Italian Hound (Wire-haired)
One of Italy's oldest scenthounds — a rough-coated hare-tracker with a bell-clear voice and a gentle streak at home.
Vital stats
| Size | Medium · 48–59 cm |
| Weight | 18–28 kg |
| Life expectancy | 11–14 years |
| Energy | Very high — 90+ min/day, running and tracking |
| Shedding | Low — the wire coat sheds little |
| Coat | Harsh, rough, wire-textured (~5 cm) · solid fawn or black-and-tan |
| Group | Hound · Scenthound (FCI №198) |
Breed traits
Friendliness
Care
Mind
Temperament
On a trail the Segugio is single-minded: a powerful nose, deep stamina and a clear voice that carries across a valley when it strikes a line. The same dog at home is docile, sensitive and affectionate, closely bonded to its people and quick to sulk if handled roughly. It was built for the hunt first, so the drive to follow a scent outweighs most training — near wildlife it is rarely safe off the lead.
Habits & quirks
On the trail
Every outing turns into a tracking job — head low, working a scent line only it can smell.
The trail voice
Strike a fresh scent and it opens up in a deep, carrying bay meant to be heard from far off.
Built for the long haul
It was bred to hunt hare over hills all day, so an hour's walk barely takes the first edge off.
Soft off the clock
Back home the drive switches off and it turns into a quiet, leaning, affectionate housemate.
Care
| Exercise | Plan on 90 minutes or more a day of real movement — running, tracking and long walks, not a turn around the block. |
| Secure fencing | A fresh scent overrides recall, so it needs a well-fenced garden and a long line in open country. |
| Coat | The harsh, wire coat is low-upkeep: a weekly brush plus an occasional hand-strip to tidy the beard and eyebrows keeps it neat, and it rarely needs bathing. |
| Company | It's sensitive and bonds hard; left alone and under-exercised for long stretches it frets and bays. |
Common questions
Can a Segugio Italiano be let off the lead?
Rarely near wildlife. The tracking drive is strong enough to override training the moment it catches a scent, so most owners use a securely fenced space or a long line and only trust off-lead recall in genuinely empty areas.
Are they good family dogs?
At home they're gentle, docile and affectionate, and generally good with children and other dogs. The catch is exercise — this is a working scenthound that needs a lot of daily activity to be calm indoors.
How much grooming does the wire-haired Segugio need?
Not much. The harsh, wire coat needs a weekly brush and an occasional hand-strip or tidy of the beard and eyebrows, plus the usual nails, ears and teeth. The short-haired 'a pelo raso' is even lower-maintenance, but neither coat asks for as much as the dog's exercise does.