Segugio Italiano

The Segugio Italiano is an Italian scenthound, traditionally used to hunt hare and sometimes boar. It comes in two types that are registered as separate breeds: the rough-haired Segugio Italiano a Pelo Forte and the short-haired Segugio Italiano a Pelo Raso. Apart from the coat they are very alike, the short-haired being slightly smaller. The sizes and details given here are those of the rough-haired type.

History

The origins of the Segugio are unknown but thought to be ancient. Some Roman statues of Diana the Huntress show her with a hunting dog that resembles it. Dogs of this kind were much used in the grand mounted hunts of the Italian Renaissance.

Smooth- and rough-haired dogs like the modern Segugio were shown in Milan in 1886, with no clear separation into breeds. A breed club was formed in Lodi in 1920 and drew up a standard. It was dissolved in 1939 after restrictive laws were passed by the Fascist government, and by the end of the Second World War the breed was at risk of disappearing.

A new society, the Società Italiana Pro Segugio, was formed in 1947, a year in which only 69 dogs were registered. The rough-haired breed was fully accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1956. There were 1,106 registrations in the Italian stud book in 2015.

Genetic studies find the two coat types almost indistinguishable, and both are close to Italy’s other scenthounds, the Segugio Maremmano and the Segugio dell’Appennino.

Appearance

The rough-haired Segugio is a medium-sized dog. Males usually stand 52–60 cm at the withers and weigh 20–28 kg; females are about 2 cm shorter and 2 kg lighter. The body is roughly as long as it is tall, giving a square outline.

It combines features of scenthounds and sighthounds: long legs, tucked-up loins and a slightly arched back, with a hound’s head and low-set, hanging ears. The muzzle is long and tapering with thin lips. The long tail is carried high when hunting, which makes the dog easy to follow.

The coat is coarse and rough but no more than 5 cm long. It is either fawn, in any shade from deep fox-red to very pale, or black and tan. Some white on the face and chest is tolerated.

Temperament

The Segugio is bred to hunt. It works well alone, in small groups or in packs, driving game toward waiting guns. It has a keen nose and great stamina, staying in the field for up to twelve hours without a break, and it bays loudly on a trail, which it follows with single-minded dedication. In the 21st century it is increasingly kept as a companion too.

Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.