BRACCO ITALIANO ~ THE GREAT ITALIAN MOVER !
Kilde : Kennel Olympos / Gitte & John Finnich Pedersen
I think we all know, that the majority of dog breeds were made for a specific purpose. So also with Bracco Italiano. They were made for hunting at the wide soft terrains of Northern Italy. The best of these hunting dogs for this terrain were trotting for at least two reasons:
1) Trotting is energy saving and a big advantage when covering the enormous flat areas in Northern Italy.
2) Trotting is an advantage on the soft soil as risk of sinking is reduced versus gallop. (This is also the reason for the relative big feets on Bracchi -less risk of sinking)
These advantages was formally put into both the working and conformity standards for this breed. These virtues, however, may not always benefit accordingly to Nordic hunting environment. And as a passionate hunter in Danmark.
I accept that my dogs work the best way for them under these circumstances. But at the same time I certainly also want to be TRUE to what the breed was made for !! This means that all...official tests must conform with the standards and original intensions. Therefore, in official trials gallop should only be accepted in shorter passages where terrains are not suited for trotting. Finally, trotting is not always trotting. As with Icelandic horses (toelt) there is a special trot for a Bracco, called "trotte spinto". In normal trotting there is always at least one feet on the ground, but in trotte spinto all four feets can be in the lifted at the same time! This is speciality for Bracco Italiano, and what gives them their beautiful fast trotte - and what makes them fast in hunting relative to other breeds trotting the normal way. According to one of the grand old bracchi lovers, Cesare Bonesegale, this trotte spinto is genetic ..based, and is bound to a recistitive gen, meaning that if both parents are carrying the genes, the offsprings will too ! Whether to use a braga or not to refine the trotte spinto is up to the trainer. Cycling or running with Bracco in fast trotting will provide the same training. When I have seen and used the braga in Italy, it was absolutely harmless to the dogs. So to conclude: Be true to the breed's conformity and working standards in all officials tests and select breeding materials accordingly !!! But of course activate your dog in whatever way suits you and your dog the best. The daily fun is very important.
I think we all know, that the majority of dog breeds were made for a specific purpose. So also with Bracco Italiano. They were made for hunting at the wide soft terrains of Northern Italy. The best of these hunting dogs for this terrain were trotting for at least two reasons:
1) Trotting is energy saving and a big advantage when covering the enormous flat areas in Northern Italy.
2) Trotting is an advantage on the soft soil as risk of sinking is reduced versus gallop. (This is also the reason for the relative big feets on Bracchi -less risk of sinking)
These advantages was formally put into both the working and conformity standards for this breed. These virtues, however, may not always benefit accordingly to Nordic hunting environment. And as a passionate hunter in Danmark.
I accept that my dogs work the best way for them under these circumstances. But at the same time I certainly also want to be TRUE to what the breed was made for !! This means that all...official tests must conform with the standards and original intensions. Therefore, in official trials gallop should only be accepted in shorter passages where terrains are not suited for trotting. Finally, trotting is not always trotting. As with Icelandic horses (toelt) there is a special trot for a Bracco, called "trotte spinto". In normal trotting there is always at least one feet on the ground, but in trotte spinto all four feets can be in the lifted at the same time! This is speciality for Bracco Italiano, and what gives them their beautiful fast trotte - and what makes them fast in hunting relative to other breeds trotting the normal way. According to one of the grand old bracchi lovers, Cesare Bonesegale, this trotte spinto is genetic ..based, and is bound to a recistitive gen, meaning that if both parents are carrying the genes, the offsprings will too ! Whether to use a braga or not to refine the trotte spinto is up to the trainer. Cycling or running with Bracco in fast trotting will provide the same training. When I have seen and used the braga in Italy, it was absolutely harmless to the dogs. So to conclude: Be true to the breed's conformity and working standards in all officials tests and select breeding materials accordingly !!! But of course activate your dog in whatever way suits you and your dog the best. The daily fun is very important.