Having
lived with Spinoni since the mid eighties I knew of their
short coated compatriot the Bracco Italiano and was also
fortunate to be friends with Liz & Jonathan Shaw who
first imported them to the UK in 1989. Our first Bracco,
Sentling Aquaro at Bonario, came to us from their kennel.
Riley stole my heart and it wasn’t long before a second
Bracco, Nuala, joined our family. Currently we have 5 including
Riley and Nuala’s daughter and granddaughter. I couldn’t
imagine living without this challenging but very rewarding
breed now.
Temperamentally I find them very complex; their mixture
of stubbornness and sensitivity needs understanding and
also means training takes patience and time, the Bracco
has a long memory for good and bad experiences. Sometimes
they think too much and see problems where there are none
but a more willing and enthusiastic companion I have yet
to find. They love to be with you and working together,
a Bracco with a job to do, to use up its boundless energy
and quick mind is a happy Bracco. Typical Italians, they
love their family, their food and the boys definitely have
an eye for the girls! In the home you will find them wherever
it’s warmest, mine follow the sun around the house
and are always snuggled up together sunbathing, if there’s
no sun they are on the duvet and if it’s really cold
under the duvet. Much happier in the home a Bracco is not
suited to being a kennel dog; they want to be with you,
next to you on the sofa or on your lap if you’ll let
them. Being short coated they are a clean breed, they can
slobber but generally they bring no more dirt into the house
than the average child. They shed some hair but not enough
to be a problem, just put on your best black trousers as
you are about to leave and not before.
Although hound like in appearance they are a true Hunt Point
Retrieve (HPR) Gundog and have all the instincts that breeding
implies. They have an excellent nose and love to hunt. Without
training that hunting instinct can get them into trouble,
it is very important to train the recall with the Bracco.
I start as a pup and call them for dinner with a whistle;
the regular response for something as rewarding as food
means the recall is instilled before they venture out into
the world. Socialization should begin early in safe environments
with friends, family and known dogs, but with a breed as
sensitive as this care should be taken that all experiences
are positive. Playing in the garden is all the exercise
that is necessary in the first few months, the Bracco is
a very slow maturing breed and will not reach physical maturity
until about three years old. A very gradual build up of
time and distance when exercising is advisable. Once mature
good free running is a must, first and foremost the Bracco
is a working gundog and needs to use his body and brain.
One of the most beautiful things about them is their movement,
traditionally they work at a trot, the sight of a Bracco
moving can take your breath away. The ‘Trotto Spinto’
or thrusting trot is unique to the breed and they can cover
the ground in this gait at a phenomenal speed. This need
for the freedom to move and use their instincts means they
are more suited to a country home and to those who have
the discipline to give them the daily exercise they need.
The upside of this is you stay much fitter and regularly
enjoy our beautiful countryside with a beautiful dog.
We have not had a door bell for some time, the dogs hear
anyone coming up the drive long before they reach the door
and have loud voices which hopefully put off any unwelcome
visitors but they are not guard dogs and are not temperamentally
suited to that role. Bracchi can be wary of strangers but
they are very gentle dogs and it doesn’t take them
long to decide the new person is a friend. They have a natural
love of children, that Italian background again, but as
always both Bracco and child should be taught to respect
each other. Generally they are a non-aggressive breed, I
find mine are too busy hunting to make much notice of other
dogs, but they have a good memory for friends, human and
canine, and once you have become a friend be prepared for
a hearty latin greeting. Being a large active dog they have
a large appetite but I have found they are more suited to
a lower protein diet. Mine are fed on a mixture of complete
and raw tripe; they do well on this and maintain good condition.
As a gundog that has been in existence for several hundred
years this is the job the Bracco enjoys most and does incredibly
well but they are also seen working under hawks, Tracking,
as PAT dogs, in Agility and Heelwork to Music. Visually
beautiful, energetic and intelligent gundogs, this is what
I and many others love about the Bracco Italiano. They are,
in my opinion, best suited to the more experienced and active
owner.
