Beth

“Hunting with A Bracco”

“October in New England is always a special time, but if you are a bird hunter, it takes on a deeper meaning. This is the view of the White Mountains in northern New Hampshire where we hunt.”

“I have been bird hunting with my father since I was a young child.  I learned the joys of watching a dog work at the job they are bred for early on, and it has been a very important part of my life.  We always hunted with German Shorthaired Pointers until two and a half years ago when we got our Bracco Italiano, Abbie.

 My father was skeptical as she looked so hound-y with her long ears and big jowls, but as our shorthairs had hit retirement age, she was our girl.  All the hours of bird winging and working on “whoa” paid off in just her first season, though we had our ups and downs with reliability on recall when she was on something.  But, in that first season, my father immediately saw she meant business when her tail went straight up in the air and started wagging madly.  When she went on point at just five months old, there was reliably a bird.

“Abbie just out of the truck, but ready to get rolling.”

 Fast forward to Abbie’s third season this past October.  She was pure joy to watch.  Her extended trot is her preferred gait, but often in our New England woods, the cover is so thick it makes moving forward hard.  We got into more woodcock than our preferred grouse until our last weekend of October.  Our final day Abbie made game consistently and we put up 7 grouse and 2 woodcock.  This was fun for all of us.  Grouse are exciting.  Unlike woodcock, they don’t hold well, and they take off with a startling racket.  They are hard to shoot, and often is such thick cover a shot is hard to take.”

“Abbie in the thick stuff. Thank goodness for bells.”

We did not get any grouse that day.  Such is the life of a bird hunter.  But Abbie got loads of experience with these wily birds to add to her skill set, and she was not unhappy with the two woodcock.  She pointed beautifully and held to wing and shot.  Her grandfather now refers to her as his “little hunting dog” and she leans on him while he drives, while standing on the console of his truck, a position reserved for dogs in high standing.

“You can hear Abbie’s nose when she is on game. I call it putting her blowers on. She is on point here”

“Abbie mid extended trot. It’s a pretty gait to watch, and seemingly tireless.”

“We interpreted this sign to mean, “Grouse this way.”

“Abbie waiting for her grandfather to pull her other bird from his game pouch.”

“We do get to hunt in pretty places.”

“Abbie showing her game face. She is all business when her bell is on.”

“How I Came to the Bracco Italiano Breed

The decision to try a Bracco Italiano was not one I made lightly.  I was looking for a great hunting dog and family member, but one slightly dialed back from the general intensity level of a German shorthaired pointer.  Shorthairs hold a special place in my heart but my last two were both male rescues from hard situations and they demanded an extreme level of care, training, and monitoring.  After getting home from working with 6,7, and 8 year olds who have multiple needs of their own, I realized the quality of my life (as someone in her later 40s) would improve with a slightly calmer breed.  Research led me to Dan and Lane, and a phone conversation with Lane helped seal the deal.  She understood I wanted an intense hunter in the field and a good citizen out of it!

 Picking up Abbie was a great adventure for me and my husband.  We drove to Redvale from Denver and enjoyed the beauty of Colorado along the way.  Lane greeted us with ease and her love of dogs was clear.  Seeing a bunch of Bracci together was a feast for the eyes.  They are noble looking creatures!  The hardest thing we did that day was decide which puppy was joining the family.  My husband selected Abbie, and she entered our hearts and home with ease.  Well, as much ease as a new pup brings to any home!

 When we left Dan and Lane, I told Lane I thought it was likely we’d be getting one shorthair to have along with Abbie when the time came.  She responded with, “Maybe you will get another Bracco…”  At the time I did not think so.

 My “old men” shorthairs lived to be 13 and 15, respectively. You learn a lot from companion animals when you spend that many years together!  They were an important chapter in my life for sure and one that I do not regret.

 But the time has come when we are going to add another dog to the family, and it turns out that Lane was correct in her prediction.  Having a Bracco has improved the quality of my life, both in the home and on the field.  We are now waiting for the next litter of puppies this spring and looking forward to another trip out to Redvale to pick her up. “

“Abbie at the end of the day. She is posing behind her preferred ride, unfortunately, not our car.”