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The Spinone Italiano (plural Spinoni Italiani) is an Italian dog breed. Its original purpose was as a versatile gun dog, which the breed is still a master of today. The Spinone is a loyal, friendly and alert dog with a close lying, tough, wiry coat that is hard to the touch. It is an ancient breed that can be traced back to approximately 500 BC.
It is often used for hunting, pointing, and retrieving game
(HPR), but the intelligent and strong Spinone can be used for
practically anything ranging from companion pet to seeing eye
dog for the blind. The name of the breed is pronounced
spin-own-ay (singular) and spin-own-ee for plural.
Appearance: The Spinone has a square build (the
length of the body is approximately equal to the height at the
withers). It is a solidly built dog with a strong,
well-muscled body and limbs that are suited to almost any kind
of terrain. The Spinone can sometimes be confused with a
German Wirehaired Pointer by someone not familiar with the
breeds. However, the long head and pronounced forehead are
unique to the breed.
He has an expression that shows intelligence and
understanding and is often described as having human-like
eyes. The tail of the Spinone is customarily docked at half
its length (approx 5.5 to 8 inches or 140 to 200 mm from the
base of the tail), and it sports dewclaws on all four feet,
giving its hind legs an overly large appearance.
Coat: The coat is tough, slightly wiry, and close
fitting. The preferred length is 1½–2½ inches (4–6 cm)
on the body; however, the ears, muzzle, head, and parts of the
legs and feet are covered with shorter hair. Eyebrows have
longer and stiffer hair; longer but softer hair covers cheeks
and muzzle, creating a moustache and beard.
The Spinone should not have an undercoat. A long, soft or
silky coat is undesired and is a sign of excessive grooming.
Colour: Acceptable variants (UK and US) are solid white, white
with orange markings, orange roan with or without orange
markings, white with brown markings, and brown roan with or
without brown markings. Pigment of skin, nose, lips, and the
pads on their feet should be a fleshy red-orange in white
dogs, slightly darker in orange and brown roan dogs. The white
and orange coloration is unique amongst the wirehaired gun
dogs.
Height and weight: Height at withers:
Dogs: 60–70 cm (23.5–27.5 in)
Bitches: 59–65 cm (22.5–25.5 in)
Weight should be in the correct proportion to size and
structure:
Dogs: 34–39 kg (75–86 lb);
Bitches: 29–34 kg (64–75 lb).
Temperament: The Spinone is easy going, docile, and
affectionate towards both people and dogs. It is well known
for being loving and gentle with children. Its extremely
patient nature also helps with this, but children should be
taught not to take advantage of this trait. It is loyal to
those it knows and still friendly to those it doesn't. The
breed is not known for any aggression and is therefore not a
wise choice for somebody looking for an aggressive guard dog,
although it will protect its family when under direct threat.
Centuries of working with man as a hunting companion has
created a loyal, intelligent dog that is easily trained,
although some can be stubborn about performing a learned task
if they see no point in it. Because they are sensitive,
motivational training works best for this breed, as this
gentle creature's feelings can easily be hurt when handled
incorrectly.
The Spinone can be a very active breed, but it is not a racy
dog like most other hunting breeds. The Spinone has a slow,
relaxed trot that is characteristic of the breed. It has often
been called the perfect dog to jog with, because it will not
run off in front and leave its human companion struggling to
keep up as it prefers the slower pace itself. It can be more
than happy in a small yard and does not necessarily need acres
of land. The small garden combined with regular walks would
suit a Spinone well.
Health: Like all purebred dogs, it has its share of
health problems, but careful breeding is helping the situation
cease.
Life expectancy: Spinone usually live 12–14 years,
and generally keep their health through the senior years.
Known medical issues: Cerebellar ataxia: Cerebellar ataxia
(CA) is a deadly hereditary condition that is known to affect
Spinone puppies. It is a recessive gene; therefore, both sire
and dam must have been carriers for any pup in a litter to
have this condition. Unfortunately, no puppy with CA has lived
past the age of 12 months to date. Most puppies that have been
diagnosed with the condition are euthanised at 10–11 months.
Hip dysplasia: Like most large breeds, the Spinone can
suffer hip dysplasia. This is when the hip bones become
abnormal and make it difficult and painful to do any exercise.
Dogs diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia can have their ball
and socket joint replaced surgically with an artificial joint.
History: As the Spinone is a very ancient breed (it is
believed to be one of the oldest gundogs in existence), it is
not known exactly what the origins of the breed are; there are
many different theories. Some of these claim that the Spinone
could have originated in Italy, France, Spain, Russia, Greece,
or Celtic Ireland.
Some people familiar with the history of the breed claim that
the Spinone descended from the now-extinct Spanish Pointer,
whilst others claim that it was the ancient Russian Setter
that is responsible for the breed we know today. An even more
popular theory is that Greek traders brought coarse-haired
setters to Italy during the height of the Roman empire, where
the dogs were then crossed with various others and the modern
Spinone eventually emerged.
The French claim that the Spinone has descended from crosses
of several French pointing breeds, whilst the Italians believe
the Spinone is the ancestor of the Wirehaired Pointing
Griffon, the German Wirehaired Pointer, and the Pudelpointer.
Any one of these claims could be true; perhaps several of them
are correct.
During the Second World War, the Spinone became close to
extinct. Both the war and the fact that Italian hunters had
begun using other breeds (such as setters, pointers, and
spaniels) in the hunt, whereas before it was almost primarily
the Spinone. Many breeders had to resort to crossing the
Spinone with other wire-haired breeds, such as the Boulet,
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon and German Wirehair.
The breed was not officially known as "Spinone"
until the early nineteenth century. Before then, some areas
knew the breed as the "Spinoso". The breed was named
after an Italian thorn bush, the pino, which was a favorite
hiding place for small game because for larger animals it was
practically impenetrable. Only thick-skinned, coarse-haired
animals could fight through the branches unharmed to locate
the game. The Spinone was the breed most capable of doing so,
and therefore the name was formed.
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