While the Segugio Italiano dog breed officially originates from Italy, it is said that they have been around since ancient times. Some historians believe that the Segugio Italiano came to Europe after living with the people of ancient Egypt. If this is the case, the Segugio Italiano is one of the oldest living dog breeds. Still, it is nearly impossible to verify the true origin and ancestry of the breed.
Using their heightened sense of smell, the Segugio Italiano makes a great scent hound. They use this sense, which is much better than most other dog breeds, to sniff out their prey. They have a sense of smell very similar to that of a Bloodhound. The biggest difference between a Segugio Italiano and a Bloodhound is that Bloodhounds are content only in finding the scent. They aren’t interested in attacking the source. The Segugio Italiano will instead want to fight the animal that it tracked by scent. This is particularly helpful for dog owners who don’t mind letting their dog take part in the killing portion of a hunt.
There are two main varieties of the Segugio Italiano. There are short-haired Segugio Italiano dogs and wire-haired Segugio Italiano dogs. The breed is split up based on the kind of coat. Short-haired Segugio Italiano dogs have a short coat that lays flat against the body. The wire-haired Segugio Italiano has longer, scruffier fur that stands away from the skin. The coat can either be completely fawn-coloured, or be a mix of black and tan.