Segugio Italiano puppies

About the Segugio Italiano

The Segugio Italiano is an Italian scenthound of very old type, used for hare and later for wild boar across the hills and scrub of the peninsula, bred to hunt at a steady pace and give tongue on the line. It is a medium dog of 17.7 to 28.1 kg and 48 to 62 cm, square and light framed for a hound, with long drop ears and a fine, chiselled head. It is gentle and sociable, rated five out of five with both children and other pets.

It wants a brisk walk of thirty to forty five minutes plus one to two hours of free roaming a day, or two or three larger outings a week in an active home. Brushing once or twice a week is enough, but the long ears must be cleaned, kept dry and flipped over so air reaches the canals. It is highly trainable for a scenthound, though the nose still wins in open country. The mistake is treating it as a low maintenance house dog, since an underexercised Segugio is a restless one.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Segugio 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 medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. 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 it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

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

• Ear infections, prevented by regular cleaning and drying of the long drop ears
• Hip dysplasia, screened by x-ray evaluation of breeding stock
• Eye conditions such as entropion, found by an ophthalmologist evaluation

From Segugio Italiano breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/segugio-italiano/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Segugio Italiano puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Segugio Italiano.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 17.7 to 28.1 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other medium breeds

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