Bracco Italiano

[Pip59]

I've seen a few passing references to working Bracco Italiano on here but does anybody actually have first hand experience of the breed as a "deer" dog?

I've got two yearling males that are doing OK with their gundog (rough, decoying) training. It's going to be a slow, steady job as they don't really mature until about 3 years old but I've got the time so it's not an issue.

Next week I'm picking up a third Bracco (puppy) and I'd like to try something a bit different with him as well as the normal gundog stuff. Been looking at general scent training and I was wondering about training him as a deer dog. I'm very new to deer myself and haven't yet even raised rifle to one but I don't see that as a barrier to starting to think about what to do with the new boy.

I'd be very interested to hear from anybody with experience of the breed in this role and also any guidance towards how/where/with whom I may get some training when the time comes. I take the other two to a very good professional trainer and fully appreciate the value of doing so. I'd want to do the same for scent training if I decide to follow it up.

Look forward to getting some (helpful!!!) replies.

 

[bgkahuna]

Did you get any feedback on this? - I’d be really interested in your experience with the breed. My wife and daughter love the cat and guinea pigs and have taken exception to my idea of a GWP. None of us are that excited by black labs. We came across the breed on a trip to Italy and I began reading more about them. Apparently not as inclined to chase small fury animals, good temperament etc. I stalk in woodland about 4/5 times a week and desperately need a good scent dog to after the ‘runners’. I dont necessarily need anything thats by my side 100% of the time but that would be fun if possible. For the other 75% of his/her life he/she needs to be a good family dog. I also shoot birds a handful of times a year on farmers shoots so pick up might be fun but again, not at the expense of scent which is the priority. Any info you can offer appreciated + where you are finding these beautiful examples!

 

[Iamtheferryman]

One of my perm owners have a pair of braccos........ Very affectionate family dogs. Very protective and vocal. No idea on suitability for stalking but show they find the dead foxes I stash from miles away!

 

[th32]

I´m interested in a similar breed we have here in Spain, Perdiguero de Burgos. A friend has a bitch as a gun dog to a very high standard. Quiet and always keeping an eye on his owner.
Though she has never been used as a deer dog, he knows of others who are only used for stalking. One of her daughters will breed next year and I´m seriously considering keeping one, want it to become my stalking and gun partner. I´d rather like them a bit smaller!

Very interested in the thread, let´s see!

 

[Heym SR20]

With a deer dog you need:

1) good obedience and a dog with lots of patience and ability to sit quietly

2) it needs to be intelligent with plenty of drive to find prey

3) a decent nose.

The major addition to training is teaching the dog to follow a blood trail, and to stick to a blood trail.

Pretty simple - get some blood - keep it back from a gralloch, or use dried. Set a short trail with a reward at the end and encourage the dog to follow it. You want the dog to get its nose down and follow the trail rather air scenting and taking short cuts.

I have a BMH x Lab. She has a lot of drive and not the steadiest. When stalking I do keep her on a long leash She is mostly good, but does need checking and the leash on the floor means I just step on it. After the shot I do leave it a wee while for everything to settle down. I then work her on the leash to the shot site - let her find all the blood / hair etc and then get her to follow to the deer. I do this every time, even though mostly deer drop on the spot.

To be honest she got the idea very quickly. Blood trail = yumminess at the end. There have been a few occasions over the last 9 years when she has found things that I would still be looking for.

She is also very good at scenting and pointing deer. She tends to walk a few yards ahead and I have learnt the signals.

She is also a good rough shooting dog. Her favourite are snipe - she and I have worked it out. She know knows to keep close, she looks round to check I have kept up and then bounces them. If I hit she does it again. If I miss, the look of disgust is tangible. If I miss a few times she switches off in a sulk.

With birds she is very good at finding them, both as a flushing dog, and once shot. She can do amazing retrieves and finding a shot bird that has gone deep into cover. But not interested in easy to retrieve phaesants - in her eyes the job for a “peg wench”.

I can’t comment specifically on the Braco or other breeds, but if it has the above traits then I suspect most dogs will make pretty good deer stalking companions.

You do however need patience and at first there will be times when the need to train the dog makes a mess of a stalk. I can see how those who are in a rush all the time will just get intensely frustrated.

But over time it clicks abd stalking with your hound is far far more memorable than without.

 

[bgkahuna]

Just had a look on Google....what a great looking dog!

 

[bgkahuna]

I´m interested in a similar breed we have here in Spain, Perdiguero de Burgos. A friend has a bitch as a gun dog to a very high standard. Quiet and always keeping an eye on his owner.
Though she has never been used as a deer dog, he knows of others who are only used for stalking. One of her daughters will breed next year and I´m seriously considering keeping one, want it to become my stalking and gun partner. I´d rather like them a bit smaller!

Very interested in the thread, let´s see!

I had a look on Google...what an amazing looking dog!

 

[th32]

With a deer dog you need:

1) good obedience and a dog with lots of patience and ability to sit quietly

2) it needs to be intelligent with plenty of drive to find prey

3) a decent nose.

The major addition to training is teaching the dog to follow a blood trail, and to stick to a blood trail.

Pretty simple - get some blood - keep it back from a gralloch, or use dried. Set a short trail with a reward at the end and encourage the dog to follow it. You want the dog to get its nose down and follow the trail rather air scenting and taking short cuts.

I have a BMH x Lab. She has a lot of drive and not the steadiest. When stalking I do keep her on a long leash She is mostly good, but does need checking and the leash on the floor means I just step on it. After the shot I do leave it a wee while for everything to settle down. I then work her on the leash to the shot site - let her find all the blood / hair etc and then get her to follow to the deer. I do this every time, even though mostly deer drop on the spot.

To be honest she got the idea very quickly. Blood trail = yumminess at the end. There have been a few occasions over the last 9 years when she has found things that I would still be looking for.

She is also very good at scenting and pointing deer. She tends to walk a few yards ahead and I have learnt the signals.

She is also a good rough shooting dog. Her favourite are snipe - she and I have worked it out. She know knows to keep close, she looks round to check I have kept up and then bounces them. If I hit she does it again. If I miss, the look of disgust is tangible. If I miss a few times she switches off in a sulk.

With birds she is very good at finding them, both as a flushing dog, and once shot. She can do amazing retrieves and finding a shot bird that has gone deep into cover. But not interested in easy to retrieve phaesants - in her eyes the job for a “peg wench”.

I can’t comment specifically on the Braco or other breeds, but if it has the above traits then I suspect most dogs will make pretty good deer stalking companions.

You do however need patience and at first there will be times when the need to train the dog makes a mess of a stalk. I can see how those who are in a rush all the time will just get intensely frustrated.

But over time it clicks abd stalking with your hound is far far more memorable than without.

You have perfectly described my own experience with my teckel x jadgterrier bitch. She is 14y now and only at 12/13y we started to stalk unleaded. Great for cold tracking and as a gun dog, but not steady while stalking, probably my fault!
Now, I want a calmer and more patient dog, and of course I will also be more patient and steady with it!