At a glance the quick version
Coat and looks how to spot one
wolf-like coat
A large, wolf-like dog with a strong chest, powerful jaws, medium pointed ears and ideally slanted golden eyes. The long tail hangs low at rest and curves a little when raised.1
Daily activity how busy a day looks
A large working dog used for search and rescue and detection, so it needs lots of exercise and purposeful work.1
The story where it all began
The line began in 1966 with a cross between a German Shepherd and a wolf from the province of Rieti, and was developed by Mario Messi. Private ownership was not allowed, and the dogs were trained for public roles such as police work, search and rescue and drug detection. Later genetic studies found the dogs to be closely related to German Shepherds.1
Fun facts for the dinner table
Recognised by the official bits
- ENCI
- Not recognised by the Italian kennel club (ENCI) or any major kennel club.1
- Italian state (presidential decree)
- A 1987 presidential decree recognised the breed's founding association (ASOLI). The breed is now managed by AAALI.1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Lupo Italiano. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Brushingevery week
- Bathevery 8 weeks
- Nail trimSooner if you hear clicking on the floorevery month
- Ear checkFloppy ears trap moisture, so check and dry themevery week
- Teeth brushingDaily brushing is idealevery 2 days
- ExerciseDaily walks and playevery day
- Flea, tick and worm protectionSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- Vet check-upSenior years usually start around age 7every year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Lupo Italiano - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for all fields
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.