BRACCO ITALIANO
A page to help understand the Bracco Italiano
Adorable puppiesIn the UK Puppies can not leave the breeders home until they reach 8 weeks of age.
The Bracco puppy is well developed and more than ready for its new home at 8 weeks. When you collect your puppy you will continue social skills which your breeder started your puppy on. |
SHOW TRAININGMake sure you go to a show breeder if you want a show dog. Their expertise will help you choose the right dog in the litter for you. In a litter not all dogs have show quality. If you do not tell them you may end up with one thats not going to get placed, or if it gets a place it wont be first places. There are many good show breeders in the UK.
|
SOCIALISEDHome raised puppies have a much better outlook, as they are used to the sights and sounds of family life. Good breeders will have enrichment toys, and devote their time to social development.
Many breeders do not home raise so it is up to you to ask the right questions. Being inside the home for a start brings their best qualities out. |
They are short coated breed. Yes they loose their coat and more than other HPT breeds. They can have weeks of loosing coat. You will want a throw over your furniture.
The Bracco has a huge blanket of skin covering his/her skeleton. They are a breed of dog where dust, muck clings to the hair. I have always said my Braccos need bathing more regular than the Hungarian Vizsla. They are known to roll in anything disgusting, and take pleasure in doing so. Because the breed has a lot of loose skin, it folds and you must keep the skin clean, as to stop mites building up and causing health issues. I give mine a good groom every few days with a Zoom Groom. When I bath my Bracco I blast their coat with a blaster. These can be purchased on Amazon for under £80. Bracco play quite hard with each other as they pull the skin. They grab tails on other dogs to stop them from running away. Damage can easily be done. But it's not nasty, it is hard play. They do not realise how hard they are sometimes with each other but if you shout at them they will stop instantly and reevaluate and stop. They do listen, they are intelligent and they don't like getting things wrong. They make good dogs to train. Puppies in particular play hard around 7 weeks of age and they are very mouthy. But once removed from their siblings at 8 weeks it stops the mouthing. Be sure to provide lots of healthy chew items for your puppy to bite. Teething hurts. Lots of puppies go away with redness from the over biting from siblings. Which just goes days after because it is not being chewed all the time. I should mention Bracco teeth. When they are born they have flatter faces which has to lengthen over time. This can cause irregular tooth shape which you will not see in other breeds of dogs. If your puppy has mis-shaped teeth do not panic as it will right itself. Ill never forget my sons puppy Letty had the largest over bite with miss-shaped canines. But once she reached 9 months of age she had the perfect scissor bite, and she has been shown since. A big mistake is to allow vets to remove teeth too soon. If your dogs mouth does not change by 18 months then you can think about removing problematic teeth. But do not be quick to do so as you may regret it. They usually come right in the end. Young males can be a bit silly and if you've given them a inch they will take a mile. Or in many cases ten miles. They go through the puberty stage from 7 months and it can last up to 2 1/2. In this time you may have to re tech the dog recall and rules again. The breed is well known for its huge paws, they should have cat like feet not hare feet. Puppies feet can go flat, and pasterns can be weak during teething stages. Wait it out, walk the puppy on stones or hard surfaces and the legs will strengthen. Do not over exercise and make sure you are giving a balanced diet. Bracco benefit from the raw diet, because Bloat and gastric torsion is seen in the breed. Dogs that are raw fed have less chances of developing bloat. Exercise - The guideline of the 5 minute rule is beneficial to large breeds of dogs. Five minutes of exercise per month of age, up to twice a day until the puppy is grown. The Bracco has a set of dew claws on the front and on the back. Some do have double dew claws on the back legs. Double dew claws are not as desirable in the UK but in Italy they are. The job of a dew claw is supporting the leg when scrambling down rocks, holding bones to eat. Some breeders do remove the dew claws but they should really leave them alone. 
They are a slow maturing breed of dog, and males do not gain their muscle until they are 3 plus. It is important not to neuter during the growing stages and only do once the dog has reached adulthood.
The breed is not well known in the UK and you may not of seen one before. If you have stumbled across one you may wrongly think its a bloodhound. If you stood a blood hound beside a Bracco you would see they are quite different. The Bracco is a gun dog from Italy. In the UK we have spaniels, labradors, retriever's but in Italy they have Bracco. They are part of the HUNT, POINT, RETRIEVE breeds. Because they can do the whole job at hand. They live to work. They are the best of both worlds as they can chill at home, and be content, but when you say okay walk time, they will spring to life. The Bracco was bred to cover the ground effortlessly, and they do. They have an extended trot which is a massive feature of their movement. They are pretty awesome to watch. But the one thing you must train is recall. Because it takes them seconds to cover a field. Their are two breed clubs in the UK, with like minded enthusiasts trying to preserve the breed and always happy to give advice. Not all breeders are members of the clubs. |
BRACCO ITALIANO
The Bracco italiano is a wonderful breed of dog. They are a large dog and their neck size as an adult can start at 18" plus. The bracco is a heavy boned dog, and they have very large feet. The Plural for Bracco Italiano is Bracchi The Bracco is a wonderful breed of dog. They are a large dog which is heavy boned. They have very large feet. They can reach weights over 30 kilos, and males can easily reach 45 kilos and more. Although they are large, they are not clumsy and can be quite mindful around young children and you. They are just awesome dogs to live with. I find them less demanding than other HPR breeds. They are very affectionate and have no awareness of your personal space. You will learn quickly the Bracco Boof! This is when you're sitting watching TV and they want to be touched. They smack you with their paw. They do not let up until they have got your attention. Boys are certainly needy. I have owned 3 males in my time and all would not fair well in a kennel, would not fair well even outside. They have to be with you. They stress when they can not be with you. Girls however are independent, and although love affection they are happier to be sitting in the garden in the sunshine. They are affectionate dogs, and love cuddles. You should not buy one for a guard dog. They were bred for a purpose which was flushing birds. Their bark however is loud and deep. They do not seem to bark at anything, and will only bark if they think someone is on your property. But do not expect a Bracco to defend you. Colours seen in the breed: White and Orange, orange roan, chestnut and white, chestnut roan. Rarely there is solid orange or chestnut. Amber is a deeper Orange colour. Burnt Orange is seen in Italy. Coat patterns vary from patches to blanket markings. Fawn is undesirable, Chestnut should ideally not be too dark, it should be the colour of a monks habit, but the FCI standard also states a warm chestnut. The chestnuts in the sunshine will have a metallic sheen to the coat. Tri colour is undesirable. Try colour is in many breed lines, usually these dogs are not bred from unless there is good reason. It is a pretty colour but undesirable. For a pet it really makes no difference. 
This is very much what we call a head breed. This means the head is an important part of the standard. With the divergent planes, Their eyes should be oval ,hazel coloured if the dog is orange and white, darker if the dog is chestnut. The nose is large, spongy which is used to draw in scent. They use their noses, and you can watch them scent the air and then run towards what ever they are scenting. Their noses are never usually wrong.
The Bracco has long ears which will drag in water bowls, or food. You must keep their ear tips clean other wise a build up of bacteria can cause dried ear tips. The Bracco has a dewlap which is folds of skin under the chin. These must be kept clean other wise bacteria can build up in the warm, damp environment and mites. If you own other dogs watch they do not play and hang on the dewlap s they can make the skin sore. Do they drool? When they drink water they will leave trails around the water bowl. If you eat in front of them they will drool. But apart from that they are fairly good. Stress also can make them drool, if you take them out of their comfort zone. Slobber is part of owning one of these dogs. The breed has back as well as front dew claws. Some breeders remove all dew claws, but we leave them on. 
|
The Bracco is a super natured dog. They are great with Children and other animals. They are often in the middle of what children are doing just sitting there. Where as I wouldn't like to sell a Vizsla to young babies or children, the Bracco is well suited.
All HPR dogs need to be socialised to cats, rabbits etc as these avid hunters may be too tough with them if not socialised.
They like to be included in what your doing. The gardening or going out.
They suit busy households, and enjoy going out with the family.
They are quite a contented breed compared to other HPR breeds and they will entertain themselves. But if they do not get adequate exercise they can be diggers, pull your fences and chew if absolutely bored out their minds. A good exercise twice a day is required. Once if you have a large property. They also need off lead exercise as they will need to have that brain exercised. They are not a breed for lead walking around the block once a day. They need to run on grass, swim in rivers and enjoy the countryside.
Stubborn - Yes they are stubborn and you have to really show them what you want them to do some times. Reward training helps, or love. If a bracco is unsure of something then it is not going to respond. It would rather run a mile than confront it.
You will feel like your getting nowhere with training and then one day it all falls into place. You just have to have oodles of patiences your self to own this breed. |
Training With this breed of dog training is very important. Yes you can train it to do any tricks at home you like, but you'll need training in a group of people with dogs so they are well socialised to other animals. Plus if trained in a distracted environment their is a better chance of it remembering when you in the park and calling it. 1 on 1 sessions are good for tuning up the skills. But group sessions teach loads more. You should be in a training school before 16 weeks! This social window for any HPR is so important. Miss it at your peril. Dogs which have been in some kind of training or just socialisation before 16 weeks will be far better coping with the second fear period which hits bracco around 9 months onwards. It is when hormones are changing within the dog. All dogs go through a fear period, but the Bracco is especially sensitive. They can panic over something and run away and nothing you can do with convince it that its not the bogey man standing there. |
Brief History
The Bracco Italiano is one of the oldest known gun dogs, originates from Italy. They date back to 4th and 5th century. The exact origins are unknown. You may ask why? History on animals wasn't always recorded as it did not seem important at the time. Articles easily lost. Knowledge was passed down from hunter to hunter. Historians accept that although its origins are unknown that a cross between a Segugio Italiano white and the Asiatic Masfiff (Which is now extinct), is how the breed came about.
Bracco Italiano translates to Italian pointer. Their are two types of Bracco originally. The orange and white which came from the Piedmont region of Italy and the chestnut and white which came from the Lombardy region of Italy. Italy does have other gun dogs as they have the Italiano Spinone, the Lagotta Romagnolo. The Cane Corso was also a dog used to hunt wild bore.
During the medieval period, the breed became well established. They were owned by Italian Aristocracy who exported the dogs across the world. They became popular during the Renaissance era, and they had many dogs in number until the turn of the 20th Century, It got to the end of 1800's and they faced extinction. Breeders started to cross them with hounds and they ended up with heavily build dogs with health problems. Things had to change although they wanted to preserve the original bracci, they had to introduce dogs of lighter frame into the breed. The Piedmontese pointer was used. this created a lighter boned dog which was mainly white. But with or without orange. Then the Lombard Pointer was rich brown roan, heavier build type. This dog was used to hunt in the marshes and lowlands and was a trotting breed. In 1949 the breed club called the societa amatory Bracco Italiano was founded in Italy. A standard was produced which incorporated aspects of both breed types. Some breeders in the UK will not mix the two colours together.
In the 1980's the Bracco was Brought to the United Kingdom.
FCI Breed Standard: CLICK HERE. and the UK Kennel club breed standard CLICK HERE
The Bracco Italiano is one of the oldest known gun dogs, originates from Italy. They date back to 4th and 5th century. The exact origins are unknown. You may ask why? History on animals wasn't always recorded as it did not seem important at the time. Articles easily lost. Knowledge was passed down from hunter to hunter. Historians accept that although its origins are unknown that a cross between a Segugio Italiano white and the Asiatic Masfiff (Which is now extinct), is how the breed came about.
Bracco Italiano translates to Italian pointer. Their are two types of Bracco originally. The orange and white which came from the Piedmont region of Italy and the chestnut and white which came from the Lombardy region of Italy. Italy does have other gun dogs as they have the Italiano Spinone, the Lagotta Romagnolo. The Cane Corso was also a dog used to hunt wild bore.
During the medieval period, the breed became well established. They were owned by Italian Aristocracy who exported the dogs across the world. They became popular during the Renaissance era, and they had many dogs in number until the turn of the 20th Century, It got to the end of 1800's and they faced extinction. Breeders started to cross them with hounds and they ended up with heavily build dogs with health problems. Things had to change although they wanted to preserve the original bracci, they had to introduce dogs of lighter frame into the breed. The Piedmontese pointer was used. this created a lighter boned dog which was mainly white. But with or without orange. Then the Lombard Pointer was rich brown roan, heavier build type. This dog was used to hunt in the marshes and lowlands and was a trotting breed. In 1949 the breed club called the societa amatory Bracco Italiano was founded in Italy. A standard was produced which incorporated aspects of both breed types. Some breeders in the UK will not mix the two colours together.
In the 1980's the Bracco was Brought to the United Kingdom.
FCI Breed Standard: CLICK HERE. and the UK Kennel club breed standard CLICK HERE
|
|
BRACCHI are hunters and have a natural instinct. They are also very nosey and like too ee things and be involved.
HEALTH
I know that a lot of people do not like it pointed out that there are health problems with certain dog breeds. But we have to be honest in description in the breeds, so It helps people.
In my opinion you should not purchase a Bracco italiano if you can not afford pet health insurance and get cover above 10k.
The Bracco is a large breed of dog and it can come with health issues. Here is a list of health issues seen in the breed.
As with all breeds of dog the early removal of hormone is unwise as it can bring forward cancers. Allow your dog to grow up and mature before you consider castration.
The breed suffers from Phantom Pregnancies commonly. But you need to get your dog to 2. years of age. Please note that if you do not spay your bitch will be at a bigger risk for uterine infections. So ideally you want to spay her between 2-3 years of age.
Bracchi should not be run on hard surfaces such as concrete, or perform repeated impact exercises until at least 18 months of age, as any impact can cause damage to their joints. Fast growing bodies maybe at more risk from growth issues.
IMPORTANT INFO!!
The Bracco Italiano has been noted to have historical cases of being sensitive to the drug used in Anaesthesia. In particular DOMITOR. Some Bracchi have died following the use of this drug. You must make your veterinary surgeon fully aware of this. So they can draw up reversal before any operation. They should be monitored before during and after any operation.
I know that a lot of people do not like it pointed out that there are health problems with certain dog breeds. But we have to be honest in description in the breeds, so It helps people.
In my opinion you should not purchase a Bracco italiano if you can not afford pet health insurance and get cover above 10k.
The Bracco is a large breed of dog and it can come with health issues. Here is a list of health issues seen in the breed.
- Hip Dysplasia
- Elbow Dysplasia
- Panosteitis
- Dilated Cardio Myopathy - Make sure you give your dog Taurine on a regular basis.
- Cherry Eye
- Ectropion
- Entropion
- Kidney failure - http://braccokidney.com/about-amyloidosis
- Skin Allergies ie food or environmental or both.
- Ear infections either related to allergies or not.
- Bloat
- Cancers
- Mis alignment of teeth. In nearly all cases they right themselves after 14 months of age. Do not be persuaded to have your dogs mouth operated on. Please feel free to text me for more advice.
As with all breeds of dog the early removal of hormone is unwise as it can bring forward cancers. Allow your dog to grow up and mature before you consider castration.
The breed suffers from Phantom Pregnancies commonly. But you need to get your dog to 2. years of age. Please note that if you do not spay your bitch will be at a bigger risk for uterine infections. So ideally you want to spay her between 2-3 years of age.
Bracchi should not be run on hard surfaces such as concrete, or perform repeated impact exercises until at least 18 months of age, as any impact can cause damage to their joints. Fast growing bodies maybe at more risk from growth issues.
IMPORTANT INFO!!
The Bracco Italiano has been noted to have historical cases of being sensitive to the drug used in Anaesthesia. In particular DOMITOR. Some Bracchi have died following the use of this drug. You must make your veterinary surgeon fully aware of this. So they can draw up reversal before any operation. They should be monitored before during and after any operation.