Bracco Italianos are an odd breed. Big boned, and with a large heads, drooping jowls and flopping ears, Braccos looks more bloodhound than bird dog. Because they’re so rare here in the States, very few of us will ever have the experience it takes to appreciate them.
The Italians have been breeding some kind of Bracco Ialiano for several hundred years. In Pointing Dogs: Volume One, The Continentals, Craig Koshyk does an fantastic job of laying out this history. In this post on his Pointing Dog Blog, he talks about what of the things that makes that has always set the Bracco Italiano apart from other continental pointers. It’s their gait.
Braccos are trotters, and in the field they move in a very distinct way. Rather than pressing forward and bounding like a English Pointer, Braccos stride, head high, and back level and straight. All the action takes place in their legs, and when they get up to speed, they like they’re floating across the field. Check out the videos below to get a better sense of what I mean.