Gundog Breeds in the Heritage Breeds Pavilion – Bracco Italiano

In the Gundog Pavilion at the Kelmarsh Country Fair and Midland Game Fair we are proud to work alongside the breed representatives to provide the most comprehensive display of working gundogs. Here we see the characteristics and heritage of the Bracco Italiano, taken from the Breed Society’s website.

The Bracco Italiano is an ancient breed of gundog, which is mentioned in writings from the fourth and fifth centuries B.C.  The most probable theory of its origins is that it sprang from a union between the Molossus and the Egyptian Hound, and are the antecedents of many of today's modern sporting dogs.

Centuries ago hunters in Italy developed the Bracco for the specific purpose of working - to drive game into the hunters' nets.  With the invention of the gun their role changed to that of the HPR gundog, to which it has remained faithful to the present day.  Although the breed developed to accommodate the hunters needs the breed has remained very true to type.

In Italy the Bracco is held in high esteem as a working gundog and today the breed enters more field trials than any other breed.  Its popularity has outstripped all the other gundog breeds available in Italy including the Spinone.

The Bracco Italiano in the United Kingdom are predominantly companions however nearly all the dogs participate in some kind of work - gundogs, field trials, working tests, working trials, track and search, falconry and Pets as Therapy (PAT) dogs.

The Bracco is the most hound like of all the gundog breeds and facially more akin to the bloodhound or basset hound however he is a true gundog; a stylish and enthusiastic hunter, has a superb nose, will hold a staunch point and retrieve keenly to hand.  We must never lose sight that it was work that gave us the Bracco and although Bracchi are wonderful companion dogs, they are at their happiest when doing a job!

The Bracco Italiano is a hunt, point and retrieve (HPR) breed of gundog.  In common with other pointing breeds their early development goes back to times before the development of sporting firearms when they were used to locate and hold game by means of "pointing", allowing falconers to fly hawks or hunters to deploy nets prior to the quarry being flushed. With the introduction of firearms for hunting, the Bracco extended its duties to include retrieving which until now had not been a requirement.

As a working gundog, the method of operation of the Bracco is to widely quarter the ground using its unique extended trotting gait, instinctively moving at an angle of approximately 90 degrees to the wind and sieving the scent being brought downwind to it.  In order for the dog to find game and achieve a point it must be taking air scent and therefore the head carriage of the dog should be high.  A gundog that finds quarry by following foot scent will almost certainly fail to point causing the game to flush out of gunshot.

More information on this fascinating breed can be found here at the Bracco Italiano Society website.