Bracco Italiano
BRACK-oh it-al-YAH-no
Italy· Piedmont and Lombardy
The Bracco Italiano is an Italian pointing breed, one of the oldest gundog types in Europe, bred to locate game birds by scent and hold a steady point until the hunter arrives.
At a glance
Quick facts
Size
Large
Exercise needs
2+ hours, ideally with scent work
Home size suited to
Medium to large home
Grooming frequency
Weekly brush
Coat length
Short
Sheds
Yes, heavily when moulting
Lifespan
10-14 years
Town or country
Either, with enough exercise
Garden size needed
Medium or larger
Where it comes from
Origins of the Bracco Italiano
The Bracco developed on the farmland and river plains of Piedmont and Lombardy, where noble hunting parties needed a dog that could work methodically across open ground for hours. Two regional colour strains later merged into the single breed recognised today.
- Region
- Piedmont and Lombardy
- Climate it was bred for
- Warm, dry lowland and hill farmland
- Original job
- Pointing game birds for falconry and net hunting
The long read
About the breed
The breed's ancestry is traced to Renaissance Italy, where noble houses in Piedmont and Lombardy kept large, houndy pointers for falconry and later for hunting with gun and net. Paintings and written accounts from the fifteenth century onward show a dog closely resembling today's Bracco: tall, loose-skinned, with pendulous ears and an unhurried, methodical way of quartering ground. Two regional strains developed, a white-and-orange type from Piedmont and a heavier white-and-brown type from Lombardy, both eventually merged into a single standard.
Living with a Bracco Italiano suits people who want a biddable, food-motivated dog with real stamina in the field but a calm, affectionate presence indoors. The breed is generally easygoing with children and other dogs, slow to mature mentally, and prone to a stubborn streak if training feels repetitive, so short, varied sessions work better than drilling. Its houndy face means some drool, and the long ears need regular checking.
Outside Italy the Bracco remains a minority breed, kept mostly by working gundog enthusiasts and a growing number of pet owners drawn to its gentle nature. It needs a good few hours of exercise a day to stay settled, ideally with scent work or open ground to range over, and can become an anxious barker or chewer if left under-exercised in a small garden.
Living with one
Temperament & needs
Our own ratings, based on the breed standard and how these dogs behave in ordinary homes.
Friendliness
5/5
How openly the Bracco Italiano greets people it does not know.
Trainability
4/5
Food-motivated and biddable but matures slowly.
Energy
4/5
Needs several hours of exercise or fieldwork most days.
Barking
2/5
Fairly quiet unless bored or under-exercised.
Grooming
2/5
Short coat but ears need regular checking.
Suits a first-time owner
3/5
How forgiving the Bracco Italiano is for someone taking on their first dog.
Sociability
5/5
Affectionate and easygoing with family and other dogs.
Independence
2/5
Prefers to work alongside people rather than alone.
Illustrated breed standard
The points of the breed
Hover or tap a numbered point to read what the standard asks for.
Point 1
Skull
The Bracco Italiano's skull is judged on balance rather than size — proportionate to the body, with a clean cheek and a stop typical of the breed. Coarseness or an over-refined head are both faulted.
Colours & patterns
Recognised coats
Which coats the standard accepts — and which are simply popular.
White and orange
Standard colour
The classic Piedmontese colouring.
Orange roan
Standard colour
Flecked orange through the white coat.
White and brown
Standard colour
The heavier Lombard strain colouring.
Brown roan
Standard colour
Flecked brown through the white coat.
Timeline
History & development
15th century
Renaissance origins
Paintings from Piedmont and Lombardy depict pointing dogs closely resembling the modern Bracco.
1600s-1700s
Falconry and net hunting
Italian nobility used the breed to locate game for falconers and hunters using nets.
Early 1900s
Decline
Two world wars and changing land use brought the breed close to extinction in Italy.
1949
Breed club founded
The Societa Amatori Bracco Italiano was established to standardise and revive the breed.
1950s onward
The breed today
Kennel club registrations settled into a steady pattern and the Bracco Italiano moved from a working specialist to a family companion, with breed clubs in the UK and abroad now focused on health testing and keeping true type alive.
Reference
Breed standard summary
- body
- Rectangular, deep chest, strong loin.
- coat
- Short, dense, glossy.
- ears
- Long, pendulous, set level with the eye.
- eyes
- Large, gentle, ochre to dark amber.
- gait
- Long, rolling stride, methodical when scenting.
- head
- Deep, with a pronounced stop and pendulous lips.
- size
- 55-67 cm at the shoulder.
- tail
- Traditionally docked in origin countries; carried level with back when natural.
- colour
- White and orange, Orange roan, White and brown, Brown roan. Colours outside this list are seen but are not accepted by the kennel clubs.
- temperament
- Typical of the breed: strongest in sociability, energy, trainability. Nervousness or aggression are serious faults in the show ring and in the home.
- general appearance
- Large, powerful pointing dog with loose skin and a calm, dignified bearing.
Health
What to screen for
Green means little to worry about, amber means ask the breeder for test results, red means manage it actively.
Hip dysplasia
Screen for it
Ask for BVA/KC or OFA hip scores on both parents.
Ear infections
Low concern
Check and clean the long, low-set ears weekly.
Ectropion/entropion
Low concern
Have eyelid conformation checked by a vet before breeding.
Bloat
Watch closely
Feed smaller meals and avoid vigorous exercise straight after eating.
General information only — always speak to your vet about your own dog.
From real owners
Dogs like this
Bracco Italianos added by PawPoint members through their pet passports. Share yours to appear here.
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Made for the Bracco Italiano
The book, plus prints, hoodies and mugs using our own Bracco Italiano illustration — and one everyday accessory that suits any dog.
The book
Pawpoint: The Complete Dog Breed Book
Every officially recognised breed plus the unofficial ones nobody else documents. 400+ pages, hardback, printed and shipped from the UK.
Own stock — shipped by us
Framed poster
Bracco Italiano Framed Poster
Museum-weight print of our Bracco Italiano illustration, framed or unframed.
Printed to order
Hoodie
Bracco Italiano Hoodie
Heavyweight hoodie carrying the Bracco Italiano illustration on the chest.
Printed to order
Mug
Bracco Italiano Mug
Ceramic mug with the Bracco Italiano illustration wrapped around it.
Printed to order
Accessory
Drying Towel Robe
Microfibre robe that soaks up a wet-walk shake.
Fits any dog
Pawpoint on YouTube
Watch the full Bracco Italiano video
Breed deep-dives, history and honest ownership talk. New film every week.
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