[2] The breed, which is indigenous to the island, was founded with approximately 170 specimens gathered from rural parts of inner Sardinia.

Most of the dog breeds are derived by a very small number of founders (for example, nine dogs were used as founders of the Siberian Husky) and therefore inbreeding tends to be high, resulting in a high incidence of illness due to gene mutations.

[3] The dog has a rough coat, which can be grey, black, brindle, brown or white.

The coat, irrespective of color, has a typical coarse outer layer, as well as a woolly and dense undercoat.

The hair on the head and hindquarters is typically short, while the face has longer furnishings around the eyes and a beard-like length around the muzzle and chin.