Canine Agripark
The treasure chest of biodiversity
On TG1 (Italian newscast) in prime time
Our breeding kenneland the innovative valorization project of the Italian breeds.
In the middle of the fascinating district of Tortona hills, borderland and strategic melting pot of ancient populations, arises the first Italian biological breeding center totally dedicated to Italian dog breeds and biodiversity. Our breeding kennel evolves constantly, and we work hard in order to keep it up that way.
Our breeding reality was built and developed in full compliance with the rules that regulate animal care and wellbeing, but it also takes a step further, proposing and embracing the psychophysical wellness idea of dogs and other animals that live here, like alpacas, goats, sheep, horses and chickens.
An unique project and an original breeding concept, innovative and professional, but closely connected to tradition, nature, and territory. Our kennel is not aiming at detached intensive breeding, but we rather distinguish and qualify as extensive biological breeding farm.At the same time, we don’t adapt to the already obsolete, and often not faithful to the regulations, amateur selection concept, frequently lacking in correct competences, in necessary sanitary authorizations and genetic resources. Indeed, this kind of management, even if fed by possible passion, is not able to sustain and supportthe real wellness of its inhabitants.We promote and bring to life educational programs of public- and school-awareness. We debate important topics, like the traditional biodiversity conservation of Italy, giving specific information on the raised breeds, on their natural regional habitat, on the possibilities and the attempts planned or realized for their integration in working backgrounds, also beyond the domestic environment. We actively contribute to the conservation of rare Italian working breeds, both in Italy and abroad. Italian guardian dog breeds
The Gardian Breeds From Italy
Maremma Shepherd
Region of origin: Abruzzo.
It is the indisputable King among the Italian shepherding breeds. Extraordinarily strong, rustic and courageous, ideal for multiple uses. It is a dog for many, but not for everyone.
![Abruzzo - regione del maremmano Abruzzo - regione del maremmano](/fileadmin/_processed_/9/f/csm_abruzzo_4a1d078d8c.png)
Over time the selection has made it more domesticated and less intolerant towards strangers. It has become a great family dog, but though to some extent it has mitigated its guarding attitude, we are able to provide working line dogs to those who may need them for livestock or property-guarding.
Sila Shepherd
Region of origin: Calabria
A rare and rough gem of the Italian dog-breeding heritage that always makes people talk about.
Very well built, charming appearance, majestic and noble. Great and dynamic guardian dog, it distinguishes itself as an honest family companion dog.
![Calabria - regione del pastore della sila Calabria - regione del pastore della sila](/fileadmin/_processed_/4/4/csm_calabria_65414caef4.png)
Pastore dellaSila has been historically used for guarding Capra Nicastrese, a local Calabrian goats’ breed that shows the same typical black-and white coat pattern as the Sila shepherd. This breed is perfect if kept in a pack of 3-5 dogs, that is also the perfect number to keep the wolf and other possible predators at bay.
Cane Fonnese
Region of origin: Sardinia.
Not really a shepherding dog, it is better defined as the shepherd’s dog, due to its being more dependent on human intervention that the other two great Italian shepherds -Maremma and Sila.
“Monkeyish” expression and rapacious eyes, strong jaws, long and somewhat rasta-style hair, courageous, cooperation spirit: these features make it an essential auxiliary for Sardinian shepherds from the dawn of time.
![Sardegna - regione del cane fonnese Sardegna - regione del cane fonnese](/fileadmin/_processed_/f/9/csm_sardegna_41e5c9597b.png)
Though it does have a certain guardian dog predisposition, it is less guided by instinct and more related to the cooperation with man. An ancient breed, but with modern present and future. Its history is inextricably related to the Sardinian populations and its attitude is closely linked to the lack of wolf that would prey the sheep herds in Sardinia.
Spino degli Iblei
Region of origin: Sicily.
Beautiful, with messy hair, it’s the Sicilian dog’s charm. Rustic and spartan dogs, that live in herd to this day. They are independent and very attached to the herd, on which they depend, with very few resources available in the “Mannare” (farms), in which they reside.
![Sicilia - regione dello spino degli iblei Sicilia - regione dello spino degli iblei](/fileadmin/_processed_/2/7/csm_sicilia_dcdc525b10.png)
In Sicily, the wolf has not been present for over a century; today the role of the Sicilian shepherd is to protect the herd from rustling or other stray dog assaults. SpinodegliIblei is ideal as a court or henhouse dog, being very pacific with cats and other courtyard animals.
& Lagotto Romagnolo
Our truffle project
![Emilia Romagne - regione del lagotto Emilia Romagne - regione del lagotto](/fileadmin/_processed_/6/7/csm_emilia-romagna_cde4f2079c.png)
Our estate is situated within territories and districts rich in truffles. The truffle hunting, conducted with Lagotti raised by us and specialized in truffle hunting around the hills of Tortona, is living an intense growth phase, with various truffle ground projects at tree planting stage, in which we train our truffle dogs.
LagottoRomagnolo is an Italian ancient breed too, an excellent selection “Made in Italy” and the only dog breed that is recognized worldwide for its specific predisposition and vocation.
About Us
Our national selection centre for Italian guardian dogs is a leading kennel foranti-wolf guardiandogs.
In particular, we deal with traditional Italian shepherding breeds, the result of Italian ancient pastoral traditions and vivid expression of the biodiversity in Italy.
Our anti-wolf guardian dog breeding program aims at limiting the conflicts between the zootechnical and the primitive world.
The goal is to enable the coexistence of wolves and sheep farming. Our work has a strong economic impact on the typical rural cheese production chain and amplifies the concept of possible coexistence between predators and domestic livestock,thanks to the prevention of damage.
We breed Italian guardian dogs, and our kennel is a reference point within the market niche that we occupy.
Maremma Sheepdogis, numerically speaking, the King of these breeds. The innovation lies in having believed in the breeding peculiarities of SilaShepherd (Calabria), Cane Fonnese (Sardinia) and SpinodegliIblei (Sicily), ancient traditional breeds, officially recognized by ENCI (National Italian Cynophile Authority) i, that guarantee biodiversity and variability of herd defense options, to be offered to whom looks after sheep farming or to whom wants to protect their livestock.
The tradition is in the service of a current set of problems, but reconsidered with scientific method, which we apply to our evaluations.
According to the Italian legislation, a breeding kennel with more than 5 dogs is subject to applicable laws and regulations, that don’t keep pace with the recently acquired notions in terms of animal wellbeing.
These regulations imply dogs being kept in cages for most of their lives, missing the opportunity of showing the behavioral pattern. However, although we do fulfill all the necessary requirements and offer sufficient number of covered cages, our dogs have 18 hectares of enjoyable areas available. Our dogs live in matriarchically structured groups, together with sheep, alpacas, bovines, donkeys, chickens, according to the type of livestock they are going to protect in their future lives. It is a specific and developmental imprinting process that takes place at an early age. This allow us to have a clear idea of our target; therefore, we are able to make our clients extremely satisfied of our reliable “gift”. Our breeding guarantees are superior to any other breeding kennel in Italy.
CERTIFICATIONS
![Confederazione Italiana Agricoltori](/fileadmin/_processed_/9/a/csm_CIA_86fc1f1a92.png)
Activity
Extensive organic social farm
Our breeding kennelreuses sources of rainwater to cleaning purposes. Every by-product of business fodder processing is reused, hay used as bedding, wood used for the construction of panoramic/didactic pedestrian trails inside our property.
The business investments have diversified during the years, being more onerous, but also focused and efficient. They have extended from the total renovation and the construction of new external productive facilities (paddocks and fencings) and new internal productive facilities (boxes and nursery), built in full respect of the local landscape, reusing preexisting materials or using raw materials with low environmental impact.
To the present day we have built more than xx km of fencing, tree-lined paths, and refurbished the access to the woods.
We also have restructured and adapted barns and haylofts. The organic farm relies on 18 hectares, within woods and arable land. Our organic farm is European leader.
Zero-km
Our nourishment suppliers
![Borgoglio - Macellazione Pollame e Coniglio](/fileadmin/_processed_/e/c/csm_borgoglio_e97f9f842d.png)
The Wolf
The use of DOGS to face THE WOLF...
The wolf is back and is taking hold of abandoned spaces. This natural comeback is possible thanks to the great animal adaptability and the total protection, which was the legislator’s agenda to prevent the species extinction since the 70s. The wolf playsan ecologic and economic role, because it is an infallible ungulate predator; handsome, ethic, cultural, cruel, wild, but also spiritual, because it is a noble animal, free to represent a part of our culture, which can be found in fairytales, legends and traditions. Its presence, also where it has never been reported before, is advantageous because the wolf has always been a regulator ofwildlife. Its absence has been influential for the ungulate’s proliferation, which caused enormous agricultural damages. The beauty of the Italian landscape lies on the balance between natural, rural, urban and suburban landscape. The presence of the great predator is stable in suburbs areas of big cities.
Rome, as a popular tale narrates, was founded by the twins Romolo and Remo, who were raised and fed by a she-wolf. In recent years, numerous wolves’ packs can be seen in Rome area, as well as in many more places including Abruzzo, Liguria, Piedmont and others, including more and more urban and sub-urban areas. There is no constant monitoring and we have the feeling that today the situation is not under control. Some breeding activities and particular environmental situations are subjected to continuous predations of sheep, goats, cattle and horses, causing serious economic damages, that are rarely quantified and even more rarely refunded by the Regions.
This conflict is more and more increasing and, like it often happens in Italy, counterposed factions unlikely find a solution that takes into account everyone’s reasons. Our position is well balanced, it focuses on the wolf and the mountain and pasture ecosystem. It is a fragile ecosystem, where the balancing elements have been prevention devices since many centuries.
Breeding techniques andguardian dogs’employment against the wolf.
For a long time, in the pastures of Abruzzo, in the natural parks, and in the Apennines, cradle of the residual population of Canis Lupus and of the Italian sheep farming, the regulation element has always been the Maremma ShepherdorSila Shepherd. These dogs have worked with men also in long and dangerous relocations through the Apennine routes, thanks to their predisposition for the herd protection.
The PSR (Governmental Support Measures aimed at Rural Development) do promote certain measures of protection for Regions and National Parks. These measurements generally imply the purchase of electric nets, along with other dissuasion devices and, in some cases, also shepherding dogs that are the only weapon against the predator. However, the good intentions are mostly ruined by their application that, in the specific case of shepherding dogs, only pays for the purchase (mostly covering a sum that is much lower than the current market price for a guardian dog) and hardly ever covers the maintenance of the dog nor the formation of the shepherd for the dog management. Dogs, who more often than not come without the necessary documentation, are provided by people who lack the essential competences to select the right dog for the right task and environment. The result is that dogs do not give the expected solutions, because the main interest of the amateur dog-breeding environment was and even now is exclusively focused on the sale of the dog, and not on the resolution of the intrinsic problem…
Not all dogs belonging to a guardian breed are good herd guardians, and this alters the perception of the dog as real and unique valid deterrent against the wolf. Having one or more big white dogs or guard dogs is not sufficient to contain the problem.
The guarding attitude cannot be taught, it is rather a congenital talent, a mix of living the imprinting phase with the herd and with the adult shepherd dogs team, who are educators, in a certain sense. Above all, it is very important to be able to select genuine, determined dogs, which are able to fulfill their destiny of herd guarding as it is impressed on their DNA.
CIA – Italian Farmers, together with ENCI (National Italian Cynophile Authority), after an investigation phase and a detailed study on the matter, has shared, towards the promoting authorities (Regions, Parks, GAL, etc.), the need of a protection model, which involves the use of dogs, born at dedicated breeding facilities, living the contact with the predator. This protection model should valorize the genetics behavioral, attitudinal and morphological selection, certified through pedigree according to the law, supporting the sharing of experiences of cynophile and zootechnical breeders and involving the scientific and academic institutions in the actionsmonitoring.
Gallery
[video]
Maremmano in coppia. Scegli sempre una coppia, per il tuo e per il suo benessere.
Insegnare al cucciolo a non mordicchiare
Detto Pastore Siciliano o Spino degli Iblei, è il cane da pastore autoctono siciliano.
Pastore Maremmano e bambini … Le Regole da conoscere e da applicare per facilitare la convivenza.
Educazione cinofila bambini
Pastore della Sila scopriamo il cane da capra di Calabria.
Pastore maremmano cane guida
Maremmano adulto, lavaggio semplice ed efficace.
Maremmano: accoppiamento, parto e cura dei cuccioli
Contact
Info
Professional breeding kennel“Il Pastore Transumante”islocated in Sarezzano (Tortona, Alessandria). For further information or to make an appointment, please contact us:
Telephone number: +39 366 320 1812
E-mail: dario.capogrosso@gmail.com
or contact us through the contact model on the side.