-mail: arnaldo@sobresalto.it
Address: Via Monteruscello 78 (P.co Cuma)
80078 Pozzuoli (Naples), Italy
Homepage: http://www.sobresalto.it

Approved by the Italian Kennel Club (E.N.C.I.) and F.C.I. to judge at international championship show level:

Gropu 2: Cane Corso
Group 4: All breeds and Group competition
Group 5: Cirneco dell’Etna, Volpino Italiano
Group 10: All breeds and Group competition

Born in Naples in 1972, I spent my childhood surrounded by farm animals of my aunts in their old country house, which was located in the upper part of the city. I spent all my free time helping out with the daily work that went into these animals, which taught me a lot about breeding and helped me develop an instinct for livestock. The first dog to come into my life was a German Shepard named Alex, who was a true companion in my adventures for many years, and was later followed by my Dalmatian, Kevin.
Fascinated by art and beauty, I decided to become an architect, and by doing so I discovered the immense influence purebred dogs have had on art since the very beginnings, especially Sighthounds. From the love of the arts sprang my passion for Whippets, and later, it was Whippets that led me to find my wife, Annalisa, who at the time owned Afghan Hounds and Great Danes as well.
After having bred a few litters of Dachshunds and Whippets, we were taken by the latter and the first Whippet litter to be registered under our prefix, ‘Sobresalto’ was born in 1997, out of our home-bred BigBen and our German import, WW EUW Int.Multi.Ch. Showstar Just Me. ‘Justin’ failed us neither in the showring, nor as a stud, having won the World Winner & European Winner titles the same year, and having sired a Reserve World Winner, Ch. Sobresalto Don’t Cry For Me and our hugely successful European Winner & Veteran World Winner, Int.Multi.Ch. Sobresalto Jamiroquai. Having sired 29 Champion offspring, ‘Jami’ was to become a highly influential sire in the breed and a breakthrough stud for us. At the height of his show career, he won Best in Show at both the Skokloster Whippet Specialty in Sweden and Supreme Best in Show at the German Sighthound Festival in Donauenshingen and again Beauty and Performance winner at Whippet Nationale d’Elevage in France. His remarkable records earnt him an honourable mention with a photograph in the ‘bible’ of the breed: ‘The Whippet’ written by renowned Whippet breeder, judge and historian Bo Bengtson of Bohem fame.
Some of our most notable home-bred are BIS SBIS Int.Multi.Ch. Sobresalto Pourquoi Pas, yet another significant stud both for us and other kennels with 26 Champion offspring; BIS SBIS Int.Multi.Ch. Sobresalto Rendez Vous, Donaueschingen & Finnish Winner and Best in Show at the German National Specialty; BIS SBIS Int.Multi. Sobresalto Ndringhete e Ndrà, European Winner, Best in Show at the prestigious Padenghe Sighthound Specialty in the year when it was held in conjunction with the Afghan Hound World Congress, and BIS at the most prestigious Sighthound Specialty in Austria; BIS Int.Ch. Sobresalto Quann Tramonta o Sole, a Junior European Winner at the FCI Geneva EDS where he topped both the Junior and adult Sighthound Groups; and more recently his hugely successful daughter, BIS Int.Ch. Sobresalto XxX, who, as a junior, started her show career with a Best in Specialty Show at the Whippet World Club Show in 2015 and went on to become Italy’s Nr 2 Dog All Breeds and Top Hound the following year, with 8 All-Breed Best in Shows on her account so far, having claimed the top award at the Insubria Winner Show two years in a row. She is also a World Winner and a three time Donaueschingen Winner. And last but not least, SBIS Int.It.Ch. Sobresalto Standing Ovation, who also won Best in Show at the Padenghe Sighthound Specialty and RBIS at the other Italy’s second largest Sighthound show in Gualdo Tadino and Top Sighthound 2017.
We’ve also been fortunate with our imports, whom have so far lived up to all our expectations. Just to name a few, other than aforementioned ‘Justin’: BIS SBIS Int. Multi. Ch. EW Festiva’s Been There Done That, Int. Multi.Ch. Airescot Gold Field and BIS SBIS Int.Ch. Funny Lady of Gentle Mind.
Sobresalto Whippets have revelled in international success both in the show ring and the whelping box all around the world, and we believe to have contributed to the breed’s gene pool positively. S Jamiroquai and S Pourquoi Pas alone share close to 60 champion offspring they have sired for the breed. We have bred well over a 100 Champions, covering many countries around the world, and numerous International Champions, All-Breed and Specialty Best in Show winners and have been extremely successful at FCI World and European Dog Shows.
Every year, we aim to attend the most important Specialties and All-breed shows, which, for us, means double the effort in making the trips abroad than to most other breeders, as Naples is located far down in the South of Italy. We’re regular visitors at Crufts as well.

In 2016, I was honoured to have been invited to judge the Victoria Whippet Specialty in Australia.
In 2017, I have judged specialties in Portugal, Italy and Finland
In 2018 I was pleased to judge Sighthounds in Sweden and in Norway, and now in Russia.

I enjoy various other activities of the sport, too and in 2000, I became a board member of “Gruppo Cinofilo Partenopeo”, a regional kennel club and member of the ENCI (Italian Kennel Club), that covers the territory of our home area. In 2004, I started to work on a magazine called “Baraka Book” together with a well-established Saluki breeder and friend here in Italy. We published several numbers until the last issue in 2006. The same year, I was elected a board member of the Italian Sighthound Club (Club del Levriero), and I transformed the old Baraka Book in the new club magazine called “Levrieri”, which I still publish twice a year. In 2018 I was elected vice-President of the Italian Sighthound Club.

“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring – it was peace“.
Milan Kundera