Bracco Italiano puppies

About the Bracco Italiano

The Bracco Italiano is one of the oldest pointing breeds, used in Italy since the Renaissance to find and point game birds first for the net and later for the gun. This is a large, houndlike gundog with heavy bone, long pendulous ears, loose skin about the head and a short dense coat, and they work at a steady trot rather than a gallop. At home they are gentle and rather solemn, affectionate with their family and tolerant with children and other dogs.

They need at least thirty minutes of exercise a day and preferably a good deal more, either free running in a safe enclosure or steady work alongside a jogger, plus training to occupy a quick mind. Grooming is minimal, though the long ears want cleaning once or twice a week to head off infection. Take the first year gently: the breed grows fast and heavy, and puppies should not be run on concrete or asked to jump repeatedly.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Bracco Italiano puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Hip and elbow dysplasia, screened by radiographic evaluation of breeding stock
• Entropion and ectropion, eyelid faults found on an ophthalmologist evaluation
• Cataracts, screened by an ophthalmologist evaluation
• Renal amyloidosis and other kidney disorders, picked up on blood and urine testing
• Ear infections in the long pendulous ears, found by regular checks and cleaning
• Bloat and gastric torsion, a surgical emergency in deep chested dogs

Your Bracco Italiano puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Bracco Italiano.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 24.9 to 40.8 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 42 inch (42 x 28 x 30 in, 107 x 71 x 76 cm) for an adult of up to 40.8 kg; chew toys made for large breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Do slow feeder bowls work? Choosing one for a puppy that gulps
• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other large breeds

More on the Bracco Italiano

Previous: Boykin Spaniel · Next: Braque d'Auvergne

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Bracco Italiano breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/bracco-italiano/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Svenska Mässan from Sweden, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.