SPINONE ITALIANO
APPEARANCE
The Spinone Italiano is a dog that is large in size, and has a sturdy build. His coat is close fitting and rough to the touch. The coloring of the coat can vary and includes orange and white, white, chestnut and white, chestnut roan, and orange roan. The height of the Spinone Italiano is around 22-25 inches for females, and around 23-27 inches for males. The Spinone Italiano weighs in at 60-75 pounds for females and around 75-85 pounds for males.
PERSONALITY
Gentle, devoted, and eager to please their owners, Spinone Italianos are excellent family pets for those with the space and the time to dedicate to these animals. They are well suited to inexperienced dog owners as well as those with experience. These dogs have real strength of character, and whilst they can be playful and entertaining can also be very sensible, laid back, and even serious.
TRAINING
their intelligence means that training should not prove too much of a challenge. The Spinone Italiano is fairly quick to learn and very responsive, with a sociable attitude. The Spinone Italiano loves to swim, and digging is another favorite pastime, as is jumping. This means that he needs a safe and secured area in which to play and exercise when not on a leash. He is a sensitive dog, and training needs to be positive.
EXERCISE
Being a fairly energetic breed, the Spinone Italiano needs regular workouts, which may involve daily walks and frequent play. One may find the Spinone to be a good jogging companion, as it moves more carefully than most dogs in its breed group, and behaves quite well around other people and their pets.
SOCIALIZATION
Early socialization is recommended for the Spinone Italiano in order to promote and stable and confident temperament. These dogs are known to be very good with children, although his size may prove a problem with very small children. They also tend to get along well with pets, and will usually be polite if a little cautious around strangers. The Spinone Italiano will bark to raise an alarm, so he does make an effective watchdog, and his size is likely to put off any potential burglar.
LIVING CONDITIONS
This breed enjoys spending time with people, and it may also be expected to do well living outdoors in moderate to cool weather. It can be happy living in a small yard with a secure fence, provided that it is regularly taken out for walks and more rigorous exercise.
GROOMING
The coat of the Spinone requires brushing on a weekly basis. Baths
may be given occasionally or as necessary. Pulling out dead hair instead of cutting works well to tidy up its coat, particularly in areas such as the face and limbs.
HEALTH ISSUES
The life expectancy of the Spinone Italiano is around 12-14 years. There are a number of health problems to look out for with this breed, although these are relatively health and hardy dogs. This includes bloat and HD. The parents of the Spinone Italiano puppy should have OFA certificates.
HISTORY
As the name would suggest, the Spinone Italiano originates from Italy. An effective hunting dog with plenty of stamina, he has become used to working in many different types of terrain. The Spinone Italiano was registered with the AKC in 2000.
