The Segugio Italiano is either of two Italian breeds of

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

scent hound Franz Rudolf Frisching in the uniform of an officer of the Bernese Huntsmen Corps with his Berner Laufhund, painted by Jean Preudhomme in 1785 Scent hounds (or scenthounds) are a Dog type, type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than ...

type, the wire-haired Segugio Italiano a Pelo Forte or the short-haired Segugio Italiano a Pelo Raso. Apart from the coat type, they are closely similar, and in some sources may be treated as a single breed; the

Fédération Cynologique Internationale The Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI) (English: International Canine Federation) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs. It is based in Thuin, Belgium. History The FCI was founded in 1911 under the auspices ...

and the

Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana The , usually known as the ENCI, is the national organisation responsible for the recognition, standardisation and registration of pedigree dogs in Italy. It is sometimes called the Italian Kennel Club. The association provides judging for dog s ...

treat them as separate. They are also genetically close to the other two Italian scent hound breeds, the

Segugio Maremmano The Segugio Maremmano is an Italian breed of scent hound from the coastal plains of the Maremma, in Tuscany. It is mainly used for hunting wild boar, but may also be used to hunt hare and other mammals. They may be either smooth-haired or rough ...

and the

Segugio dell'Appennino The Segugio dell'Appennino or Piccolo Lepraiolo Italiano is a breed of small Italian scenthound, bred specifically to hunt hare. It may be either smooth-haired or wire-haired. It received full recognition from the Ente Nazionale della Cinofi ...

. They are traditionally used for hunting hare, but may also be used in boar hunts. In 2009 registrations in the national stud-book were 1740 of the wire-haired breed and 4500 of the short-haired.

History

The origins of the breed are unknown but are believed to be ancient. In some Ancient Roman statues, including two in the

Vatican Museums The Vatican Museums ( it, Musei Vaticani; la, Musea Vaticana) are the public museums of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries, including several of ...

in Rome and one in the National Archaeological Museum in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

, Diana the Huntress is portrayed accompanied by a hunting dog which is thought to show some similarity to the modern Segugio Italiano. Two closely similar skeletons of dogs of

greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurgenc ...

or scent hound type from a seventh-century Lombard necropolis at Povegliano in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Verona Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city municipality in the region and the second largest in nor ...

were described in 1995; they show some morphological similarity to the modern Segugio, except that they are taller, with a height at the

withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle a ...

estimated at 64 cm. Dogs of this type were much used during the

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...

in elaborate hunts with a large number of hunt servants and hunt followers mounted on horseback. Dogs similar to the modern Segugio, both smooth-haired and rough-haired, were shown in Milan in 1886, but there was at this time no clear distinction of breed. In 1920 a

breed club Breed clubs are associations or clubs with activities centered on a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members of ...

, the , was formed in Lodi, and a

breed standard In animal husbandry or animal fancy, a breed standard is a description of the characteristics of a hypothetical or ideal example of a breed. The description may include physical or morphological detail, genetic criteria, or criteria of athletic ...

was drawn up; it was dissolved in 1939, shortly before the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, after restrictive legislation was passed by the Fascist government. By the end of the war the breed was at risk of disappearing. A new breed society was formed in 1947, with the name ; in that year, the total number registered in the two national stud-books (LOI and LIR) was 69. The breed standard was revised by the

cynologist Cynology (rarely kynology, ) is the study of matters related to canines or domestic dogs. In English, it is a term sometimes used to denote a serious zoological approach to the study of dogs as well as by writers on canine subjects, dog breeders, ...

Giuseppe Solaro. In 1948 there were 120 new registrations. The rough-haired breed was fully accepted by the

in 1956, and the smooth-haired breed in 1993. In 2015, registrations in the national stud-book were 3647 of the short-haired breed, and 1106 of the rough-haired. It has been exported to a number of countries.

Characteristics

There are two breeds of Segugio Italiano, the wire-haired and the short-haired . Apart from the coat type, they are closely similar, and in some sources may be treated as a single breed, although the

and the

treat them as separate. Genetic comparisons have found the two to be almost indistinguishable, and also to be genetically close to the other two Italian scent hound breeds, the

and the

. The coat of the smooth-haired breed is uniformly short, while that of the rough-haired breed is coarse and rough, though no more than long; this may have made it more suitable for hunting in cooler mountainous areas. Two coat colours are recognised: any shade of fawn-coloured, varying from deep fox-red to very pale; and black-and-tan. Some white markings to the face and chest are tolerated. It is of medium size. When seen from the side, the body is approximately square in shape – the body length is the same as the height at the

. Wire-haired dogs stand and weigh , bitches are about shorter and weigh on average less. The short-haired breed is approximately smaller, with weights in the same range. It shares certain physical characteristics with both scent hounds and sight hounds. It has long legs, tucked-up loins and a roached (slightly convex) back more typical of a sight hound. The head has many scent hound features including low-set pendulous ears although it has a long, tapering muzzle with thin lips that are not pendulous. The tail is long and tapered, and is typically carried high when hunting enabling them to be spotted easily when hunting.

Character

Traditionally kept as pack hounds, the Segugio Italiano is very stubborn; once on a scent trail they display a single-minded dedication to following it, much like the

Bloodhound The bloodhound is a large scent hound, originally bred for hunting deer, wild boar and, since the Middle Ages, for tracking people. Believed to be descended from hounds once kept at the Abbey of Saint-Hubert, Belgium, in French it is called, ...

, although unlike the latter the Segugio Italiano also captures and kills game.

Use

The Segugio Italiano was traditionally kept for the purposes of hunting. It is renowned for its keen scenting ability and its considerable stamina when hunting, staying in the field for up to 12 hours without a break; like most scent hounds it bays loudly when pursuing game. Its traditional quarry is hare, but it may also be used to hunt

boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...

; it hunts well alone, in small groups, or in packs, with the hunters remaining stationary and the hounds driving game towards them to be shot. In addition to its traditional role as a scent hound, the Segugio Italiano has increasingly been kept as a

companion dog A companion dog is a dog that does not work, providing only companionship as a pet, rather than usefulness by doing specific tasks. Many of the toy dog breeds are used only for the pleasure of their company, not as workers. Any dog can be a compa ...

Notes

References

{{Italian dogs Scent hounds Dog breeds originating in Italy FCI breeds

History

Characteristics

Character

Use

See also

Notes

References