Spinone Italiano

The Spinone Italiano—puppy or adult—has one of the sweetest expressions that you can find on any breed of dog.

The Spinone Italano is genetically designed to hunt and has the high energy level that is required to perform well.  This in not to be confused with a “hyperactive” personality but is rather an expression of the  energy and endurance levels that have been improved through generations of selected breeding.  Given adequate exercise, the Spinone Italiano can act as both as an outstanding field dog and a loving and devoted family member.  Most Spinoni Italiano show dogs are dad’s hunting partner on one weekend and mom and the kid’s show dog on the next.

Spinoni are listed among the most intelligent of all breeds of dog, an attribute that can prove to be both good and bad—good in that they can learn just about anything you want to teach them, but bad in that a Spinone Italiano can become bored easily without activities that keep him mentally and physically stimulated.  The Spinone Italiano is not a breed that can be left continuously on its own or kept outdoors every day without another canine companion.  The breed has a long standing history of working alongside men and other dogs in the field and this has made the Spinone Italiano a very social animal.

Both male and female Spinoni are great companions and work equally well in the field.  Their primary difference is in height and weight.  The height at the withers is 23 to 27inches for males and 22 to 25 inches for females.   The weight for males is from 76-85 pounds and females from 61-75 pounds.

The accepted colors of Spinoni Italiano are:  Solid white, white and orange, orange roan with or without orange markings, white with brown markings, brown roan with or without brown markings.  Ideal coat length is 1.5 to 2.5 inches on the body, with a tolerance of one-half inch.  Head, ears, muzzle and  sides of legs and feet are covered by shorter hair. The eyes and lips are framed by stiff hair that forms eyebrows, mustache and  beard, which help to save the dog’s face from laceration by thornes and bushes.

Those who work with the Spinone Italiano in the field know that, once trained, the Spinone Italiano does not forget.  He is a ready and willing hunter who is happy to work almost any terrain from prairie to pond, but he is at his very best penetrating dense growth and underbrush.  The working Spinone Italiano has great endurance and can tolerate both heat and cold. The coat and dense skin protect from cold water as well and Spinoini are good swimmers. Spinoni Italiano work close to their hunting partners and are prompt and dependable retrievers.

The Spinone Italiano is an ideal family dog in that he is able to share his devotion with every member of the family from toddlers to the elderly, adjusting his mood to that of whatever family member he is with.  He will bark to alert the family when a stranger approaches but will be happy to greet that same stranger if assured that all is well.

It is not unusual to have the well-bred and well-cared-for Spinone Italiano live to be 12 years old, and there are many cases of individuals living some years beyond that in fairly good health.