Segugio Maremmano

The Segugio Maremmano is a medium Italian scenthound from the Maremma of Tuscany. It is a separate FCI breed, not the short-haired or rough-haired form of the Segugio Italiano. FCI Standard No. 361 describes one Maremmano breed with two coat types, short and rough, and three color families: fawn, black and tan, and brindle. Browse the wider Creatures dog hub for context, or check Segugio Maremmano listings if you are researching an individual dog.

This is a functional hunting hound with a strong drive to follow scent, a voice used while working, and the ability to work alone or in a pack. That history does not make every dog identical, but it does set the ownership problem: secure management, substantial daily activity, scent-based work, careful recall training, and records that travel with a rare dog.

Segugio Maremmano versus Segugio Italiano

The names are similar because all three are Italian scenthounds. The registry structure is not ambiguous.

The FCI Segugio Maremmano page assigns this breed number 361. The short-haired Italian Scenthound is number 337, and the rough-haired Italian Scenthound is number 198. Three numbers, three standards, three breed identities.

The Maremmano standard still permits two coat types. That does not turn a rough-coated Maremmano into the rough-haired Segugio Italiano. Body proportions, head, history, standard, and registered ancestry remain those of the Maremmano. ENCI’s national breed entry lists the Segugio Maremmano under FCI code 361 and names smooth and rough varieties within it.

When buying or registering a dog, ask for the exact breed name and registry number rather than accepting “Italian hound” or “rough Segugio.” A pedigree should say which standard governs the dog.

Origin in the Maremma

The FCI standard describes the breed as originating in a population of unregistered hunting dogs in Maremma Toscana, present in the region since the 1930s. Maremma is a coastal and inland area of southern Tuscany with scrub, woodland, farmland, and rough country. The standard connects that setting to selection by working hunters, especially for wild-boar work.

That is a documented modern population history, not a license to invent an ancient pedigree. The breed standard does not need a Roman origin story to explain the dog. Its useful history is close enough to the present: local working dogs, selected in the Maremma, then described and brought into a national and international registry framework.

FCI granted provisional recognition on 1 March 2018. Provisional does not mean imaginary or unregistered. It means the breed is recognized under the FCI’s provisional process rather than listed as definitively recognized. Use the current FCI page when a registration or show decision depends on status, because status can change.

Build, head, and movement

The FCI calls for a strong, well-balanced medium scenthound. The body is rectangular, about one tenth longer than the height at the withers. That is only slightly longer than tall, not the low-slung outline of a Dachshund and not the extreme tuck and fine bone of a sighthound.

The head is comparatively large for the dog’s size. Dark eyes should look attentive, and the black nose supplies a broad scenting surface. The ears are set high, above the line of the eye, triangular, flat against the cheeks, and rounded at the tips. Drawn forward without force, an ear should be long enough to cover the eye. Loose Bloodhound skin and extreme wrinkle are not part of the picture.

Standard height and weight overlap by sex but are not identical. Males measure 48 to 54 cm and 16 to 23 kg. Females measure 46 to 52 cm and 13 to 20 kg. The FCI allows a 2 cm height tolerance for otherwise excellent specimens. Those are adult standard bands, not puppy growth targets or a substitute for body-condition assessment.

Two coats, three color families

The short coat is harsh, dense, and even, with an undercoat often present. The standard allows slightly rougher hair on the muzzle and limbs at roughly 1 to 1.5 cm. The rough coat is much more obvious, around 3 to 4 cm and uniform across the dog.

Rough does not mean a long beard, heavy eyebrows, or a shaggy coat hiding the body. The installed image shows a coarse, close rough coat with mild facial texture, not terrier furnishings. Both coat types still reveal the hound’s outline.

The FCI color families are:

• fawn, from light shades through rich tan;
• black and tan;
• brindle.

White may appear on named areas under the standard. Color does not create a separate breed, and unusual color marketing should never carry more weight than a traceable pedigree.

Temperament and working behavior

The standard describes a dog with a strong hunting drive. It can work alone or in a pack and uses a distinct voice while following game. Translate that function into daily life without romanticizing it.

Scent can outrank recall. A dog bred to keep working an odor trail may make an independent decision at the exact moment an owner expects compliance. Train recall from puppyhood, reward check-ins, and use a secure fence or long line when the environment is not safely enclosed. “Good recall at home” is not proof of reliability around wildlife.

Voice is functional. The working voice is part of how the hound communicates on a trail. Individual intensity varies, but a silent-apartment assumption is risky. Ask the breeder how close relatives behave at home and consider neighbors before acquiring one.

Pack ability is not universal sociability. The standard says the breed can hunt in a pack. It does not guarantee comfort with every dog, cat, livestock animal, or child. Use careful introductions, supervision, and ordinary behavior assessment.

Work needs an outlet. Long walks alone may exercise the body while leaving the nose unemployed. Tracking games, hidden food searches, structured scent work, and controlled exploration give the dog a legal version of its inherited job.

Training and exercise

Start with management that prevents rehearsal of unwanted behavior. A well-fitted harness and long line let a young hound explore while the handler practices response to name, turning with the handler, and returning for reward. Keep the line loose and untangled; never wrap it around a hand or let it drag through a group of dogs.

Build sessions around short successful repetitions. Scenthounds are not failed herding dogs, and drilling eye contact while ignoring the environment wastes the dog’s strongest reinforcer. Let permission to sniff become the reward for checking in.

The standard provides no universal exercise-minute prescription. Age, health, weather, surface, and conditioning matter. Puppies need progressive activity without forced endurance. Adults need regular aerobic movement and thinking work. Seniors may keep enjoying scent games after distance and speed decrease. AAHA’s canine life-stage guidance is a useful framework for adjusting preventive care and activity through life with a veterinarian.

Grooming and routine care

Both coat types are practical, but neither is maintenance free.

• Brush the short coat to remove loose hair and inspect skin. Work through the rough coat often enough to find tangles, seeds, burrs, and ticks before they settle.
• Check feet, pads, nails, armpits, ears, and coat after field exercise. A small puncture or grass seed is easier to address when found promptly.
• Keep the ears dry and clean only as your veterinarian recommends. Flat hanging ears can hide redness, discharge, or odor. The current Merck Veterinary Manual professional overview of otitis externa explains that diagnosis uses history, otoscopic examination, and cytology, and that underlying causes must be addressed to reduce recurrence.
• Maintain dental care, body condition, parasite prevention, and vaccination on a veterinarian-designed schedule. WSAVA vaccination guidance sets a global evidence framework, but the actual protocol depends on region, age, health, and exposure.

Health evidence: what can and cannot be said

A suitable primary source for Segugio Maremmano-specific disease prevalence was not located for this build. That makes a long list of “common breed diseases” less honest, not more useful. Registry recognition is recent and the international population is limited, so absence of a published prevalence figure is not proof of absence.

Ask a breeder for documented health information on both parents and close relatives. The right tests depend on what appears in the line and what the national breed body currently recommends. Ask for the name of the testing laboratory or registry and verify results rather than accepting “vet checked.”

For the individual dog, urgent warning signs include collapse, repeated unproductive retching with abdominal enlargement, breathing difficulty, major trauma, inability to bear weight, seizures, or profound weakness. Persistent ear pain, head shaking, discharge, lameness, weight change, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, or a marked behavior change also deserve veterinary assessment. Keep dates, video where safe, medications, and test results in the dog’s profile.

Is the Segugio Maremmano a good pet?

It can be a rewarding companion for a household that wants a working scenthound rather than merely its rustic look. A good match has secure outdoor management, time for daily activity, tolerance for a vocal dog, and interest in scent work. A poor match expects effortless off-leash reliability, long periods without occupation, or guaranteed friendliness with every small animal.

Meet adult relatives if possible. Learn what the dogs do on days they do not hunt, how they settle indoors, how they respond to unfamiliar dogs and people, and how the breeder manages recall and voice. Those observations are more predictive than a generic adjective such as “loyal.”

Finding a Segugio Maremmano

No dependable current price or availability figure was found. Search Segugio Maremmano marketplace listings and the Creatures breeder directory, then verify identity and welfare independently.

Before reserving a puppy or adult:

1. Confirm the exact registered breed and pedigree, including FCI number 361 where relevant.
2. Record whether the parents are short-coated or rough-coated and what variation appears in the litter.
3. Review health documentation for the line, not just one examination note for the puppy.
4. Discuss early socialization, household rearing, noise, travel, recall foundations, and exposure to other animals.
5. Get the microchip, vaccinations, parasite treatments, feeding routine, and transfer terms in writing.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Segugio Maremmano the same as the Segugio Italiano?
No. The FCI assigns the Maremmano number 361. The short-haired Segugio Italiano is 337 and the rough-haired Segugio Italiano is 198. They have separate standards.

Does the Segugio Maremmano have a short or rough coat?
Both are permitted within the breed. The short coat is harsh and dense; the rough coat is evenly about 3 to 4 cm long.

What colors are recognized?
FCI Standard No. 361 lists fawn, black and tan, and brindle. White markings may be present in specified areas.

How big is a Segugio Maremmano?
Males are 48 to 54 cm and 16 to 23 kg. Females are 46 to 52 cm and 13 to 20 kg. FCI allows a 2 cm height tolerance for excellent specimens.

Was the breed developed for wild boar?
The FCI standard says it was used chiefly for wild boar and also for hare and other mammals. That working history explains its persistence on scent; this guide does not depict or encourage quarry contact.

Can a Segugio Maremmano live with other dogs?
The standard says it can work in a pack, but that is not a guarantee about every household pairing. Assess the individual and introduce dogs carefully.

Can it be trusted off leash?
No breed-wide promise is safe. A powerful scent trail can compete with recall. Use secure spaces, progressive training, and a long line when the environment is not safely enclosed.

Is the breed healthy?
There was not enough breed-specific prevalence evidence to make a blanket claim. Ask for documented family health history and testing, then build preventive care with a veterinarian.

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