Send Us Your #FormFollowsFunction Photos!

All dog breeds were bred to perform a specific purpose. We want to see our readers’ dogs doing the work they were bred to do to be shared on The Canine Chronicle!

Thank you Adrianna Vozza for sharing these Form Follows Function photos of your Cirneco dell’Etna, “Bulleit,” (CH Brio di Estasi RATCH TKI) doing what he was bred to do! According to the American Kennel Club, “The sleek and sinewy Cirneco dell’Etna, the ancient coursing hound of Sicily, is an athletic hunter given to quick bursts of speed. This slender but rugged hunter’s coat ranges from light to dark tan or chestnut. The large, upright ears point up the alert expression of the eyes, whose amber or ochre color smartly complements the coat. In many ways, these lithe and leggy Sicilians are typical sighthounds: sweet-natured, independent and, of course, breathtakingly swift. It is said, though, that Cirnechi are a bit more trainable than the usual sighthound. These living artifacts of antiquity have sprinted into the 21st century relatively unchanged by passing fads and fancies.

A clue to the Cirneco’s origin is in its name: Cirneco is derived from a Greek word meaning ‘dog of Cyrene (Libya).’ It is likely that the breed has existed in Sicily since its ancestors arrived on its craggy shores some 3,000 years ago in the holds of ships piloted by those master traders of the ancient world, the Phoenicians. As far back as 500 b.c., dogs resembling Cirnechi appeared on Sicilian coins. For thousands of years Cirnechi (sometimes called Sicilian Greyhounds) have been chasing rabbit, hare, and game birds across the rocky slopes of Mount Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano. Don’t be fooled by the breed’s delicate appearance; the Cirneco dell’Etna is a tough and durable worker, able to go without food or water for hours on the hunt in the hot climate and rugged terrain of its homeland.”

Was your dog bred to hunt? Bred to herd cattle? Was he bred to rescue or guard? Was he bred to hunt rats? Please share your best Form Follows Function photos with us! We want to see them! Email Gia at Gia.Garofalo@caninechronicle.com with your photos!

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=331123

Posted by Gia on Jun 25 2025. Filed under Current Articles, Featured, The Buzz. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.