Introduction to the BraccoIntroduction to the Bracco Italiano

a premisepWe believe that each dog’s breed has a history all its own. This history will always be linked to both the environment where it

was born and to the people who created it.

Baruffa di Cascina Merigo

The synthesis is: expression, trot, way to point! In reality there is an other one but it is not so easy to show: smoothness of movement

The History (cnt’d)The History (cnt d)

The Italian Bracco was known in writings as early as the 10th or 11th

centuries and later in 1591 Erasmo da Valvasone wrote in his treatisecenturies and later in 1591 Erasmo da Valvasone wrote in his treatise on hunting.

But I believe that for our purposes we start with the history of the Bracco since the late 19th century. At the end of the 1800s the Bracco could be summed up in two different types of dogs selected by noble

Bracco Ranza cou d be su ed up wo d e e ypes o dogs se ec ed by ob e

families and/or tenants. The first being farmers who were already “dog fanciers” that would lead them to pursue the dual goal of satisfying to the eye as well as

having good hunting instinct. Among the most famous is the “Ranza” g g g gfamily, farmers in Piacenza, that had roan brown Bracchi defined as

“Bracchi Lombardo.” These dogs were quite big, excellent hunters accustomed to plain

wetlands hunting with the trotting gait, elegant and profitable.g g g , g p

Bracco PiacentinoBracco Lombardo Bracco Ranza

The History (cnt’d)The History (cnt d)

The second type of Bracco is in the area of Alba (Piemonte region) called “Bracco yp f f ( g )Piemontese”, the most famous was the Aschieri Bracco. A “white” dog, smaller than the Lombardo but with similar physical characteristics. The hunting style was jauntier with a

gallop gait in mostly hilly or mountainous terrain.

The History (cnt’d)

The standard described two types of dogs, showing the only yp g g ydifference was the size and weight. In the twenties, it was decided,

not without criticism, to unify the breed while accepting a variable of the above characteristics. A fairly high variability is still expressed

in the standard todayin the standard today.

Mr Solaro judges Mia dei Ronchi

Ideal body and head (pictures of Mr Solaro)

The History (cnt’d)During this period the world of enthusiasts of the Bracco was joined by a man who has, I daresay, totally featured the history of our breed, so much so as to deserve to be called ‘The Father of Bracco’This is Mr. Paolo Ciceri. He had an unquestioned understanding of dog fanciers and breeding and his “dei Ronchi” kennel certified his deep

Oscar dei

Bice dei Ronchi

f g f pknowledge of the issues surrounding hunting-dog fanciers. He had merit to have acted with the aim of making the Bracco a mesomorphic type of dog, with leans legs, athletic and with excellent hunting features, as it has remained till nowadays.

dei Ronchi

Paolo Ciceri with a group ofPaolo Ciceri with a group of “dei Ronchi”

Arion dei RonchiLor dei Ronchi

Silva dei Ronchi

Lir 2 dei Ronchi

The History (cnt’d)Asso dell’Asolano

Some others important kennels were: in the north of Italy “delle Forre” of Mr Amaldi, “di Valgrisanche” of Mr. Candiotto, “dell’Asolano” of Mr Bergamin and in the centre of

Italy “di Monte Petrano” of Mr Buroni. All those guys, and others not mentioned here just for space problems, were breeders that reached a very good type of bracco, typical in

morphology and very good hunter.

Elmo del Lago Maggiore

Zago di Valgrisanche

Tell d’Olona Baltico di Valgrisanche

Catina delle Forre

Darfo di MontepetranoDuccio di Lendinara

The HistoryThe HistoryNote: very good size body and head, not so hindquarters and forequarters

First gathering of the SABI (Lodi -1949) There are between 600 and 800 i b ipuppies born every year in

Italy. During the last sixty years the breed, under the leadership of the SABI, has

Th SABI h

p fgreatly improved in health and

athletic performance.

The SABI has consistently

demonstrated that the Bracco was monitored

d li iand not split into two groups: one for

morphology and one for working. The

l d “Gathering of the SABI (Lodi - 1979)results demonstrate that our system is

working.(1945)

From the pastFrom the past

Oslo di Valgrisanche

FerGarbo dei Ronchi

Rea di Montepetrano

Deus delle Forre