THE KENNEL CLUB BREED STANDARD FOR THE

 

 

 

 

bracco italiano

 

 

                                 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  GENERAL  APPEARANCE

 

 

Strong,well balanced,powerful  hunting dog, of noble appearance, Almost square, well muscled, with deep chest. Distinctive,sculped head with chiselling under eyes

 

characteristics

 

Strong and untiring, working in all types of terrain.Excellent scenting abilities. Dignified and intelligent.

 

Temperament

 

Hardy and adaptable, gentle and even tempered

 

Head and Skull

 

Long angular and narrow at the zygomatic arches. Cheeks lean, seen from the front, sides of muzzle

converge slightly, foreface of good width, Pronounced occiput and slight stop. Median line visible to mid

skull, Measurement from nose to stop equal to that from stop to occiput, in profile, muzzle deep,

straight or slightly arched. Well chiselled below the eyes, Viewed from the side, the planes of the

muzzle and  skull are divergent, Nose lange and spongy, protruding slightly over thin lips.

 Corners of lips marked but not pendulous

 

EYES

 

Soft expression, fairly lange, oval with close fitting eyelids. Nether protruding nor too deep set.Dark ochre or brown, depending on the coat colour.

 

 EARS

 

Set on level with corner of eyes, leather extend to tip of nose. Supple and folded inwards, base rather narrow

widening out but lying close to cheeks, slightly rounded tips.

 

MOUTH

 

jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

 

NECK

 

Powerful, well-rounded, moderately short, widening towards the shoulders, with unexaggerated dewlap

 

FOREQUARTERS

Stong, shoulders long, well muscled and well laid back. Well defined withers Top of shoulder blades well separated, forelegs stong and straight with good oval bone and well defined tendons, pasterns of good length, slightly sloping. Point of elbow lies directly below top of withers.

 

 BODY

 

Overall appearance almost square,Length of body measured from point of shoulder to point of buttock, equal to or very slightly longer then height at withers, chest broad, deep, reaching to the level of elbows. well sprung ribs loin wide and slightly arched, short and well muscled.Topline very slightly down from raised withers to middle of back, without dipping, rising slightly to broad, muscular croup, slight tuck -up.

 

HINDQUARTERS

 

Thighs long, parallet, muscular with rear edge almost  straight, good bend of stifles, rear pasterns relatively short and lean with good width between the hocks.

 

 FEET

 

Strong slightly oval, tight and well arched, nails tone with coat colour dewclaws acceptable and double dewclaws tolerated

 

 TAIL

 

Undocked  carried horizontally, may be slightly curved but never held high or carried bent over the back

 

 

 

  GAIT/MOVEMENT

 

True moving with powerful drive from hindquarters, capable of untiriing, extended fast trot, head carried raised above topline

 

 COAT

 

Short, dense and glossy. shorter and finer on head, ears and front part of legs and feet. skin tough, but elastic, pigment of skin, eyelids, nose, lips and pads pale pink to dark brown, depending on coat colour, but never black

 

COLOUR

 

White, white with orange, amber or chestnut marking, white may be speckled, roan with solid markings if chestnut, a warm shade with a metallic sheen is preferred, symmetrical facial mask preferred, absence tolerated.

 

SIZE

 

Height at withers:  Dogs58-67cms [22-26ins] Bitches 55-62cms [21-24ins]

Weight 25-40 kgs [55-88lbs] in proportion to height.