The Spinone Italiano
 |
The Spinone Italiano is more of a hound than a pointer. The head as a whole is rather large and long, its skull of medium breadth and a trifle domed. The long muzzle is square with a slight arch of the nasal bone.
They are known as Italy's all purpose hunting dog. They have been referred to as a Griffon, since the name formerly designated the hunting dogs of all Continental Europe. The dog is a Pointer of the old school, that is, a rather slow-footed dog similar to those used before the era of wing shooting.
Almost every country in Europe has had its own type of Pointer for at least three centuries, and each developed the dog in its own locality according to the climate, need and changing times. The Piedmonte district of northwest Italy is primarily responsible for the development of the Spinone into a great all-purpose dog. It is said to outrank all other Italian gun dogs as a highly efficient worker.
They do very well with other pets and adore children. They don't do well living outdoors since they adore their people and want to be with them.
They should be from 20-26 inches tall and weigh about 56 pounds. Their coat is weatherproof, short, rough, hard and wiry. The undercoat is smooth and very dense. Their color may be all white, or white with yellow or light brown patches.
Health concerns in the breed include Hip Dysplasia and Gastric Dilation, Torsion, Volvulus (Bloat) which is when the stomach fills with air (dilation), can twist 180 degrees (torsion) on its long axis, or more than 180 degrees (volvulus) thereby cutting off blood and oxygen to vital organs.
