Seven-year-old Daniel Muratore was chatting pleasantly with the housekeeper when she pushed the vacuum in his direction. He bounced out of the way, but the familys 5-year-old Cirneco dellEtna, Alma, raced into the room and attacked the machine -- all four feet up on the bag, teeth sunk in, recalls Audrey Muratore of Houston.

They may be compact in size, but Cirneci possess all the qualities of a much larger hunting breed: loyalty, creative thinking, determination, and courage.

For the past 3,000 years, Cirneci -- pronounced cheer-NAY-kee -- have hunted the area of Mount Etna, a volcano on the island of Sicily. By sight, sound, and scent, they pursued rabbits and small game, and sometimes boar.

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