Your Trusted Expert in Breeding and Maintaining Healthy Bracco Italianos

All About Bracco Italianos

Breed Name:

Bracco Italiano

Personality:

Gentle in the home, tireless in the field, tough, adapted to all types of hunting, intelligent, reliable, docile

AKC Group:

Sporting

History and Characteristics:

The Bracco Italiano originated in Italy and is one of the oldest of the pointing breeds. The Bracco is a classic and ancient breed with paintings and writings about it dating back to the fourth and fifth centuries B.C., and is considered an antecedent of many of today’s modern sporting dogs. They were sought out by the aristocracy, accompanied net hunters of the Middle Ages (driving game into the nets), and later were teamed up with falconers who used them to flush the falcon’s quarry. With the invention of the gun, the Bracco Italiano’s role changed to that of the hunter, pointer, and retriever to which it has remained faithful to the present day. It was introduced to the United States in the 1990s and has remained true to its heritage as a versatile gun dog.

Fun Facts About Bracco Italianos

How Popular Are Bracco Italianos?

Service to Humans:

The Bracco Italiano is one of the most versatile of hunting dogs, being able to point, flush, and retrieve. While it is tireless in the field, once at home it is quiet, docile, and affectionate, making it not only an exceptional field dog, but also an excellent family dog.

Prominent Canines

Famous Bracco Italianos:

Lir 2° Dei Ronchi
Lir 2° Dei Ronchi is famous in Italy and among Bracco Italiano lovers. Lir was a legend during his lifetime in the 1960s as the first dog to work in a trot with beautiful conformation and excellent as a hunter.

Lir 2° Dei Ronchi

Photo Credit: Bracco Italiano database

Polecevera’s Olmo
Polecevera’s Olmo is a famous Italian hunting dog from the late 1970s. Owner and trainer Danilo Rebaschio said of Olmo, “He probably came down to earth with a meteor from another planet…no other dog I can recall had this continuity of outstanding results, humble in his being but combative, lending polish to his race, knowing how to thrill the experts judging him along with the owner and handler.”

Polecevera’s Olmo

Photo Credit: Danilo Rebaschio

Notable Champions:

Xeres delle Terre alliane is the only Bracco Italiano to with the European Continental Cup Championship in Italy.

Xeres delle Terre alliane

Photo Credit: Massimo Scevi

Breeder Insights

Kokopelli (and Kokopelli-adjacent) Bracco Italianos in Action:

Local Bracco Italiano Breeders:

Riverbend Braccos – Keith and Valerie Kessler

“The Bracco is definitely a breed that needs to work, being a strong and powerful animal, combined with a friendly nature and the need to please. They have a serious countenance, are intelligent, slightly stubborn, and very diligent on the hunt. The Bracco is very much a people-loving dog. They thrive on human companionship and have a need to be close to their people.”

Valerie Kessler

Riverbend Braccos

What We Love About Bracco Italianos:

Fantastic all-around sporting dog: pointing, retrieving, and flushing
Athletic, tireless
Trainable, intelligent
Docile at home and affectionate with its humans; good with other dogs

Be Aware of...

Exercise - These are active dogs, requiring daily exercise. If not given enough exertion, they may become overly rambunctious and possibly destructive. A long walk or jog every day is a good way to exercise a Bracco. They also love to swim.
Grooming - As a short-haired breed, they require regular bathing, ear cleaning, and nail trimming.
Shedding - They do shed, but as a short-haired breed, it isn’t a lot.
Drool - Yep, especially after getting a long, cool drink.
Heritage and Utility - The Bracco is a world-class hunting dog. Hunt tests and field trials should be sought by the owners to help keep the breed true to its heritage as a versatile gun dog.

Breed Health

Health Predispositions:

Kidney disease: amyloidosis. A number of dogs have confirmed amyloidosis via red congo stain and tissue samples sent to the Ohio State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. The Bracco Italiano Health Foundation (501c3) was formed to raise awareness and money towards health research. They are working towards a genome study on the breed at the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory.

Health Clearances Recommended for Breeding a Bulldog (more on each of these below):

Hip/elbow dysplasia OFA
Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER)
Annual laboratory work (blood chemistry and urinalysis) to monitor for kidney disease

Future Owner Tips

Kokopelli Support for Breeders:

The mission of Kokopelli Assisted Reproductive Services at Kokopelli Veterinary Center is to fully support responsible breeders in creating the healthiest puppies possible. Part of that mission is advising breeders in health testing and advising potential puppy buyers in what they should be considering when looking at adopting a puppy.

What to Ask the Breeder if You are Considering Bringing a Bracco Italiano into Your Home:

The top goal of every responsible breeder is not to make money on a litter, but to produce the healthiest puppies possible. Dedicated, responsible breeders are passionate about their breed and want to contribute to the continuation of their breed by placing healthy puppies into caring homes. As such, responsible breeders will only breed dogs with the appropriate temperaments and who have also been tested for diseases of concern for their specific breed. The sire and dam of your prospective puppy should have been tested minimally for Hip and elbow dysplasia, eye certification, and annual bloodwork to monitor kidney function. You can use the list below to have an informed conversation with the breeder of your prospective puppy to try to make it as likely as possible that you will be adopting as healthy a Bracco Italiano as possible, or that at least you are aware of the potential health risks and challenges your new puppy may face.

Breed Health Certifications:

Hip and elbow dysplasia are orthopedic conditions that can be debilitating for dogs by making every step they take painful and difficult. The conditions are caused because the bones of the hip or elbow joints are not formed and seated appropriately. Eventually they wear away at the cartilage and bone will rub on bone, which is painful. Signs that a dog will eventually become dysplastic can be detected early in life through radiographs (x-rays). Two testing options exist for hip dysplasia for Bracco Italianos: Hip dysplasia OFA, and PennHIP, both of which are available by appointment at Kokopelli Veterinary Center. Elbow dysplasia OFA is also by radiographs and also available by appointment at Kokopelli Veterinary Center. Since the predilection for these conditions is genetic, breeding affected dogs together increases the risk that the resultant puppies will have bad hips or elbows, often necessitating expensive and difficult surgical corrections at some point in their lives. It is recommended that dogs with poor conformation not be bred and dogs with moderate changes be bred to dogs with excellent joints. OFA testing for hips and elbows can be done in dogs that are 24 months of age. PennHip can be performed in dogs as young as 16 weeks. Sedation is strongly recommended for all OFA testing and required for PennHIP. Please call our front desk to schedule an appointment.
Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER): Eye diseases are often progressive and some are not detectable until a dog ages. It is recommended that breeding dogs have annual CAER examinations, which must be performed by a board-certified ophthalmologist. Eye disease OFA clinics are held a few times a year at Kokopelli Veterinary Center. Please call our front desk to schedule your dogs for our next clinic.
Annual serum chemistry and urinalysis is recommended to monitor for the development of kidney disease.

Links for Further Information:

View our educational webinar series and learn more about how to raise healthy animals.

Please reach out to us for any questions or help. Nothing makes us happier than helping create situations where the human/animal bond can flourish.

Schedule your pet’s consultation today.

(916) 683-4029

Kokopelli Support for Breeders