History of the breed

Who is for certain period of time interested in dogs knows for sure, that the country of the origin of Bracco Italiano is Italy, that the international abbreviation of this breed is IO, that belongs to the seventh FCI group – pointing dogs, section continental (europian) pointing, type Braque, with the working trial, FCI No. 253 a: orange-white, 253 b: fully maroon brown. According some dogmen is Bracco Italiano one of the oldest pointings, which one already exist in the 18th century. Bracco is one of the oldest hunting dogs in Europe and is it athletic, strong and powerful dog, which was very long time divided on the two types, light and heavy. Once existed two regional types of this dogs. One was from Piemont – light, which was very similar to the French short haired pointing, the second – heavy was breeded in Lombardia. The breed probably cames into the existance by the help of the interbreed between Italian hound and today already extinct Assyrian mastif. Exist for example fresco paintings and other confirmations about that, that Italian aristocracy (nobility) hunt with similar built pointing already in the 14th century. In other resources we can reed, that the history of this breed begins in the 5th century before Christ and that Bracco is the result of the interbreeding between original moloos dogs from Mezopotamy and light egyptian hounds. More probably is, that Bracco is a get of the right hounds, which was typicaly with big and heavy ear. The development of the Europian pointing starts on the turning point between the 16th and 17th century.

Long past grandfather of all pointngs was in the Middle Ages so-called „beard dogs“. This dogs used the falconers for finding beards. The „beard dogs“ make force on the beard to fly to make possible the hunt for falcons or the „beard dogs“ leaved themselves to cover after pointing by overlie together with beards with the net. In other books, for example in the encyclopedy Dogs breed in the second part from Hans Räber (from the year 1995) is written: „ Is possible to accept, that Italian hound Segugio and Italian pointing Bracco and Spinone cames from the same hunting dogs“. Next is written: „Petrus de Crescientis (Rura Lium commodorium), Italian writer, who lived in the years 1230-1320, in his twelve parts work wrote also the section „About dogs“, marked the same hunting dog one time like Segugio and second time Bracco. In the year 1895 Beckmann wroted, that in Venice are still the loud hunted dogs, it means hounds, called „Bracco“ and the long haired pointing are called „Spagnole“ (today Spinone).

On cultivating Bracco Italiano, but also others, taked for sure part pointer, which has so-called fixed pointing and search the game with high nose. It is written, that by this obtain Bracco Italiano on the lightness. More quickly with high held head casually trots with long and brisk trot and active search the game and after that well aporting .

In the book „Breed and training of the noble hunting dog“ from František Štětka, which was issued in the year 1909 the author wrote exactely:“ Among pointing we distinguish short, long and rough haired, according origin breed from Germany, England, Italy, French and Spain.“ Next is written: „Among Italian dogs we distinguish:

a) short haired pointing – Bracco,
b) long haired pointing - Spinone.

Breed marks short haired pointing at least shortly: the body is strong, the lenght of the body is by the comparison with pointer shortly, head more strong, stop on the head is not so distintictive, the skull is higher, the skin is on the body visible more free, the movement of the body are enough free and indecisive, which is terminated by the strong body building. Mask of the face is serious, real, but friendly. Head, like mentioned, is strong, skull is wide, lips are greatly overhanging, ears are long and flat, breast are very deep and wide corresponding to the robustness of the body, spatulas are quite free. Faults are too thickset body, slashed rump, too big head, crooked front legs, outside turned elbows, outside destined legs or too much expanded fingers and too short tail. Faults are also the next colors – red, yelow, annealing, wolf brown with yelow or orange marks, tree color or pure white (it means albinism).

From couple sources I recieved the information, that Bracco Italiano is a get of St. Hubert hound – bladhaund (bloodhound) and that originaly the Italian differentiate two types of pointings, big and heavy „Bracco nobile“ and light „Bracco commune“ so-called „Brachetto“.

In the first half of the 19th century was happend without control interbreeding of hunting dogs and the breed was heavy demaged. Italian breed club had to start with eliminating breed. In the year 1930 was established The company of the friends of Bracco Italiano and in the year 1936 was prepared new standard.

After the II. World war was so deeply decreased the number of breed dogs of this impozant breed, that was necessary to start with the program for perpetuation of Bracco Italiano. In this time was couple dogs choosen, which was most similar to the right Bracco Italiano and has complete pedigree. Because the quantity was realy low, was the so-called Bracco nobile (pointing of the aristocracy – nobile) from Piemont and the Bracco commune (public pointing) from Lombardia interbreed. In the year 1949 on the 19th February was the definitive standard of the breed prepared, which was officialy registrated by ENCI – Italian cynology club. This standard already knows heavy and light type of Bracco Italiano.

In the November 1949 was established the Italian Bracco Italiano association (S.A.B.I. – Sociatá Amotori del Bracco Italiano) and for the president was Giovanni Gracchi from Italy elected.

Mentality: Bracco is the sensitive dog, secretive, to his handler is very friendly, snuggling and is for sure inteligent. Is it quite tireless breed. Is it trusty breed, with excelent ability to understand. Bracco is born for hunting, has highbred mask, is mooving with high held head, by the scent is mooving with long and brisk trot like swimming. Bracco is strong decisive and by the hunting is calm, has still contact with the handler, actively searching the game and well aporting. There is certain similarity with Spinone, which is not possible to exclude. Spinone is also high probably origin from Piemont in Italy, like the higher, more elegant and a little bit more heavy type of Bracco Italiano „Bracco nobile“. Some men are saying, that Spinone is rough haired Bracco Italiano.

Bracco Italiano type „Bracco nobile“ comes from Piemont and the type „Bracco commune“ comes from Lombardia. How I already mentioned over in Italy existing two variants of Bracco Italiano according color orange-white and brown speckled. Orange-white variant is holded like the original variant coming probably from Piemont. Speckled variant comes probably from Lombardia. For nobile variant of color is held pure white with big orange-yellow range. It is allowed also orange and brown whitedog and also the dogs of white color with brown range and brown pointing.

According count Delor de Ferrabouc (the whole name Ferdinando Delor de Ferrabouc, born in the year 1838 and died in the year 1913) has the high „Bracco nobile“ or with the second name also „Bracco di gran sangue“ (pure sang), the hight 65-70 cm, long, turned to the spiral lower starting ears on the skull, short neck with good marked flab and horizontaly or slouch tail. Later on Delor determinate possible colors. It was pure white with big orange-yellow ranges. This variant was held like nobile color. Pure Bracco was not allwed with black dashes, black nose or black round on the lips. The dogs with black color was held like interbreed between Bracco and Pointer or Bracco and hounds. In the encyclopedy from Hanse Räbera in the second part from the year 1995 is written: „A lot of Braccos has simple or double wolf nails, but Delor don´t think, that it is mark of this breed. The tail should be only 15-20 cm long.“

In Piemont was existing in the year 1900 pure sang „Bracco nobile“ (pointing of the aristocracy - nobile), because the aristocracy breed him only in your castles practicaly by itself.

Bracco nobile is hight, more heavy and monumental dog. His belly is more full and less shrinked then by Bracco commune. Bracco commune is more similar with German pointing. Is it visible lighter and lower then Bracco nobile. The belly is more shrinked. Is it more skillful, more small, more tireless and less demanding. Bracco nobile has more angular head against the type Bracco commune. The head of Bracco commune is more short and more rounded. Bracco commune is more similar on older type of Pointer or to the older type of German pointing, because also the ears starts higher on the skull, are more rounded and wider and shorter then Bracco nobile. But for bouth type of Bracco Italiano is valid, that the lenght of the mould is one half of the lenght the whole head. Nose is big and well open and is a little bit longer then the front of the lips. Nose is colored from rose to brown color depending on the color of the coat, the same is valid for eyes and nails. The upper lip cover from the front view the lower mandible and from the site view is a little bit longer. Bracco nobile has on the head well visible occipital proturberance. By the Bracco commune is not so expressive. The neck is monumental, short and with good visible flab. The hight of Bracco Italiano type Bracco nobile is more closed to the upper boarder for the hight mentioned in the standard. The hight of Bracco commune is more closed to the lower boarder for the hight in the standard, which is 55 cm for the bitch and 58 cm for the dog.

Generaly the body building by the Bracco Italiano is in connection to the region in which was breed, train and used like huntig dog. Type Bracco nobile was created for the work on fields and in the connection to that fact can work well only in the open landscape. Type Bracco commune was more resistant, less demanding and due to the hight and the complete body building more mooveable. Bracco commune is able to work well in highlands and also in the mountains.

Source: Eva Merhautová