Bracco Italiano Information & Dog Breed Facts

The Bracco Italiano, also known as the Italian Pointer, is a large gundog breed, which can trace its origins back to Italy, and which is considered to be the oldest European pointer breed. The painting was found portraying dogs resembling today’s Bracco Italiano from the 4^th and from the 5^th centuries B.C., and also frescoes of dogs also appeared all around Italy during the Renaissance during the 14^th century.

According to some experts, the Bracco Italiano was initially developed from crossing the now-extinct Asiatic Mastiff with the Segugio Italiano. However, the breed’s exact history and ancestry remain unknown due to the lack of records and documentation. Yet, it is also known that the Bracco Italiano was created in the northern parts of Italy, originally with two separate varieties: the roan-and-brown from Lombardy and the white-and-orange-colored variety known to be from the Piedmont region. The Bracco Italiano got well-established by the medieval period, and the Italian aristocracy and nobility exported the breed across all Europe. It was well-known that two very influential families, namely the Gonzaga and the Medici families also bred the Bracco Italiano, giving the breed more credit and fame. Hunters quickly gained an understanding of the breed’s extraordinary abilities, and the Bracco’s popularity has peaked during the Renaissance, and up until the late 19^th century, their numbers were always steadily growing across the continent. However, unfortunately, by the beginning of the 20^th century, the breed’s numbers started to face a serious decrease, and the Bracco Italiano was pushed to the brink of extinction. Over the years, some dedicated breeders from several countries were making serious efforts to plan an effective breeding program for the Bracco, in order to revive the breed and to save it from complete extinction. Thanks to the diligent selection and care, the Bracco managed to survive. An Italian breeder, named Ferdinando Delor de Ferrabouc is credited with the breed’s revival, and also with the founding of the Societa Amitori Bracco Italiano.

Nonetheless, it was decided to unify the two variations of the breed, during the 1920s, with the intention of preserving the genetic diversity. The Piedmontese variant was mostly used for work in the mountains and had lighter construction and color, it was also smaller. On the other hand, the Lombard variant had a heavier physique, and they were used for hunting in the lowlands. Both of the variants were equally talented hunters and physically appealing. The breed standard was drawn up in 1949, and it incorporated both variants of the breed. The Bracco Italiano was introduced to the United Kingdom in the 1980s, and to the American public during the 1990s, where it became as famous as in Europe. The AKC (American Kennel Club) recognized the breed in their Foundation Stock Service in 2001, and later, in 2007, the Bracco Italiano Club of America was established.

Nowadays, the Bracco Italiano is fairly popular all around the globe. Initially, it was developed to be a pointer, retriever, and to drive prey into nets of flush birds and other game from falconers. Today, the breed’s roles have changed, even though some are still used for hunting activities, but the Bracco is rather kept as a gentle, intelligent, and active family companion.