Phoenix is a rare Italian breed of hunting dog, named after the Etna volcano in eastern Sicily for its keen sense of smell and its swift and fiery ability to hunt rabbits, or anything similar — like cats.
If you ever wanted to see one, Phoenix is about to take the stage in her first national dog show this weekend at the Dogs New Zealand and Waikouaiti Kennel Association Dog Show in Dunedin.
Her owner, Ministry for Primary Industries veterinarian Nicky Taylor, of Invercargill, said Phoenix was ‘‘a very sweet dog’’, but like all Cirneco dell'Etnas, they were ‘‘independent, very smart and very high energy’’.
‘‘They are quite affectionate. They've also got quite high prey drive.
‘‘Obviously they were bred as a hunter to go out hunting, so things like cats and getting a recall and things, can be a bit challenging.’’
Phoenix and the family cat got on pretty well, but it had taken quite a lot of work to make them friends.
‘‘I think if you were going to get one, you'd have to be a bit wary.
‘‘One of the things you'd have to consider is how you're going to introduce them to a cat.’’
Dr Taylor said she got Phoenix (Rosardi Saveria Palazzolo) as a 12-week-old puppy from an Australian breeder in October last year.
She is the only one of her breed in New Zealand.
Dr Taylor said Phoenix had been learning different disciplines in recent months in preparation for the dog show, including scent work, some trick training, breed showing, some foundation agility training, canine assisting and ‘‘not chasing the cat’’ training.
Unfortunately, she has not yet learnt to retrieve the ODT each morning, she said.
‘‘I could probably teach her to retrieve it, but she might chew it on the way back in.’’
Dr Taylor was pleased there would be international judges from Finland, Romania and Australia at the Dunedin show because the Cirneco dell'Etna was not a common breed, and the judges were likely the only people who had seen one before.
The show consists of three benefit shows and two championships, and more than 200 dogs have registered to compete, including other rare dog breeds such as the Pharaoh Hound and the Norwegian Elkhound.
The show starts at Forester Park, on Saturday and runs through until Monday.
