![Bracco Italiano Dog Breed](/sites/default/files/styles/square_medium_440x440/public/2022-07/Bracco-Italiano.jpg?itok=IBJh7hmw)
Family-friendly: | 4/5 |
Exercise needs: | 5/5 |
Easy to train: | 3/5 |
Tolerates being alone: | 3/5 |
Likes other pets: | 5/5 |
Energy level: | 4/5 |
Grooming needs: | 3/5 |
Shedding: | 3/5 |
As with many breeds, the Bracco Italiano can suffer from:
- Hip dysplasia
- Elbow dysplasia
- Osteochondrosis dissecans
- Entropion which is a painful eye condition where the eyelids role
inwards.
- Ear infections due to long hanging ears
Priority Kennel Club health schemes and testing:
None but there are several recommended schemes that the Kennel Club recommends which can be found here.
Said to be faithful and full of fun, they are well suited to the active family or owner who enjoys lots of fresh air and exercise. Better off with a job to do than without, they can turn a paw to a variety of sports and activities that utilise their inherited gundog skills.
Sensitive and loving, they are eager to learn and please and will respond well to kind training and positive reinforcement. Not ideally suited as a first dog for a novice owner due to their size and desire to hunt, but very rewarding in the right hands.
In Italy there were originally two types of Bracco Italiano: the Piedmont Bianco Arrancio, and the Lombardy Roano Marrone. The Piedmont dogs are lighter in build and were orange or orange and white, with the Lombardy type being a heavier built dog, which are a darker roan and white. The differences came about as the Piedmont type were bred to hunt the mountainous regions and needed to be smaller, lighter and more athletic, while the Lombardy dogs hunted flat marshlands and became a heavier, larger dog. The breed standard written in 1949 unified the two types, incorporating aspects of both.
The Bracco Italiano is also often referred to as the Italian Pointer and it’s thought to be the oldest European pointer type.