. ▁ 7 6 , ▁there ▁are ▁four ▁w olf ▁cross es . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁a ▁gen etic ▁study ▁found ▁that , ▁just ▁prior ▁to ▁ 1 8 5 9 , ▁a ▁broad ly ▁distributed ▁European ▁her ding ▁dog ▁had ▁given ▁rise ▁to ▁the ▁German ▁She ph erd ▁Dog , ▁the ▁French ▁Ber ger ▁Pic ard , ▁and ▁the ▁five ▁Italian ▁her ding ▁bre eds : ▁the ▁Berg am as co ▁She ph erd , ▁C ane ▁Par atore , ▁L up ino ▁del ▁G ig ante , ▁Past ore ▁d ' O rop a , ▁and ▁the ▁Past ore ▁della ▁Less in ia ▁e ▁del ▁Lag or ai . ▁ ▁The ▁L up o ▁Ital iano ▁ ▁The ▁L up o ▁Ital iano ▁is ▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁created ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁by ▁crossing ▁a ▁German ▁She ph erd ▁Dog ▁with ▁a ▁wild ▁w olf ▁from ▁northern ▁Laz io . ▁Its ▁mat ernal ▁gen et ics ▁and ▁gest ation ▁was ▁from ▁the ▁wild ▁w olf . Current ly , ▁the ▁bre ed ▁is ▁protected ▁by ▁president ial ▁dec ree , ▁st ip ulating ▁that ▁this ▁' State ' ▁dog ▁can ▁not ▁be ▁commercial ized ▁nor ▁b red ▁outside ▁the ▁officially ▁recognized ▁ag ency , ▁the ▁Et li , ▁En te ▁T ut ela ▁del ▁L up o ▁Ital iano ▁( A gency ▁for ▁the ▁Prote ction ▁of ▁the ▁L up o ▁Ital iano ). ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁bre ed ▁is ▁claimed ▁to ▁be ▁a