Physical Characteristics

Photo courtesy of BiancoRosso Kennels.

The Bracco Italiano is a very dignified dog. The breed is powerful and muscular, but not lumbering. His expression is intellegent and kind. He lives up to his noble Italian heritage in being very regal in both appearance and behavior. His head is more hound-like and less like that of a gundog.The occiput is pronounced. The nose should extend over the muzzle to form an angle. The neck is a strong cone shape. His ears are long - they should be able to touch the tip of the nose without being stretched. The breed has a smooth, flowing trot with plenty of reach and drive. The topline consists of two lines: the first from the withers to the 11th dorsal vertebra, and the second is slightly arched to the rump. The tale is thick and tapering (but is normally docked 15-25cm). The feet are large and have dewclaws. Some dogs have double hind dewclaws. The coat is smooth and dense. The coat should be finer on the head and throat. They can be any of the following color/color combinations: white; orange and white; orange roan; chesnut and white; or chestnut roan. They are a large breed and weigh between 55-88 pounds.