The Italian Spinone is one of the oldest gun dog breeds, who 2,000 years ago was used by the Italian (Roman) hunter to find rabbits, birds or hares and to point and flush them for the hunter to capture with his hawk, falcon or net. This method of working further evolved with the discovery and development of firearms.
The Italian Spinone was and is expected to work in conditions from marsh to woodland to mountains in snow. He is classified as a Hunt Point Retriever breed, whose task is to hunt by quartering the field, to point the game when it is found, to flush the game on the command of the hunter, and to then retrieve the shot game for the hunter on command. He is equally adept at retrieving from land or water, being a strong swimmer. He is not a galloping dog, but one who moves with a fast trotting gait covering the ground well, with a relaxed, loose action and possesses plenty of stamina.
The Italian Spinone is a powerfully built dog with strong bone, powerful hindquarters, a short strong neck, a deep chest with plenty of heart and lung room, and a thick skin and coarse, wiry, thick coat. They also have a distinctive top line which slopes down from the withers, then slopes up over the loin and then slopes down again over the croup. The head is also distinctive, with a roofed skull, large spongy nose, flesh coloured pigment, yellow or ochre eyes, and pendulous ears.
The Italian Spinone can be up to 27 1/2 inches at the withers, and can weigh up to 100 pounds (45 kg’s) when mature, although they are normally 70 to 82 pounds (32 kg’s to 37 kg’s) in dogs and 62 to 71 pounds (28 kg’s to 32 kg’s) in bitches. Their colour can be white, white with orange markings, solid white peppered orange, white with brown markings, white speckled with brown (with or without large brown markings).
They are expected to live up to 10 to 12 years.
As a breed, Spinone are renowned for their temperament, which is described in the Breed Standard as "faithful, intelligent, patient and affectionate".
They are distinguished by a sweet almost human expression and a need for companionship and attention, upon which they thrive. They are a true and uncomplicated dog, and are not hard to understand. They respond best to a soft voice, which will gain both obedience and respect, and when they are trained with quiet respect their desire to please will produce the desired outcome.
The Spinone are renowned for their wonderful memory of people and places, and for their affinity with children and other animals.
That they are renowned for their impeccable temperament cannot be stressed enough. In fact they are cited as being the only breed in the world NEVER to have been reported to have bitten anyone.
As puppies they are usually in a litter of 7 to 12, and can be as naughty as other puppies. They grow rapidly and therefore should be given 4 meals a day until they are about 20 weeks old, when this can begin being reduced to 2 meals a day. As puppies their exercise should be limited to a minimum, with this beginning gradually at about 6 months old.
The correct harsh coat requires brushing or combing once or twice a week, whilst the softer coats which can occur require more regular grooming to prevent knots and mats.
The ears, due to their size and shape, require regular cleaning (which can be done with cotton balls), and any surplus hair inside should be gently plucked out. The abundance of hair which some of them grow around their feet can also be plucked out easily.
The beard can collect a bit of food, but if this is combed when the Spinone is being brushed or combed this will be sufficient to maintain a clean and distinguished appearance.
The Italian Spinone have been in Australia for about 6 years, and there are currently less than 40 here. However a number of overseas judges have praised the quality of our dogs, stating they are the equal of any, and that some are at least the equal of the best overseas. The breeding being done with imported semen, and the care with which this is being done, will, we hope continue this situation.
