Italian Spinone : Puppies, Information, Feeding & Grooming
Good points
- Affectionate
- Fine retriever of waterfowl
- Hardy
Take heed
- No drawbacks known
The Italian Spinone is an ancient breed of gundog, much appreciated by Italian horsemen for its ability to work in marshy and wooded country. It has a soft mouth and will point and retrieve. It has a good nature and is well established in its own country.
Size
Height: dog 23'/2-25V2in (60-65cm); bitch 2W2-23'/2in (54.5-60cm).
Exercise
Needs plenty of vigorous exercise in order to remain in good condition physically and temperamentally.
Grooming
The Spinone's hard, thick, somewhat curly coat needs brushing two or three times a week, especially after the dog has been in water.
Feeding
Recommended would be 20-330z (587-936g) of a branded, meaty product with biscuit added, or 3-5 cupfuls of a dry food, complete diet, mixed in the proportion of 1 cup of feed to '/2 cup of hot or cold water.
Origin and history
The Spinone originated in the French region of Bresse but later found its way to Piedmont in Italy. Its evolution is attributable to the
French Griffon, French and German pointers, the Por<;:elaine, Barbet and Korthals Griffon. What has emerged is a reliable gundog with a pleasing appearance, somewhere between a Pointer and a Foxhound.
Although the Spinone is accepted for championship competition by the Kennel Club, the breed can be shown only in the miscellaneous classes in the United States.
SHOW STANDARD
General appearance. The Spinone has a body that is square in outline. It is a solid, vigorous country dog with strong bone and welldeveloped muscle; the breed is characterized by its excellent fast trotting gait. The breed's facial expression is intelligent and shows power and courage. Its eyes are expressive with a markedly sweet, almost human expression. It is exceptionally hardy and enters nonchalantly into brambles and deep, cold water; for such work it is protected by its thick skin and hard, thick coat.
Colour. Permissible colours include: white; white with orange markings; solid white peppered with orange; white with brown markings; white speckled with brown hairs (brown roan) with or without larger brown markings.
Head and skull. The head is large with fairly broad, domed skull; the stop is not accentuated, but the muzzle is well developed and square.
Tail. Thick at the base and set on as a continuation of the croup line; carried horizontally or down; should be docked at 6-10in (15-25cm) from the root.
Feet. Compact and round with well-closed toes that are well arched and covered with short, thick hair, even including the spaces between the toes.