Standard Morfologico

Il primo Standard Morfologico Illustrato del Bracco Italiano, quello con Ulisse di Casamassima!
(Scroll for English!)

Brevi cenni storici
Cane di antica origine italiana. Si forma attraverso i secoli utilizzato nella caccia agli uccelli prima con metodi del passato ed in seguito con le armi da fuoco. Affreschi del XIV secolo testimoniano la inequivocabile continuità nel tempo del bracco italiano durante il passare dei secoli, relativamente alla sua morfologia e l’attitudine come cane da ferma. Selezionato per la grande capacità di trotto veloce ed ampio è per natura un ottimo cane da riporto.

Comportamento e carattere
Resistente ed adatto a qualsiasi genere di caccia, affidabile, intelligente, dotato con un eccellente capacità di apprendimento, docile e facile da addestrare.

Aspetto generale del cane
Di costruzione forte e armonica con aspetto vigoroso. Preferiti i soggetti ben proporzionati e di media taglia con arti asciutti, muscoli salienti, linee ben definite nonché testa scolpita con evidente cesello sub-orbitale, elementi questi che conferiscono distinzione della razza.

REGIONE CRANIALE:

REGIONE FACCIALE:

Guance
Asciutte

CORPO:

Garrese
Ben definito, con punte delle scapole leggermente distanziate.

ARTI ANTERIORI:

ARTI POSTERIORI:

Ginocchio
Ben angolato

Gambe
Forti

Andatura
Trotto ampio e veloce con spinta del posteriore possente e portamento di testa alto col tartufo che in caccia è al di sopra della linea dorsale.

MANTELLO

Taglia & Peso
Altezza al garrese fra i 55 ed i 67 cm preferibilmente l’altezza dei maschi va dai 58 ai 67 e quella delle femmine dai 55 ai 62.

N.B.:

• Solo quei soggetti funzionali, clinicamente sani e tipici, devono essere adibiti alla riproduzione.
• I maschi devono avere due testicoli di aspetto normale e ben discesi nello scroto.

Difetti

Ogni deviazione dalle caratteristiche indicate nella descrizione delle varie regioni costituisce un difetto, che deve essere penalizzato nel giudizio in riferimento alla sua gravità, alla sua diffusione e alle conseguenze sulla salute, sul benessere del cane e sulla capacità di svolgere il suo lavoro tradizionale.

Difetti gravi

⇒ Code curvate all’insù altamente indesiderabili.
⇒ Pelle sovrabbondante che determina esagerata giogaia, o giogaia indivisa e parecchie rughe sulla testa.
⇒ Prognatismo accentuato.

⇒ Altezza al garrese 2 cm in meno o in più dei limiti previsti.

Difetti eliminatori

⊗ I soggetti aggressivi o estremamente timidi, o che presentino in modo evidente delle anormalità d’ordine fisico o comportamentale saranno squalificati.

⊗ Naso fesso

⊗ convergenza degli assi cranio facciali
[“prolungando la linea superiore della canna nasale questa esce al di sotto dell’apofisi occipitale”]

⊗ occhi gazzuoli

la colorazione di default per gli occhi del bracco italiano è definita “ocra più o meno scuro o marrone a seconda della colorazione del mantello”. Costituiscono quindi un difetto gli occhi che presentino tonalità più chiare ovvero quelle che vanno dal giallo (occhio a civetta) al giallo-verde, al grigio, all’azzurro. Nella versione inglese dello Standard però, ad occhio gazzuolo corrisponde la dicitura “wall eye”, fenomeno genetico per cui il cane presenta solitamente un occhio marrone ed uno azzurro.

⊗ enognatismo

⊗ monorchidismo & criptorchidismo

⊗ depigmentazione totale del tartufo e delle palpebre

⊗ mantello nero

⊗ bianco e nero

⊗ unicolore

⊗ tricolore

i colori e il disegno del manto vogliono esemplificare il concetto di tricolore inteso come soggetto che presenti 3 colori, qualunque essi siano e comunque essi compaiano (vedi anche focature).

⊗ focature evidenti

⊗ mucose, pelle e suoi annessi con tracce di nero.

FINE

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In English, please…

Brief Historical Summary
This dog of ancient Italian origin used for bird hunting has modelled itself and developed over the ages; from the hunting of yester years by means of hunt and shooting. Frescoes from the 14th century are proof of the indisputable timelessness of the Italian pointer over the centuries, regarding the morphology or his hunting aptitudes in hunting as a pointing dog. Selected for a great ability in fast and wide trot and by nature an excellent retriever.
Behaviour & Temperament
Tough and adapted to all types of hunting, reliable, endowed with an excellent ability to understand, docile and easy to train.
General Appearence
Of strong and harmonious construction, powerful appearance. The preferred subjects are those with lean limbs, well developed muscles, well defined lines with a markedly sculpted head and a very obvious lower orbital chiselling, elements which all contribute to give distinction to this breed.
Important proportions
Length of the body is the same or a little more than the height at the withers (55-67 cm). Length of head is equal to 4/1O of the height at the withers, its width, measured at the level of the zygomatic arches, is less than half its length. Skull and muzzle are of equal length.

Head
Angular and narrow at the level of the zygomatic arches,the length of the skull equals the length of the muzzle.

the upper longitudinal axes of the skull ad muzzle are divergent, i.e. if extended the top line of the muzzle, emerges in front of the occipital protuberance, ideally at mid-length of the skull.

CRANIAL REGION

Skull Region
Seen in profile, the skull shape is a very open arch.

Seen from the top, it forms lengthwise an elongated ellipse.

The width of the skull, measured at the level of the zygomatic arches should not exceed half of the length of the head. The bulge of the forehead and the supraorbital ridges are perceptible whereas the stop is not pronounced. The frontal groove is visible and ends at mid-length of the skull. The interparietal crest is short and not very prominent. The occipital protuberance is pronounced.

Cheeks
Lean

FACIAL REGION

Nose
Voluminous, with large well opened nostrils, protruding slightly over the lips with which it forms an angle.

Colour
Brown or from pale pink to more or less deep fleshy red depending on the colour of the coat.

Muzzle
Either slightly arched or straight. Its length is equal to half of the length of the head and its depth  measures 4/5 of its length.

Seen from the front, the lateral sides of the muzzle converge slightly, still presenting a foreface of good width. The chin not very apparent.

Lips
Upper lips well developed, thin and floppy without being flaccid, covering the jaw; seen in profile, they overlap the lower jaw slightly, seen from the front, they form an inverted “V” below the nose; the corner of the lips must be marked without being droopy.

Jaws/Teeth
Dental arches well adapted, with the teeth square set to the jaw; scissor bite. A pincer bite is also acceptable.

Eyes
Semi-lateral position with a soft and submissive expression neither deep set nor prominent. Eyes fairly large, eyelids ovalshaped and close fitting (no entropion or ectropion).

The iris is of a more or less dark ochre or brown colour depending on the coat colour.

Ears
Long, they should reach the tip of the nose without being stretched.

Their width is at least equal to half their length;

raised only very slightly; base rather narrow, set rather backwards at level of zygomatic arches: a supple ear with a front rim well turned inwards and really close to the cheek is appreciated; the tips are slightly rounded.

Neck
Powerful, in truncated cone shape,

length not less than 2/3 of the length of the head, well detached from the nape.

The throat shows a soft double dewlap.

BODY

Topline
The topline presents two lines: one, almost straight slopes from the withers to the 11th dorsal vertebra; the other is slightly arched*, joining with the line of the rump.

Chest
Broad, deep and well down to the level of elbows, without forming a keel, with well sprung ribs, particularly in their lower part.

Loin
wide lumbar region, muscled, short and slightly convex.

Croup
Long (about 1/3 of the height at the withers), broad and well muscled; the ideal pelvic angulation (angle formed by the pelvic girdle with a horizontal line) is 30°.
Underline & belly
Lower profile almost horizontal along the ribcage, rising slightly in its abdominal part.

Tail
Thick at the base, straight, with a slight tendency to taper, hair short. When the dog is in action and especially when questing, is carried horizontally or nearly. The natural tail should not extend below the hock and have the above-mentioned features. If docked, for hunting purposes and in compliance with health and animal welfare, the tail must have a length of 15-25 cm from the root.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS
General appearance
Very free in movement

Withers
Well defined, with the points of the shoulder blades well separated.

Shoulder
Strong, well muscled, long and sloping.

Upper arm
Sloping, fitting to the ribcage

Forearm
strong, straight, with strong and well marked sinews;

Elbow
the point of the elbows should be on a perpendicular line from the rear point of the shoulder blade to the ground;

Metacarpus (pasterns)
well proportioned, lean, of good lenght and slightly sloping;

Forefeet
Strong, slightly oval shaped, well arched and closed toes with strong nails well curved towards the ground.

Colour of nails is white, yellow or brown, of a more or less dark shade depending on the colour of the coat:

pads elastic and lean.

HINDQUARTERS

Thigh
long, parallel, muscular,

with a rear edge almost straight;

Stifle (Knee)
well angulated

Lower thigh
Strong

Hock joint
Broad

Metatarsus (Rear pasterns)
Relatively short and lean

Hind feet
The feet with all the characteristics of the front feet, have dewclaws,the absence of which is not a fault. Double dewclaw is tolerated.

Gait/Movement
Extended and fast trot, with powerful impulsion from the hindquarters; head raised, nose held high in such a way that, when hunting, the nose is higher than the top line.

Skin
Tough but elastic: fine on the head, the throat, the armpits and the lower parts of the body.
The visible pigmentation must be of a corresponding colour with the coat, and never show black spots.
The pigmentation of the mouth is pink; in the roans or white and chestnut coloured dogs they sometimes show brown or light chestnut spotting.

COAT

Hair
Short, dense and glossy, fine and shorter on the head, the ears, front part of the legs and feet.

Colour
White; white with patches of varied size of an orange or more or less dark amber colour, white speckled with pale orange, i.e. orange roan;

White with more or less large bown patches, white speckled with brown, i.e. liver roan.

in this last combination, a metallic sheen is appreciated, and a warm shade of brown is preferred, recalling the colour of a monk’s frock.

A symmetrical facial mask is preferred but the absence of a mask is tolerated.

Size & Weight
Height at the withers between 55-67 cm.
Preferred size for males: 58-67 cm.
Preferred size for females: 55-62 cm.

Weight between 25 and 40 kg depending on size.

N.B.
• Only functional and clinically healthy dogs with breed typical conformation, should be used for breeding.
• Males animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Faults

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and on its ability to perform its traditional work.

Severe faults

⊗ Excessive amount of skin causing an exaggerated dewlap or an un-divided dewlap and too many wrinkles on the head

⊗ An upturned tail is higly undesirable

⊗ Accentuated undershot mouth

⊗ Size 2 cm above or below the standard height at the withers.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS

⇒ Aggressive or overly shy dogs.

⇒ Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified

⇒ Split nose,

⇒ Convergence of cranial-facial axes,

⇒ Monorchidism & Cryptorchidism

⇒ Wall eye *,

The regular eye colour for a bracco is “a more or less dark ochre or brown colour“, wall eye (when a dog has one blue eye and one brown or amber eye) is extremely rare in this breed, however according to the Italian Standard: yellow, yellow-green, grey and light blue eyes are a fault too.

⇒ Enognathism

⇒ Absence of pigmentation (albinism),

⇒  Black coat,

⇒  Black and white

⇒  Tricolour,

[just a patriotic example of the countless combinations of colours]

⇒ Fawn,

⇒  Hazel,

⇒  Unicolor,

⇒ Tan markings,

⇒ Pigmentation of skin and annexes with traces of black

THE END