Spinone Italiano

The Spinone Italiano is an Italian gun dog with a dense wiry coat, a heavy brow and a deliberate, trotting way of working — one of the oldest pointing breeds.

History

It is an old Italian breed used across rough ground and marsh, bred to work close to the gun at a steady pace rather than to range fast and wide. That tempo is what Italian hunters wanted from a dog on difficult terrain, and it survives in the modern breed.

Temperament

The breed is known for being patient, sociable and notably gentle — an easygoing dog with a comic streak, good with children and slow to take offence. It is more biddable than most pointing breeds and dislikes being alone.

Care and training

It needs plenty of exercise and takes to gentle, reward-based training; harshness sets it back. The harsh coat needs regular brushing and occasional stripping, and the beard means it will bring water back to the sofa with it.

Health

Known tendencies include hip and elbow dysplasia, bloat, and in some lines an inherited neurological condition breeders test for. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.