Italian rough-haired Segugio

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: The origin of the Segugio loses itself in the passing of times. Dogs of the same type and stature as the present Segugio adorn the statues of "Diane the Huntress" (Naples Museum) and that of Diana with Bow and Arrow (Vatican Museum). In a Lombard necropolis of the province of Verona, there have recently been discovered two skeletons in perfect state of conservation, of which the conformation is identical to that of the modern Segugio. At the castle of Borso d'Este (1600), one can see a painting which gives an excellent representation of the present Segugio.

GENERAL APPEARANCE - Dog of general medium proportion, the body fitting into a square; harmonious as to size (heterometric = normal proportions between the size and the different parts of the body) and unharmonic in proportion to the profiles (alloidism = concordance between the profiles of the head and body). Its construction is well balanced, perfectly symmetrical, well built, with lean shapes, well muscled and without trace of fat, making him capable of following game from dawn to dusk.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS - Height from ground to withers is equal to the length of the body measured from the scapular-humeral articulation to the point of the ischium (from point of shoulder to point of buttock). The withers must not be too prominent, but they should be slightly above the level of the rump. The length of the muzzle must reach half the length of the head. The depth of the chest is slightly more than half the height at the withers.

BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERAMENT - The Segugio is perfectly adapted to the most difficult terrains and can be used as well in the mountains as on level ground. Very resistant and fast, he works with ardour and passion, alone or in a pack. Compared with the short-haired subjects, he is more reserved less exuberant, wise, calm and poised for the job. His expression is friendly, soft and proud, yet veiled by a melancholic reflection. His voice is resonant and very harmonious.

HEAD - Of longish shape. Its length reaches the 4/10ths of the height at the withers.

CRANIAL REGION - Seen from above the skull presents itself in elongated ellipsis shape; in profile, its upper longitudinal axis is moderately divergent in relation to the longitudinal axis of the muzzle; the profile of the skull is slightly convex; the bi-zygomatic width must be inferior to half the length of the head; the superciliary arches only slightly developed; frontal furrow not pronounced; the occipital protuberance should be distinct, but slightly recessed, therefore only slightly visible, perceptible only by touch: it must be short. Stop - Very slightly marked; from the muzzle, the upper profile must ascend in a soft slope towards the skull.

FACIAL REGION - Nose - Large; seen in profile protudes beyond the forward vertical line of the lips; fresh and moist, with well opened and mobile nostrils. Always black. Muzzle - The muzzle measures half the length of the head; its depth exceeds just slightly half its length; its width reaches the 17% of the length of the head; the upper profile is slightly convex; the lateral sides of the muzzle converge, but not to the point of making the muzzle pointed. In their entire length, the branches of the lower jaw are almost in a straight line; they are slightly developed in their fore part. The sub-orbital region is chiselled, but a little less than in the short-haired Segugio. Jaws - Strong in appearance, normally developed; the dental arches of the incisors perfectly adapted. Cheeks - Not too marked. Teeth - White, regulary aligned and of normal size; complete; scissor bite is correct, pincer bite is acceptable. Eyes - Large, luminous eyes of dark ochre colour; in semi-lateral position, the inner corner of the eyelids must be at equal distance from the forward edge of the nose and the external point of the occipital crest; fascinating expression, a look soft and proud with a veil of sadness; eye opening almond shape, with perfectly close fitting eyelids. The rim of the eyelids must be black. Ears - Their inset, of moderate width, is at the level of the zygomatic arches; they are hanging, of triangular shape, flat in almost their entire length (66 - 70% of the length of the head) and very broad. The ear ends in a sharp point. Although thin, the ear cartilage must be rather rigid in its entirety; its insertion, very rigid, is characterized by a torsion which draws the ear forward without allowing it to relax nor to fold over on itself, nor to curl. The point is turned slightly inwards. The ear is covered with hair of moderate length, shorter than that of the body, less harsh, and without any fringing.

NECK - The topline of the neck is slightly arched, the lower part absolutely without dewlap. Shape - It is that of a truncated cone attached to the head by a well defined nape; also the neck must connect with the body by blending harmoniously with the shoulders; very lean and light, it must give the impression of not being very muscular.

BODY - Its length measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock, is equal to the height at the withers. Top line - Seen in profile, from the withers to the rump, the topline is straight. Just slightly convex at loin level. Withers - Only slightly raised over the backline and narrow because of closeness of the points of the shoulder blades, blends harmoniously with the neck. Back - Upper profile of back is straight, well muscled, even if not very apparent. The ratio between the thoracic length and that of the lumbar region is of 3 to 1. The length of the loin is a little inferior to the fifth of the height at the withers; its width is a little inferior to its length; muscles well developed. Rump - Upper profile of the rump is slightly convex. The rump is considered to be horizontal, because its obliqueness from the haunch to the tail set is between 15 to 20 degrees; its length is about 1/3 of the height at the withers, and its width the 2/3 of its length; powerful musculature. Chest - Its length reaches about half the height at the withers; its width is about 1/3 of the height at the withers; its depth must be about 48% of the height at the withers; the lateral sides show a slight convexity. The upper rib arches, however, must be well sprung. Chest of moderate width; the manubrium of the sternum must be at the level of the points of the shoulders. Underline - The lower profile is determined by a straight line which rises gradually towards a lean abdomen (belly), never tucked up. The flanks are slender, never fleshy. Tail - Set high, on the line of the rump, thicker at its base than that of the short-haired Segugio, is covered with hair in its entire length, but without any fringing. At rest, it hangs sabre fashion. In action, it rises at the level of the topline and wags from left to right, while just touching the flanks lightly, or sometimes goes round in rotating movements. The tail is considered to be long although its tip end just close to the point of the hock.

QUARTERS

  • FOREQUARTERS - On the whole, the forequarters seen in profile, follow a vertical line which, from the scapular-humeral articulation, must reach the ground while touching the point of the toes, whereas a lowered vertical from the elbow point must divide in two almost equal parts, (the large being the front), the forearm and the carpus coming out at mid length on the back of the pastern. The height of the frontleg from the ground to the elbow is equal to half the height at the withers. Shoulder - The shoulder is lean, long, very free in its movement; the point of the shoulder blades are very close to each other. The obliqueness below the horizontal goes from 45ƒ to 55ƒ. Upper arm - Well joined to the body; like the shoulder, endowed with long and lean muscles; set parallel to the median plane of the body. The scapulo-humeral angle is of 110ƒ, with an obliqueness of the shoulder blade of 45ƒ. Elbows - Equidistant from the median plane of the body; they must neither turn in or out. Humeral-radial angle of 135ƒ to 145ƒ. Forearm - Its length reaches 1/3 of the height at the withers; the forearm is vertical, the almost cubito-carpal groove is well visible. It must give the impression of a lean (dry) and very thin limb. Carpal joint - Lean (dry), covered with a fine and thin skin. Seen from the front, it extends the vertical line of the forearm. Pastern - Its length is at least 1/6 of the length of the foreleg measured from the ground to the elbow; in profile somewhat slanting towards the front. Forefoot - Oval shaped (hare foot), well closed arched toes, covered with dense hair; digital pads not very fleshy, pads dry, hard, leathery, always black. Strong nails, curved and always black. The presence of some white nails (not pink) is not a fault.

  • HINDQUARTERS - On the whole, a lowered vertical of the point of the buttock touches or almost falls on the tips of the toes. Seen from behind, a lowered vertical of the point of the buttock divides in two equal parts the point of the hock-joint, the hock and the hindfoot. The total length of the hindlimb is about 90% of the height at the withers. Upper thigh - It is long and wide. Its length reaches at least a third of the height at the withers. Its lower edge is slightly convex; the point of the buttock is very visible. The bulging muscles are clearly divided one from the other. The upper-thigh is slightly oblique from top to bottom and from back to front. The angle of the coxal-femural articulation varies between 90ƒ and 95ƒ. Stifle - In a perfect vertical line with the limb; neither turned in or out. The stifle joint angle varies between 110ƒ and 120ƒ. Thigh - Its length is just slightly inferior to that of the upper-thigh, and its obliqueness below the horizontal is of 40ƒ. Covered with lean muscles; the groove between the Achilles tendon and the bone is well defined and evident, with the outer saphenous vein quite prominent. Hoch joint - Seen laterally, its sides are very wide; it is considered to be low because the distance from the ground to the hock point must not exceed 27% of the height at the withers. The tibial-tarsal angle, closed because of the accentuated obliqueness of the tibia, oscillates between 115ƒ and 125ƒ. Hock - Its length is defined by the height of the hock-joint: strong and lean, perpendicular to the ground. No dewclaws. Hindfoot - Less oval than the forefoot, has all the same characteristics.

GAIT AND MOVEMENT - Preferred gait of the Segugio is the gallop, but the hunting action forces him equally to walk and trot.

SKIN - Close fitting all over the body, somewhat thick. The pigmentation of the mucous membranes, third eyelids, nails, central and digital pads is exclusively black. The dark pigmentation of the palate is not required, but is highly desirable.

COAT - Type of hair - On the body the length of the hair should not be more than 5 cm. The hair is definitely rough, except on the head, on the ears, the legs, the tail and the muzzle, where the hair is usually less rough than on the body and the lips; under the lips, the hair, although of moderate length, forms the socalled beard. The hair on the superciliary arches is of limited length so as not to fall over the eyes or hide them. Colour - The permissible colours are the whole range of solid fawn, shading from the dark red fawn with black overlay to light fawn, and black and tan. The fawn may have white on the muzzle and the skull (symmetrical mask or not), a white star on the chest, white on the neck, on the pastern and hocks, on the feet and the tip of the tail. However white is not desirable, and the less there is, the better. The black and tan may have only the white star on the chest; in that case, the Segugio is called tricolour.

SIZE AND WEIGHT - Height - At the withers: males from 52 cm to 60 cm; females from 50 cm to 58 cm. Weight - Males between 20 kg and 28 kg; females between 18 kg and 26 kg.

FAULTS - Any departure from the foregoing points constitutes a fault which when judging must be penalised according to its seriousness and extension. These conditions apply also to dogs who pace constantly.

  • ELIMINATING FAULTS - Head - Cranial-facial axes convergent. Size over or under the margins indicated by the standard.

  • DISQUALIFYING FAULTS - Overshot mouth; concave muzzle; tailless or short tail, whether congenital or acquired; slate or lead colour; brindle coat; coffee, brown or liver colour, or white colour predominant. Total depigmentation or depigmentation of the greater part of the nose or the rims of the eyelids; wall eye.

Note - Males should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.