Waiting patiently in the wings of the AKC’s Foundation Stock Service is one of Italy’s scenthound breeds, the Segugio Italiano, also known as the Segit.

But which Segugio Italiano will get full AKC recognition when the time comes?

Wait, which Segugio? Huh?

The Segugio Italiano has two coat varieties, the wire-or rough-haired Segugio Italiano a Pelo Forte, and the short-haired Segugio Italiano a Pelo Raso (segugio means hound). The two share similar temperaments, both have medium proportions with bodies that fit into a square, and both have the same origins. The FCI and the Italian Kennel Club, however, regard them as two different breeds, and there are subtle differences in the wording of their FCI standards. To wit: Seen from above, the shape of the Short-Haired’s skull is nearly oval. The rough-haired skull when seen from above presents an elongated ellipse shape. Same, but different.

The AKC breed standard, however, links back to the FCI standard for the Short-Haired Segugio, while the Segugio Italianoo Club of America‘s official standard mentions one breed but two coats:

COAT: Smooth coat: Short hair all over the body; straight horse hair texture, dense, close and uniformly smooth; there may be a few scattered coarse hairs on the body, on the muzzle, also on the legs which does not constitute a fault.

Rough coat: On the body the length of the hair should not be more than 5cm. The hair is definitely rough, except on the head, on the ears, the legs, the tail and the muzzle, where the hair is usually less rough than on the body and the lips; under the lips, the hair, although of moderate length, forms the so-called beard. The hair on the superciliary arches is of limited length so as not to fall over the eyes or hide them.

Might the AKC’s Segit be treated as one breed with two coat varieties? We’ll let you know when we find out (we’ll update this post), but it would hardly be the first time that the AKC regards as one breed what the FCI regards as more than one, and visa versa (think Belgian Shepherd).  Whichever way the breed is presented in the United States, it doesn’t change what the Segit is: An ancient, robust, and playful breed with a sense of smell so powerful that the breed is regarded as one of the best hunting dogs in the world. The Segit hunts with determination alone or in a pack, and can track, and dispatch its quarry even after hours of running, its “legs of steel” up to the task. Though this is a sweet and affectionate breed, it becomes a “Mr. Hyde” in the field, so fiercely does it hunt. Its tenacity has lead some to wonder if the breed wasn’t the basis of the mythical “Hounds of Hell” of early Celtic lore.

Top Image of a Segugio Italiano a Pelo Raso by ©F8grapher/Dreamstime Stock photos. Photo of Rough coated Segugio found on Pinterest and happily credited upon receipt of information