Italian Pointing Dog (Bracco Italiano)

Print my Pet · 20. October 2026 · 3 min di lettura·Aggiornato 21.10.2026

Bracco Italiano als Wandbild im Stil Kohle-Sketch, Raum: blauer Flur

When an Italian Pointing Dog searches, the trot is long and fast, driven powerfully from behind, with the head so high that the nose sits above the topline. The FCI standard specifically describes this movement. It says 14th-century frescoes already show dogs of this type working in the same way.

FCI	Group 7 (Pointing Dogs), Section 1.1 Continental Pointing Dogs, Braque type, Standard No. 202, with working trial
Country of origin	Italy
Size (height at the withers)	55 to 67 cm; preferred males 58 to 67 cm, females 55 to 62 cm
Weight	25 to 40 kg depending on size
Life expectancy	median 13.8 years among 106 dogs of this breed in a UK analysis of 584,734 dogs; small dataset (McMillan et al. 2024)
Coat	short, dense and glossy, finer and shorter on the head, ears, fronts of legs and feet
Colours in the standard	white; white with orange or amber patches; white with chestnut patches; white-orange speckled (melato); brown roan; symmetrical mask preferred

From nets to firearms

The Bracco has ancient Italian origins and was used for bird hunting. The standard says it adapted over the centuries from the formerly common use of nets to hunting with firearms, retaining its build and pointing ability. The FCI awards championship certificates in two varieties, white-orange and chestnut roan. A rough-coated compatriot in the same group is the Spinone Italiano.

An angular head and long ears

Robust and harmoniously built, with lean limbs and clearly visible muscle: that is the required appearance. The head is angular, finely chiselled beneath the eyes, with skull and muzzle equally long. Without stretching, the ears reach the nose tip. Notably, excessive skin with a pronounced dewlap and many head wrinkles is a serious fault; eyelids should fit the eye without entropion or ectropion.

Responsive and quick to understand

The standard calls the breed hardy, suitable for every kind of hunting, reliable and docile, with quick understanding and a great capacity to learn. That sounds straightforward but requires activity: wide-ranging searches, retrieving, tracking or dummy work every day. The willingness to learn is your greatest ally.

Care: ears before coat

Weekly brushing is enough for the short hair. Long ears need more attention: check regularly and dry after swimming. Undocked, the tail reaches the hock. The standard also describes a docked tail of 15 to 25 cm. In Germany, docking is generally prohibited under Section 6 of the German Animal Welfare Act; exceptions apply only in individual cases.

Lifespan and a kidney finding

In the large UK analysis, 106 Bracchi reached a median of 13.8 years, compared with 12.0 for crossbreeds (McMillan et al. 2024). Because only 22 had died, the upper confidence limit could not be determined, making the figure uncertain. A US case series describes eight related Bracchi with protein-losing kidney disease: all had protein in the urine, six had glomerular amyloidosis, and seven were euthanised a median of 75 days after diagnosis (Inman et al. 2021). The authors recommend taking urinary protein seriously in young and middle-aged Bracchi. Ask breeders about kidney disease in the line.

Who will enjoy this breed?

Hunters and very active people with time, terrain and enthusiasm for shared work find a reliable partner. This dog is not made for small city flats, little exercise or chiefly looking impressive. Given room to search, however, that high, fast trot soon becomes a familiar morning sight.

Unsure whether a large pointing dog suits you? Take the breed quiz or explore our book “Which Dog REALLY Suits You?” (book in German). Puppy owners can use the free Puppy Starter Pack. If your Bracco is already home, our dog portraits show how those ears and markings could look on your wall, perhaps as a magazine cover.