Italian Spinone

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The arrival of the Italian Spinone in the UK showrings in the 1980s caused quite a stir; at that time new breeds were quite a novelty and he certainly took the eye.  Belonging to the Gundog group the Italian Spinone has something of the hound about him with his unusual topline which slopes from the withers to the loin and then rises from the loin to the croup.  He is known to have existed as a breed in the early 1800s, and dogs of similar type are seen in many frescoes from the Middle Ages.  He and the Bracco Italiano are the only two Italian gundogs in the UK.

A member of the Hunt, Point, Retrieve group of gundogs the Italian Spinone is a good worker in water and heavy cover; he is a solid, strongly built dog standing square with a relatively short muscular neck.  In height he is between 60 - 70cm with the bitches slightly smaller and the dogs weigh from 70 - 82lbs.  His expression is described as being kind and earnest, and he does convey the impression of being very sincere.  Which he probably is, as he does make a very good family dog; he is sociable and adaptable and being easily trained is happy to join in with whatever outdoor pursuits his particular family chooses. It's fair to describe the Spinone as being a happy dog.

The coat is tough, thick and slightly wiry, about 2" long on the body with semi-erect eyebrows and softer hair forming a moustache and eyebrows. The Italian Spinone is easy enough to keep groomed with a slicker brush, but a little judicious stripping is necessary to retain a clean outline, particularly to prevent him looking stuffy in the neck.  The base colour of the coat is always white; he can be pure white, with orange marking or peppering, with brown markings with or without brown roaning.

A nice, big, adaptable dog, biddable with an easily cared for coat and a fondness for his family, it is not surprising that he has grown so rapidly in popularity.

To read the Kennel Club Breed Standard for the Italian Spinone click here.

Italian Spinone Breed Clubs

ITALIAN SPINONE CLUB OF GB
THE SOUTHERN ITALIAN SPINONE SOCIETY (proposed)
ITALIAN SPINONE SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND (proposed)

Italian Spinone Rescue and Rehoming

Contact a Breed Club. They should be able to give you information about Spinoni requiring homes and procedures for re-homing; if you are in the unfortunate position of having to re-home your own dog, please go through breed rescue. They will not be judgmental and are best able to find the right permanent home for him.

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