So -to give you the short run-down, our last litter of puppies (Astor x Flora) was placed in January, 2008. We lost Astor (Draco) in April, '08 due to osteosarcoma of the hard palate of the mouth.  This was a terribly fast-growing tumor.... but we understand that it is probable that his puppies will not have the same problem .  He was a terrific dog, and we weren't ready to let him go.

We also tested Giana and Dixie for hip dysplasia and found, to our shock, that neither had hips that were good enough to breed.  Dixie's hips could, maybe, be due to her insane habit, at a very young age, of jumping off anything, no matter how high or dangerous.  Giana, however, was completely unexpected, since both her parents had good hips.  This result, however, illustrates how dysplasia can come out with no warning.... since none of her grandparents, and before that, had been x-rayed, there could have been a problem as recent as 5-10 years ago, which would influence her.  Needless to say, we spayed them both, and placed them in wonderful hunting homes.

In September, 2008, Dan went back to Italy to get more Braccos, since we were getting low on breedable dogs!  He met Mr Luigi Forcati, and his daughter Chiara, who breed a litter every year or two.  The Forcatis have a great deal of knowedge about the Bracco and its use and history, and we are so happy that they have allowed us to own 2 of their dogs!  We hope to remain good friends and co-breeders in the long-term future.  From the Forcatis, we were lucky enough to obtain Leila and Bionda, who Dan had to leave in Italy when at the airport, despite all prior arrangements, he was told he could only bring back 2 Braccos, rather than 3.  Just recently Chiara was able to make a short visit to Colorado, and she brought Bionda back for us.  Amy Fast, of Foxfire Kennels near Colorado Springs, will co-own Bionda with us, and also has Nicco, from our 2007 litter.  Dan also brought back our new prince, Eros in September '08.  Eros was bred by Dr. Giovanni Grecchi, the recent past president of SABI, the Italian Bracco Society, and is looking just great - masculine, but extremely sensitive and birdy as well.

We didn't want to breed Flora during 2008, since it would have been a bit soon after her 2007 litter, so In January, '09 we did an artificial insemination with Flora, using Astor's semen, but it didn't take.   We also obtained Belle (Sabella) from Will Flick, of Ontario, Canada, a brown/white 1 1/2 year old female.  She's extremely energetic, intelligent and has tremendous drive,  That brings us up to June, 2009. 

Our plan for the short future is to have a litter in late December/early January with Flora and Belle, Leila, Eros and Apollo will all be old enough to breed in 2010.  We will have no more than 2 litters during the year, since it takes so much time and effort to do it right!  Please feel free to call for further info - photos will follow asap, but will also be happy to send them by request.

On September 17 and 18, 2005, the second Bracco Italiano Gathering was held here, in Dry Creek Basin. We were so happy, given the recent problems with Hurricane Katrina, to have 13 Bracco Italiano and between 25-30 owners and wanna-be's attending. It was such fun to have that many Bracchi all playing together - all of us saying "My dog does that! Look at how much they look alike!" Carol Koon, Radigan Koon, Viola and Wilma did a super job keeping us all fed and happy, with Carol's signature western-style cooking.

Flavio Fusetti (the international liason for SABI, the "Society for Lovers of the Bracco Italiano" and GianPaolo Poggio, Italian Bracco breeder, and the owner of Rivana, both came from Italy, along with Flavio's daughter, Viola, and Paolo's translator, Wilma, and were able to visit with us for a full week prior to the gathering. United States breeders, Erika Dennis and Ralph Minnette were also able to attend, as well as several single-Bracco owners. On Saturday, Flavio, Paolo, Dr. Don and Mrs. Barbara Schwartz (AKC German Shorthair Pointer judges interested in the Bracco) judged 13 Bracchi for conformation and action. This experience was particularly good for spectators, owners and Dr. and Mrs. Schwartz as Mr. Fusetti and Mr. Poggio were able to take a great deal of time in explaining the Bracco standard as it related to each individual Bracco. Best orange/white male was Valo, owned by Richard and Bonnie Cresse, of Salt Lake City, Utah. Best orange/white female was Marina Spadaforo di Ala D'Oro, owned and shown by Justis Koon, of Dry Creek Basin. Best brown/white male was Mimmo Paladino di Ala D'Oro, owned and shown by Lane Conrad. Best brown/white female was Sadie, owned and shown by Ralph Minnette, of Gerlach, Nevada. Best in Show was Bonnie Cresse's lovely male, Valo.

In the afternoon, we were privileged to see a presentation about hip dysplasia, OFA and PennHip screening procedures, given by Dr. Mark Asmus, of All-Pets Clinic in Grand Junction, Colorado. Dr. Asmus is making it his personal mission to educate as many dog breeding enthusiasts as possible about the problems in hip dysplasia and screening. Since we don't have many problems with dysplasia in Bracchi in the US, this was a great opportunity for us all to learn how to keep it that way!

After dinner, Ralph Minnette gave a presentation about starting your Bracco in hunting. Spirited discussions ensued about the various ways of doing so - and the group moved out to the fields, where several Bracchi were introduced to hunting pigeons. What was really great was to see Bracchi who had never been hunting immediately, instinctively, understand what what the game was all about, and start hunting right away. The next morning, hunting continued, with explanations and help given by Ralph Minnette, Flavio Fusetti, GianPaolo Poggio and Erika Dennis.