Gelsomina wearing her PatriaPet leash

I first learned of the Volpino Italiano when I was doing research to decide which breed would be right for my husband, two elderly cats, and me. I read that American Eskimos are descended from Volpino Italianos. I immediately wanted to learn more about the "little Italian foxes". I quickly became convinced that this was the right breed for me, and once we got Gelsomina (whom we named after a character in the Fellini movie "La Strada" and which means "jasmine" in Italian) I knew we had made the right choice. She is extremely loving to us and is very considerate of our two aging cats. She is energetic, playful and totally devoted to my husband and me. She has very sharp ears and will bark when she hears a person or dog outside. Even though she barks at other dogs, she is very quick to make friends. She has never snapped at another dog or person. However, she does "attack" the spray from the hose when we water our garden.