are typically in brown color, but they can also have blue eyes and they can show heterochromia, which means, that each eye is in different color.
The Lupino del Gigante can be found in two coat varieties, short and long haired. Both coats are very dense. The short coat has rough texture and wooly undercoat. The long haired variety can have normal or bearded face. The breed can be in any possible color or color combination, but the most common color is the classic wolf gray or different shades of brown, reddish, copper, gray and black.
Temperament
The main utilization of Lupino del Gigante is working with livestock and they were used for this purpose for a long time, which formed their personality. To be good herders and livestock protectors, the breed must be smart, but also independent, quite lively, alert to its surroundings, loyal to the shepherd and determined to its work. And Lupino del Gigante is just like that. These dogs are also good adepts for personal protection or just as companions.
And they can make excellent companion dogs for active families who will take their dog on daily outdoor walks, hikes or jogs. The Lupino del Gigante is amazing playful and affectioante companion, that creates a very strong bond with its owners. They can live with kids in the family, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. The Luvin dog can also live with other dogs in the family and they can be socialized with other household pets as well.
These dogs have rather higher energy level and it is extremely important to exercise them every single day, so they do not become bored and possibly develop some unwanted behaviour, such as destruction. Thanks to their intelligence and lively spirit, they can compete in various dog sports, such as agility. Dog sports, task oriented playtimes or fun training sessions are excellent way how to deal with the dogs physical, but also mental needs.
History
The exact origin and ancestry of Lupino del Gigante is unclear, as it is a very old and ancient dog breed. There are several theories about the breeds origin. One says, that it is a direct descendant of a primitive lupoid that lived in Secchia valley, Reggio Emilia.
A genetic study from 2018 shows, that Lupino del Gigante shares the same ancestor with other European herding dogs, such as Berger Picard, German Shepherd and other Italian herding breed, such as Bergamasco, Cane Paratore, Pastore di Oropa or Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagorai. This old ancestor was some kind of a common European herding dog, broadly distributed over the Europe.
For centuries, the Luvin was used to work with livestock in Italian mountains, especially in the Reggio Emilia province, but with the decline of farming, the popularity of Luvin declined a lot. With the income of foreign breeds, many remaining Lupino del Gigante dogs were crossbred with these new dogs, such as German Shepherd or Belgium Shepherd, which is a reason, why Luvin almost became extinct in the 20th century and it is extremely hard to find pure Luvin dog these days. During these days, one man, Cristian Ielli found approximately 30 pure specimen of Lupino del Gigante, which he used to recover the breed. Luckily, the breed survived and an association has been created which is looking to preserve the breed and increase its popularity and purity once again.
Health and grooming
No matter if the Luvin has short or long coat, it does shed some deal and regular brushing is always beneficial to remove loose hair and dirt from the coat. It will also remove any tangles or mats from the longer coat and keep it in best possible condition. No other grooming needs are necessary. Just like with any other breed, you should regularly check the dogs ears, eyes, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.
There are no scientific studies about the breeds health, but it seems, that this is rather healthy dog with no linked genetic health issues. Of course, they may suffer from some health problems, just like any other breed in the world and those may include allergies and infections, some joint problems like hip dysplasia or some eye problems, but none of those is extremely common within this breed.