Top Five Reasons Why You Should Own A Spinone Italiano?
- Spinones have the most amazing human-like faces that are hard not to fall in love with.
- They tend to get along well with other dogs and other animals.
- Spinones are bred to be hard-working gun dogs, making them very resistant to fatigue and perfect as jogging companions.
- This breed is very intelligent and, while quite easy to train, will get bored quickly of repetitive tasks.
- Spinones are patient, gentle and love being around people.
Did You Know?
- Spinones are one of the oldest gun dog breeds, having originated in the Middle Ages.
- There was a point after the Second World War that they became nearly extinct. Most breeders had to resort to cross-breeding them with other wire-haired breeds such as the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon.
- Their name is derived from ‘pino’ which is an Italian thorn bush. Only the Spinone Italiano could get through it to pursue its smaller game.
- Spinone puppies grow quickly and will need four meals a day until around 20 weeks of age.
- Spinones have a true passion for food. This can be useful during training, but make sure your Spinone isn’t left alone near your fridge!
Famous Owners:
The Duchess of Northumberland (read our Me and My Pet Interview)
Ask the Vet…
Spinones are pretty healthy dogs and have great laid-back temperaments. If you are thinking of getting a Spinone then remember the following:
1. Weight – Spinones are big dogs that love to run around smelling everything and need plenty of exercise; failure to match their dietary intake to adequate exercise can result in some overweight dogs.
2. Hip dysplasia – hip joints fail to develop properly leading to arthritis. Always make sure that your puppy comes from parents that have had their hips X-rayed and scored by The British Veterinary Association / The Kennel Club Hip Scheme. The breed mean score is between 10 – 15 so try to find parents with lower scores than this.
3. Elbow dysplasia – incomplete development of the surfaces of the elbow joints leading to arthritis. Again always make sure that your puppy comes from parents that have their elbows X-rayed and scored by the BVA / KC Elbow Scheme. Try to find parents with scores of 0:0 indicating no evidence of the disease.
4. Hygiene – as with all dogs with wire coats, sensible attention is needed to make sure that the coat doesn’t get tangled and matted. Pay particular attention to their beards which can collect food debris after meals.
