BRACCO ITALIANO
by MARILYN VINSON
W hen first asked to write on the Bracco Italiano I thought about relating some of the issues that most “new” breeds have. We have had the conflict within a club, second club forming, and so on. The Bracco was first registered in 2001 but no real efforts to move forward until 2014-15. The main reason was fear. Fear that we would become a divided breed- show and field. Little by little, as breeders and owners became more learned some started to realize these great dogs can be both and that WE control this—not AKC, and we
started to move forward. So, I thought instead I’d relate a little about the dog and the people involved with the breed. The Bracco is a glorious, sweet, silly, intelligent stubborn animal! First, and most important, it is a dual breed. When you see 6 and 8 week old pup- pies on point you know it’s a trait that has to be acknowledged. They are truly born to hunt! Known for their strong, fluid, effortless appearing trot, they can take your breath away in the field and the ring. Structured hunt tests do not always show the trot to the best as, while a Bracco is looking down their
Roman nose and doing their elegant trot, the other pointing breeds will blow right by them with a grin on their face. So they blast off with the best of the other breeds. However, when they have used a lot of energy or are bringing the bird back on retrieve; you will see that trot! They are great bird dogs and we are getting more dogs competing in AKC hunt tests all the time. Showing is “new” to many Bracco owners and, although the breed is will- ing, unless you are young and/or fit, they not easy to keep up with. Three steps and I become a land anchor and
“THE BRACCO IS A GLORIOUS, SWEET, SILLY, INTELLIGENT STUBBORN ANIMAL!”
298 • S how S ight M agazine , J anuary 2019
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