Bracco Italiano / Italian Pointer, Italian Pointing Dog, Bracco

Breed history:

Many experts think, that this breed is the oldest of the European Pointer breeds. The Italian Pointer is mentioned in Plineus', Xenophon's or Dante's writings. Ancient Roman marbles show dogs similar to this breed. The Italian sculptor Benvenuto Callini made a sculpture representing this dog which can now be admired at the Louvre Museum. It is assumed that this type of Pointer was developed by crossbreeding the Buckhounds with the Mastiff. In the 19th century, the dog’s popularity starts to decline when the hunter’s attention turns to the English breeds. However, in the 20th century, this breed was revived and spread. At first there were two types, one with white and orange fur from Piedmont and one with white and brown fur from Lombardy, but today they are considered the same breed.

Description:

It is a large-sized, strong dog with a square look, vigorous and with a harmonious aspect. Its head is big, narrow with a long muzzle and a big nose that can be brown or pink. The eyes are large, oval and light brown. The ears are big, long, round-ended and drooping. The tail is medium-sized, docked at 13-15 cm and kept horizontally. The fur is short, thick, glossy and soft. The coat can be white with small or big spots, orange or light brown.

Personality:

It is an intelligent, active,  hard working dog, quiet and peaceful indoors, sensitive and sometimes stubborn. It is obedient and devoted to its master, affectionate with children, suspicious of and cautious with strangers. It gets along well with other dogs and other household animals. It has a sharp sense of smell and hearing.

Grooming:

A more intense brushing with a rubber during the shedding period is enough.

Living conditions:

It is a dog that feels great in the open, in a fenced yard, with an active master. It likes to run by a bike, to participate in hunting, to swim, to run (when he is fully grown, somewhere around a year and a half). It requires training and socialization.

Training:

The training must be gentle, encouraging, done in a calm voice, without raising the tone of the voice. The training must be consistent and well-balanced. It must not be overworked during the growing period. It reaches psychological maturity at the age of 2-3 years.

Usefulness:

 It is a good bird hunter and an excellent retriever. It is a good watchdog and a pleasant companion.