Send Us Your #FormFollowsFunction Photos!

All dog breeds were bred to perform a specific purpose. We want to see our readers’ dogs doing the work they were bred to do to be shared on The Canine Chronicle!

Thank you Michelle for sharing this Form Follows Function photo of your Bracco Italiano, “London,” (CH You Can Kiss My Crown), doing what she was bred to do! London was Winners twice at the Bracco Italiano Club Of America National Specialty proving form follows function! According to the American Kennel Club, “The Bracco Italiano is one of the oldest pointing breeds. It was introduced into the United States in the 1900s and has remained true to its heritage as a versatile gun dog.

By the end of the 1800s, the Bracco Italiano faced extinction. Over the years, crossing with hounds and poor breeding resulted in dogs that were too heavily built to perform their work, and the breed suffered from various health problems. Diligent breeding selection and care aided in rebuilding the breed. In the 1920s, it was decided to unify the two variations of the breed in order to preserve genetic diversity. First, the Piedmontese Pointer was a dog of lighter construction and color, and it originated in the Piedmont region of Italy, as its name suggests. This dog was used for work in the mountains, which its conformation and temperament reflected. The Piedmontese dog was smaller than its counterpart in Lombardy, and its hunting style was reminiscent of some western European pointers in that it traveled with a jaunty gallop. This dog was primarily white, with or without orange markings. Alternately, the Lombard Pointer was a rich brown roan and had a heavier body type. This dog was used for hunting in the marshy lowlands, and was a trotting breed. These big dogs were bred both for their eye appeal and natural hunting ability. Shortly after the breed was officially unified, the working standard was written and released, and in 1949 the Societa Amatori Bracco Italiano was founded in Italy. When the Italian conformation standard was published, it incorporated aspects of both breed types, resulting in noted variability within the standard. The breed standard had existed for over a century prior to being compiled into this single document.”

Was your dog bred to hunt? Bred to herd cattle? Was he bred to rescue or guard? Was he bred to hunt rats? Please share your best Form Follows Function photos with us! We want to see them! Email Gia at Gia.Garofalo@caninechronicle.com with your photos!

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Posted by Gia on Nov 26 2025. Filed under Current Articles, Featured, The Buzz. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.