The Italian Hound is also known as Segugio Italiano. It is an ancient scenthound dog breed originating in Italy from ancient Egyptian coursing hounds and Roman Molussus. An excellent tracking and very fast dog, the Italian Hound was originally developed to hunt wild boar but with decline in boar population, it is now used to hunt hares and other furry game.
The dog has lean and light boned and square body. It comes with a elongated head and slightly arched and narrow skull. Nose is black with wide nostrils. Oval shaped large eyes are dark in colour. Triangular shaped fine ears are set low on the head and hang down the cheek. Medium length neck is slightly arched. Short back is muscular with deep chest and moderately sprung ribs. Strong and set on high tail is thin and tapering. It is carried high when the dog is in motion. The dog comes in two coat varieties. Short coated Italian Hound have smooth, thick and shiny coat while Coarsehaired Italian Hound has harsh, dense, wiry and close-fitting coat. Either coat can come in colours ranging from black/tan to any shade from deep red to wheaten.
This breed is NOT recognized by AKC however it is recognized by FCI and KC(UK).