The cirneco dell'Etna is believed to be a very old breed, closely related to the pharaoh hound, most likely originating from ancient fenician dogs which were traded in Northern Africa, Cypria, Sardinia and Sicily. It is not known for certain if the breed is originally from Africa or Asia, but we do know, based on archeological findings, that it has looked the same since 1500 B.C. In the early 1900s the breed was believed to be extinct, but a few dogs could always be found in the remote hills, where the breed was kept mainly as a harehound. The cirenco is a silent hunter that mainly relies on its nose to find burrows, which it will then furiously try to dig up. This is often the hunter's only way of telling where the dog is located.

The cirneco closely resembles a smaller version of the pharaoh hound, and is a typical harehound, with extremely quick reflexes and a lot of temperament. The head should be oval shaped with marked stop and somewhat longer-than-head muzzle. The ears are set high and carried close to each other. The neck should be long and arched. The body should have a straight topline with the shoulders placed higher than the rear. The chest is well developed but not deep, with a good amount of tuck up. The legs have moderate angulation. The coat is soft on the head, longer and a bit more hard to the touch on the body.