Dog Training, Breeds, Care, And Health! - Canine HQ
Home / Dog Breed / Spinone Italiano
Fine By Breed Name

Explore By Characteristic or Group

View all Breeds

RESOURCES FOR NEW & PROSPECTIVE DOG OWNERS

Find Your Match

Answer a few simple questions and find the right dog for you

Compare Breeds

Compare up to 5 different breeds side by side

Find a Puppy

Nunc bibendum, purus eget tristique fermentum.

Choose your Breed

View the collection of dog breeds we have information on.

Why Get a Dog?

Nunc bibendum, purus eget tristique fermentum.

Breeders

Aenean feugiat metus ac nisi dictum tincidunt Interdum et.
Exclusive Deals, 50%+ Off Good & Toys, Health Information & More!
Register your Dog Today!

Spinone Italiano

sociable / patient / docile
Sporting Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

23-27 inches (male)

22-25 inches (female)

Weight

In direct proportion to the size and structure of a dog

Life Expectancy

10-12 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    80% 80%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    60% 60%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    60% 60%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    40% 40%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    80% 80%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    60% 60%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    60% 60%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    40% 40%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The densely covered hunting dog, Spinone Italiano, is gregarious, docile, and patient, sometimes stubborn but always lovable. The Spinone, descended from ancient Italian stock, is one of Continental Europe’s most versatile field dogs. The Spinone Italiano (plural: Spinoni Italiani) is an all-around hunter with a square and strong build. Spinoni is strong and muscular, built for endurance more than speed. The dense coat has a natural, unclipped appearance and is available in a variety of colors and patterns. The expression embodies the breed’s considerable Old World charm. Those beautiful, charmingly expressive eyes, capped off by shaggy brows and a tufted beard, have won many hearts in Italy and they’re winning new ones every day here in America.

 

What To Expect When Caring For a Spinone Italiano

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

Breeders that are responsible will screen their stock for health issues such as hip and elbow dysplasia and eye anomalies. As with all breeds, Spinone's ears should be checked for symptoms of infection on a regular basis, and the teeth should be washed frequently, ideally every day, using dog toothpaste.  
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Hip Evaluation
  • Ophthalmologist Evaluation
  • Elbow Evaluation

Grooming

Despite the fact that the breed is supposed to be "kept in its natural state," Spinoni do require grooming. They should be hand-stripped rather than scissored to remove dead hair and keep their coat length between one and a half and two and a half inches. Spinone's ears should be cleansed at least once a week. The legs should be retained in a brushy column, and no feathers on the tail should be left. Nail trimming should be done once a week.

Exercise

When compared to other sporty breeds, Spinoni have a 'low octane' rating. While going for a walk or going for a hike is always a wonderful idea, it is not something that should be done every day. A wide, securely enclosed yard and lots of fun will keep a Spinone happy, as will being part of the family, which is just as crucial to his health as exercise. Spinoni are not "kennel dogs," or dogs who may be left alone outside; they must be part of the family at all times, which means staying inside with the family as a house dog.  

Training

'Spinoni is very soft, quite stubborn, and very smart,' says one experienced breeder of the species. Training is primarily about 'barter.' If you say, 'Jump,' many breeds will inquire, 'How high?' as they leap, whereas a Spinone will inquire, 'Why?' You can teach a Spinone the fundamentals and even train them for competitive obedience,' but don't expect them to be 'high and tight' every time. 'No, not today,' they may say. Maybe later.' They are intelligent but difficult to train, and they will shut down if the instruction is too difficult or harsh. They hunt anywhere they choose and will put food on your table. Spinoni is not a 'robot hunter' who will follow your commands. Spinoni teaches hunters to trust their dogs in the field.'  

Nutrition

The Spinone should do well on high-quality dog food, whether commercially manufactured or home-prepared under the observation and consent of your veterinarian. Any diet should be tailored to the age of the dog (puppy, adult, or senior). Some Spinoni is finicky feeders. Discover which human foods are suitable for dogs and which are not. If you have any concerns regarding your dog's weight or diet, consult with your veterinarian. At all times, clean, fresh water should be available. Bloat can occur in some Spinoni, which can be attributed to the breed's extremely sensitive character.   Because Spinoni worries more when their owners worry, it can create a vicious cycle in which the dog does not eat or possibly stresses himself into bloat. It is critical to allow the Spinone time to digest after eating in order to avoid bloat.    

History

Spinoni, a very old breed, are one of many field dogs renowned for their flexibility throughout Continental Europe. Their abilities as hunting companions include intelligence, a keen sense of smell, the ability to retrieve on land or in water, and the stamina to labor all day and anxiously request more. Spinone derives its name from “pino,” the prickly undergrowth present in Italy’s Piedmont area. On the rugged terrain of Alpine Italy, all-weather, all-purpose Spinoni were first bred to work with human huntsmen. The Spinone is said to be a hybrid between coarsehaired Italian Setters and those left by Greek traders and others along the Adriatic coast, as well as crossings with the White Mastiff and possibly French Griffons.