Bracco Italiano

Adult Bracco Italiano

Other names

Italian Pointer
Italian Pointing Dog

Common nicknames

Bracco

Origin

Italy

Traits
Weight	25–40 kg (55–88 lb)
Height	Male	58–67 cm (23–26 in)
	Female	55–62 cm (22–24 in)
Coat	Short, dense and glossy.
Colour	White or white with orange, amber or chestnut markings.
Life span	Over 10 years

Classification / standards
FCI	Group 7, Section 1.1 Continental Pointing Dogs: Pointer type #202	standard
AKC	FSS	standard
	The AKC Foundation Stock Service (FSS) is an optional recording service for purebred dogs that are not yet eligible for AKC registration.
ANKC	Group 3 (Gundogs)	standard
KC (UK)	Gundogs	standard
NZKC	Gundog	standard
UKC	Gun dogs	standard

Notes

The AKC does not have its own standard and instead links to that of the FCI

Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Bracco Italiano [ˈbrakko itaˈljaːno] is a breed of dog developed in Italy as a versatile gun dog.

Description

The Bracco - or Italian Pointer- should be athletic and powerful in appearance, most resembling a cross between a German Shorthaired Pointer and a Bloodhound, although it is nothing like them in character. It has pendulous upper lips and long ears that create a serious expression. It should be "almost square", meaning that its height at the withers should be almost the same as the length of its body. It should not however be actually square as this would render its famous rear driving push off and front/rear extension to be compromised, thus losing much of its powerful grace. The tail can be docked, mostly due to the strong possibility of injury in rough/dense terrain when hunting, however there has been a sea-change in Italy, with some now working the breed with full tail.

Coat and colour

Brown roan.

Orange white.

Coat colors in Bracco Italiano puppies.

Frontal.

Lateral.

The Bracco Italiano has a distinctive solemn facial expression.

The coat is short, dense, and glossy. The texture should be fairly hard, though somewhat shorter and softer on the head, throat, ears, legs, and feet. Shedding happens a couple of times a year, and a hound glove really helps in removing dead coat.

The most common colours are Bianco-Arancio - White-Orange and Roano-Marrone - Roano-Brown, chestnut, or amber coloured patches on the face, ears, base of tail, and body.

Black on the coat is a fault, as are "three-color" dogs, such as orange/white with chestnut spottings above the eyes, on the muzzle and legs, such as the pattern of a Doberman or Rottweiler. weight is 25–40 kilograms (55–88 lb).

Movement

The gait, when hunting, starts out as a gallop, but slows to a long trot as the dog comes into scent. This trot should be long and fluid, with plenty of reach and drive (the 'almost square' body contributes to this). As a Bracco comes closer and closer to scent, the gait slows to a creep, and settles into a "point", with a front leg usually held up in the classic pointing dog position. The point may be held (no movement) or the dog can "creep" along with the bird's movement - especially convenient with birds that run, like the pheasant. Either is acceptable in Italy. The head should be held above the topline, which facilitates the air scenting for which this breed is known. A well-built Bracco, with a full and developed musculature covering, is an attractive mover and covers a lot of ground.

Temperament

Braccos are very much a people-loving dog and thrive on human companionship, having a strong need to be close to their people. They are a particularly good family dog, and many have a strong love of children. They get along well with other dogs and pets, if trained to do so - it is, afterall, a hunting breed - and must be taught what to chase and what not to. They are very willing to please as long as they have decided that your idea is better than theirs. Obedience training is a must for a Bracco, and the more is asked of them, the better they do. Harsh reprimands do not work with this breed unless the reprimand is a fair one - and harshness must occasionally be used with some dogs to remind them who is actually in charge. Although not an aggressive breed, many Braccos will alert if there is a reason, and some will bark or growl if there's a good reason.

The breed loves to hunt, and they excel at it - in fact, a non-hunting Bracco is not a happy Bracco, and will act out in various other ways. Hunting without a gun (as in NAVHDA - this group does not even allow a handler to carry a gun during trials) is an area in which the Bracco can excel and this can be a great opportunity for training the dog to connect with the owner. They are an active breed, but require more mental exercise than physical exercise to keep them happy. A Bracco owner can teach games like hide-and-seek (an object or person) which fits into the breed's original and current usage, and keeps them mentally active.

History

The Bracco Italiano originated in Italy, and there are writings concerning the breed that date back to the 4th and 5th centuries BC. It is believed to be a cross between a Segugio Italiano (a coursing hound) and the Asiatic Mastiff. Others claim the breed goes back to the St. Hubert Hound. Undoubtedly, both hounds and gundogs are in the breed's ancestry for there was an old practice of mating these together to produce a dog capable of pointing, but with more stamina.

There are two variations of the breed. The first originated in Piedmont, and was for that reason known as the Piedmontese Pointer. The other originated in Lombardy, and was known as the Lombard Pointer. The Bracco from Piedmont is lighter in color and build than the Lombard variety, probably due to the mountainous terrain there. It was well established by the Middle Ages. The Bracco thrived during the Renaissance and was bred by both the Medici and Gonzaga families.

They were sought out by the aristocracy and used to hunt feathered game. At the end of the 19th century and the early 20th century the breed nearly became extinct. Later, it was saved primarily by the combined efforts of the Italian breeder Ferdinando Delor de Ferrabouc and - during the later World Wars - of a few staunch Italian breeders whose families had already dedicated themselves to the Bracco over several centuries.

The Italian standard for the breed was released in 1949 from the S.A.B.I. (Societá Amatori Bracco Italiano) in Lodi, Lombardy. It came to England in 1989.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bracco Italiano.

Bracco Italiano at DMOZ

Gundogs

Pointers	Burgalese Pointer English Setter Gordon Setter Irish Red and White Setter Irish Setter Pointer

Versatile gundogs	Ariege Pointer Blue Picardy Spaniel Bracco Italiano Braque du Bourbonnais Braque d'Auvergne Braque Français Braque Saint-Germain Brittany Ca Mè Mallorquí Cesky Fousek Drentsche Patrijshond French Spaniel German Longhaired Pointer German Shorthaired Pointer German Wirehaired Pointer Large Münsterländer Old Danish Pointer Pachón Navarro Perdigueiro Galego Picardy Spaniel Portuguese Pointer Pudelpointer Saint-Usuge Spaniel Slovakian Rough Haired Pointer Small Münsterländer Spinone Italiano Stabyhoun Vizsla Weimaraner Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

Retrievers	Chesapeake Bay Retriever Curly Coated Retriever Flat-Coated Retriever Golden Retriever Labrador Retriever Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Spaniels	American Cocker Spaniel Boykin Spaniel Clumber Spaniel English Cocker Spaniel English Springer Spaniel Field Spaniel German Spaniel Kooikerhondje Pont-Audemer Spaniel Russian Spaniel Sussex Spaniel Welsh Springer Spaniel

Water dogs	American Water Spaniel Barbet Cantabrian Water Dog Irish Water Spaniel Lagotto Romagnolo Poodle Portuguese Water Dog Spanish Water Dog Wetterhoun

Extinct	Alpine Spaniel Braque du Puy English Water Spaniel Norfolk Spaniel Old Spanish Pointer Tweed Water Spaniel

Dogs originating in Italy

Hounds	Cirneco dell'Etna Italian Greyhound Levriero Italiano Levriero Sardo Piccolo Segugio dell'Appennino Segugio Cravin Segugio Italiano Segugio Maremmano

Gundogs	Bracco Italiano Lagotto Romagnolo Spinone Italiano

Pastoral dogs	Bergamasco Shepherd Cane di Oropa Cane Lupino del Gigante Cane Toccatore Pastore Italiano Maremma Sheepdog Mastino Abruzzese Pastore Fonnese

Molossers	Cane Corso Cane da presa Neapolitan Mastiff St. Bernard

Miscellaneous	Bolognese Lupo Italiano Maltese Montanino delle Alpi Volpino Italiano

Bracco Italiano Club of America www.thebraccoclub.org

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/15/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.