Any Bracco Italiano Owners?

[tam9492]

Any Bracco Italiano owners on here? Our family will be looking for our next dog next fall/winter, and a Bracco is on the top of my list. We're coming from a bluetick that was mostly a house dog, and the top priority for our next dog is a family dog, too. We have a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old, and two cats. We loved our hound (passed in 2021), but he was of course stubborn at times. He was fantastic with our first born, but he was also in prime, lazy hound form by that time.

A Bracco outwardly gives us the 'hound' look we love, but ideally without some of the hound stubbornness. I hunt grouse several times per year without a dog, and I'd love to have a capable hunting dog along instead.

Any particular traits (desirable or not) we should be aware of? Any health/maintenance concerns outside the ordinary?

I've found a few kennels online that deal with Braccos primarily - any recommendations on where to look for a pup?

 

[parshal]

Check out NAVHDA. You'll be able to find breeders and folks that test their dogs. If I planned on hunting with a Braque I'd only buy from someone who's tested the parents. That gene pool is too small to take a chance with a breeder who does no hunt testing.

 

[yfarm]

Had one offered to me but already owned 3 dogs, was not hunt trained but hunted constantly on the small acreage she lived on. Would be on my short list for the next dog

 

[KurtR]

Really small gene pool to choose from. I would be very selective. Ron Boehme is a guy i would talk to he seems plugged into those dogs

 

[Longleaf]

Ran into one at a NAVHDA event, very cool dog, super sweet. Don’t know much about them but they smell with their nose up in the air as opposed to track the ground, this dog did not place because of that. Probably just the judge not being educated on their behavior.

 

[tam9492]

I figured owners would be hard to come by, but great info so far.

 

[parshal]

Dogs in NAVHDA tests are not judged on breed specific characteristics but on a standard. Whether a dog tracks with its head
high or low matters not. They need to follow track. It is the hardest thing to judge in all of the NAVHDA tests.

There are three judges and all their scores are discussed to come to the final score for each segment. No judge has more “say” than the others, senior judge or not.

I’m not trying to call anyone out in my response but just to explain how it works.

I’ve only seen one Bracco Italiano in person at the Invitational a number of years ago. It was a pretty nice field search.

 

[dtrkyman]

Rinella hunts with a guy that has that breed, had never heard of them prior to that.

Ronny Boehme.

 

[displacedtexan]

Ran into one at a NAVHDA event, very cool dog, super sweet. Don’t know much about them but they smell with their nose up in the air as opposed to track the ground, this dog did not place because of that. Probably just the judge not being educated on their behavior.
View attachment 676657

NAVDA wants their heads down?

 

[Stave]

tam where are you located? I found a Bracco breeder here in central KY. Nosam Kennels. They have a website with decent info and a newsletter. I will be contacting them for more info if I decide to go with a Bracco.

 

[revoked]

NAVDA wants their heads down?

No, doesn’t matter on style of track. Need to see acknowledgement and progression on the track.

 

[displacedtexan]

No, doesn’t matter on style of track. Need to see acknowledgement and progression on the track.

Gotcha. I have very minimal exposure to NAVDA.

I've been real heavily involved in the field trial world, and I wouldn't place an adult dog running with it's head down.

But we had a whole different focus!

 

[revoked]

Gotcha. I have very minimal exposure to NAVDA.

I've been real heavily involved in the field trial world, and I wouldn't place an adult dog running with it's head down.

But we had a whole different focus!

We don’t want to see a dog “running” head down in the field, the pheasant track is meant as a change of focus and is a separate event. Only done on pups 16months or under.

There’s a duck drag for the UPT and UT tests, really just an exercise in obedience and cooperation.

 

[displacedtexan]

We don’t want to see a dog “running” head down in the field, the pheasant track is meant as a change of focus and is a separate event. Only done on pups 16months or under.

There’s a duck drag for the UPT and UT tests, really just an exercise in obedience and cooperation.

Makes sense.

We don't do any tracking.

JUST FIND, POINT, AND HOLD BIRDS! Lol

 

[Longleaf]

NAVDA wants their heads down?

I didnt see the dog run, it was a NA test so it was a puppy. The handler was worried she was going get failed in "use of nose" since the dog ran around with its nose in the air the whole time, though she seemed adamant the dog was tracking and scenting during the test. It did pass the pointing test.

 

[Jeremyskousen]

Makes sense.

We don't do any tracking.

JUST FIND, POINT, AND HOLD BIRDS

I think you meant... RUN - find, point, and hold birds

 

[mstei4]

Not an owner myself but my uncle has one. Best dog I’ve ever hunted over, great in the field and never hesitated to listen. Absolute wuss when it comes to the cold though, a bit of a pain in Montana at times. Definitely not the lazy/lounging hound I’ve seen before, and hasn’t slowed up in the past 8ish years. They’re likely getting another one.

 

[tam9492]

Not an owner myself but my uncle has one. Best dog I’ve ever hunted over, great in the field and never hesitated to listen. Absolute wuss when it comes to the cold though, a bit of a pain in Montana at times. Definitely not the lazy/lounging hound I’ve seen before, and hasn’t slowed up in the past 8ish years. They’re likely getting another one.

Liking what I’m hearing…

 

[displacedtexan]

I think you meant... RUN - find, point, and hold birds

Yes. There better be lots of running!

 

[Silver Wings]

Dogs in NAVHDA tests are not judged on breed specific characteristics but on a standard. Whether a dog tracks with its head
high or low matters not. They need to follow track. It is the hardest thing to judge in all of the NAVHDA tests.

There are three judges and all their scores are discussed to come to the final score for each segment. No judge has more “say” than the others, senior judge or not.

I’m not trying to call anyone out in my response but just to explain how it works.

I’ve only seen one Bracco Italiano in person at the Invitational a number of years ago. It was a pretty nice field search.

I was a NAVHDA member for about 20 years and tested a number of my dogs over that time. Had them judged in 3 different states by judges from all over the US and Canada. Had dogs put up some great scores, some that didn’t and others in the middle somewhere. Of all the scores we got I never disagreed with one. I think that says a lot about the system and training that goes into the judges themselves. Breed specifics are irrelevant, it’s all about their performance as compared to a well spelled out standard.
I’d strongly suggest following the advice of others here and choose a dog that comes out of a program that is committed to testing. The price difference is negligible and you swing the odds way in your favor of picking a winner.