ORIGIN: Italy
USE: pointing dog
FCI CLASSIFICATION
Group 7: Pointing dogs
Section 1.1: Continental Pointing Dogs type Bracco
With proof of work
General appearance: strong and harmonious construction with vigorous appearance. Preferred subjects with lean limbs, salient muscles, well-defined lines as well as a sculpted head with evident sub-orbital chisel, elements that give distinction to the breed.
Important proportions: the height at the withers varies between 55 and 67 cm. The length of the body is equal to the height at the withers or slightly more. Total length of the head equal to 4/10 of the height at the withers, its width measured at the zygomatic arches is less than half of the total length: skull and muzzle of equal length.
Behavior / Character: resistant and suitable for any kind of hunting, serious, intelligent, docile with great learning ability.
Head: angular, narrow at the zygomatic arches, its length measures 4/10 of the height at the withers; half of the total length falls on the line of conjunction of the inner corners of the eyes. The craniofacial axes are divergent from each other, ie extending the upper line of the muzzle it must pass forward to the occipital apophysis and ideally in the middle of the upper longitudinal line of the skull.
Cranial region: the skull, seen in profile, has the shape of a very open arch. Seen from above, it forms, in the longitudinal sense, an elongated ellipse. The width of the skull, measured in correspondence of the zygomatic arches, does not exceed half the total length of the head. The cheeks are dry. The frontal sinuses and the superciliary arches are marked as long as the stop is not very pronounced. The frontal sulcus is visible and ends in the middle of the skull, the interparietal crest is short and not very prominent. The occipital protuberance is pronounced.
FACIAL REGION
Truffle: voluminous, with large and open nostrils, somewhat protruding on the front line of the lips, with which it forms an angle. Color: more or less pink or fleshy or brown, in harmony with the colors of the coat.
Muzzle: nose bridge slightly montonina or straight. It has a length equal to half of the total length of the head, its height is equal to 4/5 of its length. Viewed from the front, its side faces are slightly converging, while presenting a front face of good width. The chin is not very evident.
Lips: the upper lips, well developed, thin and drooping without being flaccid, cover the jaw; in the anterior section, and beyond it, somewhat on the sides. Seen from the front, they form an inverted "V" under the nose; the corner of the lips must be accentuated, but not drooping.
Teeth: dental arches that match, with teeth perpendicular to the jaw and scissor closure of the incisors. Pincer bite is also allowed.
Eyes: in a semi-lateral position, they express docility, are neither sunken nor protruding, well open and with an oval eyelid rim. The eyelids adhering to the bulb (absence of entropium and / or ectropium); the color of the iris is more or less dark ocher or brown depending on the color of the coat.
Ears: well developed, so as to be able to reach the front edge of the nose in length without stretching; at least half of their length wide; poorly erectile; with a rather set back, relatively narrow attachment, placed on the zygomatic line; the flexible ear is valuable, with a well marked and adherent inner anterior volute with its edge to the cheek; The lower extremity ends in a slightly rounded point.
Neck: strong, truncated cone, not less than 2/3 of the length of the head; the detachment from the nape is well marked; throat with chin strap, light and divided.
TRUNK
Top line: the upper line of the trunk is made up of two lines: one inclined almost straight from the withers to the eleventh dorsal vertebra, the other slightly convex, which joins the rump.
Withers: raised, with the tips of the shoulder blades detached.
Back: thorax broad, deep and descended to the level of the elbow, not carinated, with well sprung ribs particularly in the lower part and inclined. Lumbar region wide, muscular, short and arched.
Croup: Croup long (about 1/3 of the height at the withers), broad, well muscled, the ideal inclination of the coxal is that which forms an angle of 30 degrees with the horizon.
Chest: large
Bottom line: the lower profile, almost horizontal in the thoracic part, rises slightly in the abdominal part.
Tail: robust at the root, straight, with a slight tendency to taper, not velvety; when the dog is in motion, and above all in search, it is carried horizontally or almost. It is cut to leave a length of 15-25 cm.
PLUS
FOREQUARTERS
The shoulder is strong, equipped with good muscles, long and sloping, free in movement; the oblique arm, adhering to the chest; forearm strong, well upright, with strong and detached tendons; the point of the elbow must be on the perpendicular lowered from the posterior tip of the scapula; Pasterns of correct proportions, lean, of fair length and slightly sloping; strong, oval-shaped feet, with arched toes, adhering to each other, provided with strong and curved nails on the ground, white, ocher or brown, more or less intense, depending on the coat: dry and elastic soles.
BACK LIMBS
Thighs long, not spread apart, muscular, with posterior margin tending to straight, strong legs, wide hock, relatively short and lean metatarsals. Foot with all the characteristics of the front one, equipped with a spur, the absence of which does not constitute a defect. Double spur tolerated.
Pace: broad and fast trot with powerful rear thrust and bearing of the head high with the nose above the topline when hunting.
Skin: firm but elastic, finer on the head, throat, armpits, and lower parts of the trunk; the external mucous membranes must have the color in relation to the color of the coat, never with black spots. The internal mucous membranes of the mouth are pink; in roan or white-brown they are sometimes slightly spotted with brown or pale brown.
COAT
HAIR: short, dense and shiny, finer and more satin on the head, ears, front of the limbs, and feet.
Color: white, white with more or less large spots and a more or less intense orange or amber color, white with more or less large brown spots, white speckled with pale orange (honeydew), white speckled with brown (roan-brown), in this cloak precious metallic reflections, equally precious the brown of warm tones (monk's tunic); the symmetrical face mask is preferred, the absence of a mask tolerated.
SIZE AND WEIGHT
Height at the withers between 55 and 67 cm. preferably the height of the males goes from 58 to 67 cm. and that of females from 55 to 62. Weight between 25 and 40 kg in proportion to height.
DEFECTS
Any deviation from the above must be considered a defect to be penalized according to its severity
Eliminating defects
Accentuated prognathism
Height at the withers 2 cm. less or more than the established limits.
Defects from disqualification
Cracked nose
Convergence of the craniofacial axes
Wall eyes
Esognatism
Monorchidism, cryptorchidism
Total depigmentation
Black, black and white, tricolor, fawn, hazel, solid color, tan coat
Mucous membranes, skin and its appendages with traces of black.
NB Males must have normal-looking testicles fully descended into the scrotum.