The Bracco Italiano, whose history dates to the fourth or fifth century BC, has been dubbed the oldest pointer in Europe. While the precise ancestry is unknown, it is widely acknowledged that the Segugio Italiano and the Asiatic Mastiff, an extinct breed, were the parents of the Bracco Italiano. It is believed that the white-and-orange variation originated in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, while the roan-and-brown variety is thought to have originated in Lombardy.
The breed was firmly established by the Middle Ages, and the Italian aristocracy sold the Bracco across the Old World. The Bracco reached its height of popularity during the Renaissance and maintained a robust following until the turn of the 20th century when they were confronted with a severe decline.
The Bracco Italiano was on the verge of extinction by the end of the 1800s. Over the years, breeding ineffectively and combining with hounds produced dogs that were too bulky to work and had a variety of health issues. The breed was rebuilt with the help of careful breeding selection and care. To maintain genetic variability, it was chosen to combine the two breed variants in the 1920s.
First off, as suggested by its name, the Piedmontese Pointer is an Italian breed of dog that is lighter in build and color. This dog’s conformation and temperament were indicative of its employees for work in the highlands. The Piedmontese dog was smaller than its Lombard cousin, and it hunted in a manner similar to some pointers from Western Europe, galloping merrily. This dog had mostly white fur, possibly with some orange markings.
Alternately, the Lombard Pointer had a bulkier build and a deep brown roan color. This trotting kind of dog was employed for hunting in the low marshlands. These large dogs were bred for both their good looks and their inherent hunting prowess.
The working standard was created and published soon after the breed was formally united, and the Societa Amatori Bracco Italiano was established in Italy in 1949. Due to the inclusion of elements from both breed types when the Italian conformation standard was released, there is a noticeable variation within the standard. Before being condensed into this single document, the breed standard had been in existence for more than a century.
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