The breed primarily exists in its traditional role in Abruzzo, its historical region of origin, having not gained popularity from outside dog fanciers.

[3] In 2018 a genetic study found that, just prior to 1859, a broadly distributed European herding dog had given rise to the German Shepherd Dog, the French Berger Picard, and the five Italian herding breeds: the Bergamasco Shepherd, Cane Paratore, Lupino del Gigante, Pastore d'Oropa, and the Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagorai.

[1][4] The Cane Paratore is a robust, medium-sized breed; adult dogs typically weigh 8–10 kg and have shoulder lengths of 30–35 cm.

[3] The Cane Paratore is a swiftly maturing, defensive species that frequently exhibits remarkable levels of adaptability and endurance in a variety of settings.

The Cane Paratore's small gene pool has apparently resulted in occasional natural crossbreeding with wild wolves, which local conservationists consider as a way to preserve genetic diversity.