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Weimaraners and
Bracco Italiano
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The
Weimaraner History regarding the Weimaraner starts around 1880. The
Grand Duke Karl August of Weimar in Germany had wanted to develop
a breed of dog which was a ‘multi-purpose’ dog. It is thought that a
variety of dogs were used to breed the final specimen which we know
and love today. The Duke bred a dog built for speed and endurance, a
dog that had the ability to ‘work’ alongside him in the field,
to hunt its prey, but also be a companion at home. It is said that, during the late 1800’s The Weimaraner
Club of Germany was formed by those who wanted the dog to be bred
only to partake in the sport of hunting and not for profit making. A
rule was made that meant no-one was allowed to buy a Weimaraner
unless they first became a member of the Club. It was during the
1920’s that an American
man, Howard Knight, became a member of the Club in Germany and was
allowed to take back to the states with him two Weimaraners, the
outcome of which was the founding of The Weimaraner Club of America. Later a Major R.H. Petty who had served in the Second
World War, was the first person to introduce the breed to Great
Britain he had taken a fancy to the breed whilst hunting during his
service in Germany. For
those who would like to own a Weimaraner for the first time… The Weimaraner is an excellent choice of dog, for those
who enjoy or have an interest in hunting as a sport; the breed is an
all rounder - Hunting, Pointing & Retrieving. It is a dog who
will retrieve on land or water, who is methodical when hunting, one
which covers ground with grace and speed. A Weimaraner may be trained easily – contrary to
popular belief, by a novice, but as with any dog repetition and kind
words of positive encouragement only must be used to reinforce all correct and desired
behaviours. The Weimaraner is a highly intelligent dog and is only
too willing to please, the Weimaraners strong hunting instincts give
the motivation to ‘work’ and his intelligence enables him to
find the best way to tackle a situation. Watching a Weimaraner work
is a sight to behold! One you will want to repeat again and
again. When treated with kindness and given the stimulation that he requires on a daily basis the Weimaraner is one of the most loyal, fun dogs to be with, they are happy around people, friendly and sociable companions and full of energy, with a zest for life! If you feel you cannot commit yourself to the care a
Weimaraner will require as he grows into a rather large dog, then I
would suggest that this is not the breed for you. He will require
more of your time than that of a smaller dog. A Weimaraner won’t
take too kindly to being left alone for long periods of time so if
work commitments won’t allow you to give him the time, together
with the exercise he will need, then my advice to you would be to
think again. Saying that, if
you do have the time – Lucky you! When you have owned your first Weimaraner and known a
relationship like the one you will have with a dog like him, you can
guarantee he won’t be your last!
A very ancient breed of dog, one that it is said dates
back to the fourth century B.C and as the name itself suggests, is a
native of Italy. Like the Weimaraner he is an ‘all-rounder’ in
all aspects of the ‘field’, he will Hunt, Point & Retrieve,
in short the - HPR. This breed is again is another very elegant, noble and
athletic dog bred for endurance. The Bracco has amazing enthusiasm
for work, with an amazing nose! The Bracco was bred in its homeland
purposefully to work; its original purpose was to ‘drive’ the
game into the hunter’s nets. It was only after the invention of
the gun that his role changed to that which we know him for today
– the HPR. The breed has been held in high regard in its native
Italy since the middle ages, when hunting birds was a very exclusive
sport of the Italian nobility. The Goganza, and the Medici Families
bred the Bracco, it was from their kennels that other nobility and
royals sought out the Bracco. There are a variety of ideas as to where the breed first
began, it is said that they were originally developed from the
Egyptian Hound and the Molossus. Others believe that the Bracco was
developed in the 17th Century out of the Hound and Gundog
breeds, they claim that the Bracco has the head of the hound and the
body of the Gundog - quite
right too. The wonderful calm temperament of the Bracco is also
believed to be a result of this combination of the two. During the late 19th and early 20th
Centuries the Bracco Italiano became close to extinction it is with
thanks to a man named Ferdinando Delor de Ferrabouc, due to his love
of this fantastic breed that they have survived today. It was
Ferdinando who first wrote the breed standard, as a founder member
of the Italian Kennel Club. The Bracco maybe very popular in its native Italy but
numbers in other countries still remain low. For all gundog lovers,
once you have seen the Bracco Italiano you will become truly
‘smitten.’ For those who would like to own a
Bracco Italiano for the first time… Things to be considered are similar to those when
desiring the Weimaraner as a first time dog; The Bracco will require
training - like the Weimaraner. They require kindness, positive
reinforcement of all good and correct behaviour and an understanding
his needs for stimulation as a gundog. He is a very intelligent,
fun-loving, loyal dog and also a very active breed. He will require,
as part of his daily routine, not only exercise on a lead but will
need to be able to ‘free-run’ in a safe area for
the sake of his health as well as his happiness. Without this daily
routine, as with a Weimaraner, the Bracco will become mischievous,
finding ways to entertain himself - he may possibly be destructive,
therefore long periods of time alone are not advisable. My advice
remains the same as for those who are considering a Weimaraner, if
you cannot make a life-long commitment to a Bracco or your work
commitments won’t allow you to give him the time he will need as
an adult (a large dog!), then you may need to re-think your choice.
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