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Appennine Hound |
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FCI standard Nº 375 |
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Origin |
Italy | |
Translation |
Prof. Valter Nencetti (Official language: EN) | |
Group |
Group 6 Scenthounds and related breeds | |
Section |
Section 1.2 Medium-sized Hounds | |
Working |
With working trial | |
Acceptance on a provisional basis by the FCI |
Wednesday 11 February 2026 | |
Publication of the official valid standard |
Wednesday 11 February 2026 | |
Last update |
Tuesday 3 March 2026 | |
En français, cette race se dit |
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Chien courant des Apennins |
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar |
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Appenninenhund |
En español, esta raza se dice |
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Sabueso de los Apeninos |
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd |
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Apennijnse hond |
In his country of origin, his name is |
Segugio dell'Appennino |
Usage |
| Hound specialized in the hunting of hare, wild boar and other mammals. |
Brief historical summary |
| Its origins are very old; the description of this hound can be found in several treatises on hunting, hunting magazines and specialized magazines on living in the Italian countryside and mountains. In the illustrated journal “La caccia”, dated 2 November 1882, it was described and included among the scenthound breeds existing in Italy. Rather than acting as a selective process, Nature with this breed has created a uniform kind of dog which is rustic, resistant and elegant and that mountaineers and lovers of the breed have carefully preserved. In 1932 the lawyer, farmer and employer of this breed, Filippo Zacchini wrote : « Small-sized hound of great agility and vivacity, all muscles and nerves without any heaviness, of ancient origin and of well-established kind. It has been owned for some time largely by small landowners and strainers where it has found a healthy environment, hardy standard of living and a close attachment to its master, all factors which have favoured its preservation. Thanks to the many people fond of this hound throughout Italy, this breed has fortunately arrived intact to this day. » |
General appearance |
| Italian breed of medium-size with stiff short hair and qualities inherited from hunting hare in the difficult terrain of hills and mountains. Sociable by temperament, it’s very attached to its master. This breed is striking for its speed and speed of action, for the ease of his movements and for its pleasantly rustic appearance. A trunk that just fits inside the perfect symmetry of a rectangle, supported by lean, agile and fine limbs, complimented by strong and prominent muscles. |
Important proportions |
| Length of body/height at withers: 11/10 Depth of chest/height at withers: 1/2 Length of muzzle/length of head: 1/2 |
Behaviour / temperament |
| Scenthound specialized for hunting, primarily hare but also wild boar, it hunts well and prudently barking at the prey while standing still; it’s also an excellent hunter of other fur animals. It lives in perfect symbiosis with its master, though it has a strong temperament and possesses an exaggerated passion for hunting. Its obedience is an innate and atavic talent, keeping it closely linked to its master and to its other hunting mates. Particularly predisposed, it does not chase other wildlife. Its voice is sharp and clear in sound with pleasant tones which change depending on the different phases of the hunting work. Confident approacher, excellent discoverer and great follower. It feels particularly at ease in the mountain landscape, and while it is always in contact with its master, it doesn’t need to be accompanied. It’s an excellent hunter, either alone or in pairs, and it also adapts well to the hound’s pack. |
Head |
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| Its total length is equal to 4/10 of height at the withers, length of muzzle/length of skull ratio is 1/1. | ||
Cranial region |
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Cranial region |
Its projection on the surface is elliptical. Axes of skull and muzzle slightly divergent. The top is slightly convex, never flat. | |
Skull |
Its width is a little less than its length and about half of the total length of the head. Frontal region slightly defined, slightly domed. The crest bone can be felt by touch. | |
Stop |
Slightly defined. | |
Facial region |
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Nose |
Medium size, preferably black. Well opened nostrils. | |
Muzzle |
Its length is more or less half of the total length of the head. The nose bridge is straight, slightly arched is acceptable. The sides of the muzzle converge but without excess. | |
Lips |
The upper lip should be thin and meet the lower one just overlapping, without heaviness. | |
Jaws and teeth |
Regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. the upper incisor teeth closely overlap the lower teeth, a pincer bite is tolerated. | |
Cheeks |
Thin, with slightly convergent lateral axes. | |
Eyes |
Set well apart, tending to a semi-lateral position. From amber to brown, with a clever, merry and mild expression. Well developed, round shaped and with the eyelid well adherent. | |
Ears |
Mobile in attention, with a width insertion at eye-line level or a little upper. Long, with slightly rounded tips, reaching nearly half, or little more, the muzzle length when drawn out. | |
Neck |
| Medium length, thin, well set on the withers, the nuchal arch is clearly evident, showing no dewlap. |
Body |
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Topline |
It descends slightly from the withers, almost parallel to the horizontal line. | |
Withers |
Slightly elevated above the back line. In harmony with the neck. | |
Loin |
Loin strong, powerful and supple. The loin area is muscled and developed in breadth. | |
Croup |
Long, wide, sloping not exceeding 25°. | |
Chest |
Oval, its length is proportionate to the general appearance. The sternum must almost reach the height of the elbow. Ribs good ringed, never barrel chest. | |
Tail |
| Set to form an extension of the topline, its length reaches the hock. Well covered with hair. Hair length on the tail should be shorter than that of the hair trunk in rough-haired dogs but should be of the same length as the rest of the body in short-haired dogs. |
Limbs |
Forequarters |
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Generality |
Shoulder muscles well developed, with inclination of the scapula on the horizon of around 50°. The arm is slightly shorter than the forearm, with an angle between the scapula and humerus of 105 to 115°. | |
Elbows |
Firm, turning neither in nor out. | |
Forearm |
Perpendicular to the ground, with the carpal and metacarpal regions strong and flexible (75°). | |
Forefeet |
Tight and firm. Hare-foot, toes compact and strong toe joints. Resistant soles. Nails strong and curved. | |
Hindquarters |
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Generality |
The hindquarters are strong and powerful without being heavy. | |
Upper thigh |
Wide, with well-developed muscles. Coxo-femoral angle of 95-100°. | |
Hock |
Firm, well let down (short) and parallel to each other. | |
Metatarsus |
Short vertical and relatively strong. | |
Hind feet |
Tight and firm. Hare-foot, toes compact and strong toe joints. Resistant soles. Nails strong and curved. The rear feet are less oval. Dewclaws, when present, are tolerated. | |
Gait and movement |
| Canter, loose, lively, elegant, alternated to trot at some stage in the work of hunting. |
Skin |
| Skin free from wrinkle and free from loose parts, perfectly adherent to the underlying tissues. |
Coat |
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Hair |
In relation to hair texture, there are two varieties, and mating is possible between them: short-haired hounds and long-haired hounds, having the following characteristics. Short-Hhaired : the coat is short (max 2 cm), horse-coat texture, dense, evenly distributed throughout the body. Some rough hairs scattered on the trunk, on the muzzle or limbs are accepted. Rough-haired : the coat is medium coarse to the touch, from 2 to 5 cm max of length, with a dense undercoat preventing moisture to wet the skin. Its distribution is homogeneous. There may be exceptions on some parts of the body, such as the limbs and head, where it is denser but less long. On the ears, however, it may be less dense or even short. The hair, however, must be close to the body without ever forming curls or ringlets. |
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Colour |
Admissible colours are :- fawn in its different shades - black and tan - hare gray - fawn with black overlay In every type of admissible colour of the coat the presence of white is appreciate if disposed on : - four limbs : by feet to elbow for forequarters; by feet to knee for hindquarters - chest - neck, also like collar - forehead - muzzle - tip of the tail |
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Size and weight |
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Height at withers |
Males : 44 - 50 cm. Females : 42 - 48 cm. In excellent subjects, 2 cm more and less in height are permissible. |
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Weight |
Weight ranging from 10 to 18 kg. | |
Faults |
| • Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work. • Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness. |
Serious faults |
 Height which exceeds or is lower than the permitted measurements, taking into account the 2 cm in excellent subjects. Skull-facial axes which are convergent. Undershot bite. |
Disqualifying faults |
| Aggressive or overly shy dogs. Overshot bite. Monorchidism, cryptorchidism, incomplete development of one and both testicles. |
NB : |
| • Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified. • The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying. • Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. • Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding. |
Bibliography |
| https://www.fci.be/ |
English (United Kingdom) 
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