| What is the temperament of the Bracco Italiano? The Bracco is laid-back, intelligent, slightly stubborn, energetic when working, calm when in the house, especially with obedience training, and definitely needs a mental job. This dog generally has a high drive, and needs mental activity to keep focused and happy. Regular exercise is important - a walk every day is good. They are happiest being with you - not happy alone. They are natural pointers, and are best doing what they were bred to do - hunt. |
If I don't use my Bracco for hunting, what other things might he be good at? Possible jobs for the Bracco include Agility, Obedience, Search and Rescue, Therapy Dog, and similar activities. |
| Is the Bracco good with children? Yes, very good.They are a kind and gentle dog .See our photos of the boys asleep with their dogs. |
| Is he good with other animals? Yes, again with appropriate training. Generally Braccos are good with other dogs, but tend to point and chase other animals, like cats, rodents, etc. |
| Are they good guard/protection dogs? Our Braccos alert any time there's a suspicious sight or noise. Some Braccos will be more aggressive than others, but it would be very unusual to find a Bracco that will bite. |
| What sort of home should the Bracco ideally go to? In a perfect world, the Bracco would go first to a home where he can be hunting, and also live in the house with the family. Contrary to some opinions, being in the house will not ruin the Bracco for hunting; in fact, the bond you and he will have will make him want to please you more, making him a better hunter. The yard should be a reasonable size, and fenced. He would go to work with you, and be alone a fairly small amount of time - not left out in the yard to develop bad habits like digging and barking. |
| Should I breed my Bracco? Breeding takes a tremendous amount of time, effort and money (to do it well.) We support anyone who is dedicated to being a good breeder, but this is not easy. We, strongly , support spaying and neutering, and do not require the owner of one of our puppies to keep the dog intact in case we might want to use the dog later on. Neutering or spaying will not change the hunting drive of a Bracco - if it's there, it's there. |
| What genetic problems does the Bracco have? The Bracco does not have many genetic problems, largely because it is not a popular breed, and has not been ruined by backyard breeders, unlike so many AKC recognized breeds. We screen for hip dysplasia, which is in some lines (our dogs rate excellent or good.) Entropion (turned-in eyelids) and ectropion (turned-out, or sagging eyelids) is present, as in many loose-skinned breeds - Braccos should be checked (CERF) before breeding, as ours are. Bloat, or stomach torsion is also thought to be genetic. See the link to our breeders (di Ala D'Oro Kennel) on our "links" page to the health page which Tina Steffens has made. We decided not to try to duplicate something already so well-done! |
| How quickly can I get my Bracco puppy? There are, perhaps, 2-3 litters per year in the United States at the moment. This means you may need to wait a while.. but good things come to those who wait! |
| Do you keep a waiting list for puppies? We don't. Essentially, those people who educate themselves prior to getting a puppy, stay in touch with us a lot, the people that we sell puppies to are the people we get to know well, and are willing to wait will get a puppy from us. We give preference to those who come to meet us, our dogs and see our breeding set-up. |
| Do you ship your puppies? No, we don't. We think it's important that we meet you and that you see our breeding practices (that we are not a puppy mill or backyard breeder) and that we match you with the puppy with the temperament that is best for you. For that reason, we will take note of your desire as to color and sex of the puppy, and will match that, as much as possible, in conjunction with the puppy's temperament. |
.