Spinone Italiano Dog Breed: Info, Pictures, Facts, & Traits

The Spinone Italiano is a loving and loyal companion pet but was bred for hunting and, as such, has high energy demands. They like to be heavily involved in all family activities and are especially well suited to life with an active, outdoor family looking for a lively companion.

The breed can struggle with separation anxiety so is not ideal for families that are out of the house all day, and its desire to run around, even when not on walks, means that it isn’t best suited to life in an apartment despite its medium size seemingly making it an ideal choice for confined quarters.

The Spinone Italiano is lively, energetic, and fun. Even when they aren’t out walking or working, they will tend to run around rather than amble. They need plenty of exercise as well as mental stimulation if you want to ensure they remain happy and healthy dogs.

Although the Spinone Italiano’s coat doesn’t require too much brushing, it is advisable to keep the impressive beard well-trimmed. The breed’s nails are also known to grow quickly, and you will likely need to trim them every couple of weeks to ensure they stay healthy and don’t cause discomfort.

Spinone Italiano Characteristics

Spinone Italiano Puppies

Do your research when choosing a breeder. Ensure they keep all their dogs in habitable conditions, rather than locked away in a dark barn. Puppies that are locked away miss out on a lot of the early socialization that helps ensure they become friendly dogs. The Spinone is known for being amicable and sociable, but the breed characteristics can be undone by poor early socialization.

Rather than buying, consider adopting one of these beautiful dogs. The Spinone is very active, will struggle if left alone, and some owners may not have been properly prepared for these traits, leading to them being left in shelters. Adopting costs less than buying and you are providing a home for an otherwise unwanted pup. Ask shelter owners and workers questions about the dog to help you get a better understanding of its temperament and even how it acts around other dogs, cats, and people.

Spinone Italiano Dog Breed Origin & History

Dogs with similar physical characteristics and traits to the Spinone Italiano have existed since 200 A.D. and this is an ancient hunting breed. It was bred specifically in the Piedmont region of Italy and was used to hunt wildfowl. Despite its long history, the breed was only accepted by the American Kennel Club in 2000. Since then, it has gained in popularity, although is still classified as being a rare breed so it may take some searching to find a reputable breeder.

Because it was bred as a gun dog, the Spinone Italiano has some typical gun dog traits. This means that it will always be ready to spring into action. Its use to hunt wildfowl means that it loves nothing more than running and leaping into water and muddy situations, and is a generally hardy dog that does flourish when given plenty of outdoor time.

Temperament & Intelligence of the Spinone Italiano Dog Breed 🧠

The Spinone Italiano is a gun dog, and it has some typical gun dog temperaments and traits. It is a lively dog that needs a lot of exercise, and it can become depressed if it doesn’t get the physical exercise and mental stimulation it needs. The high energy demand of the dog means that it benefits from having outdoor space, so an apartment is not considered an ideal setting for the Spinone. Similarly, they won’t tend to do well with a family that is out at work all day, preferring to be as involved as possible in their human family’s daily life.

The breed is friendly and sociable, although it does still require regular socialization from a young age to ensure this is the case. They are patient with strangers, as well as family, and will get along with other dogs they meet in the park or on walks.

Are These Dogs Good for Families? 👪

The Italiano Spinone is known as a friendly, patient, and forgiving dog, which makes it an ideal breed for families, including those with small children. However, there are some potential problems keeping one of these dogs with small children. The Spinone is a gun dog and likes to pick things up and carry them. Children’s toys will be especially inviting so your child may lose its toys, especially stuffed toys, regularly.

The breed is also very lively and active and enjoys running around. While it won’t intentionally harm your child, it might accidentally knock over small children and step on them. You will have to try to set boundaries as soon as possible and ensure your dog has enough of its own toys that it will be less tempted to take those belonging to its human brothers and sisters.

Young children and dogs should never be left unattended because no matter how friendly the two are, there is always the potential for accidents, especially when the child is young and does not know how to act and react around the dog.

The amiable nature of the breed means that it will also get along with visitors and it shouldn’t be overly protective so it will be able to deal with children’s rough games.

Does This Breed Get Along with Other Pets? 🐶 😽

The amiable nature of the Spinone Italiano also extends to other dogs, both in and out of the house. Not only will they get along with other dogs in the house, but will benefit from having a playmate to keep them entertained.

However, you can expect a lot of canine playtime, and the Spinone isn’t afraid to use their voice while playing, so be prepared for some noisy play sessions. This is a gun dog with a playful nature: a combination that won’t endear the breed to most cats. You will have to teach the dog to be calm around the cat and ideally introduce them when they are both young. Never let small animals run free when there is a dog, especially not a lively gun dog breed.

Things to Know When Owning a Spinone Italiano

The word “Spinone” means “thorn” in Italian and refers to the breed’s coat. Its wiry coat is easy to manage, at least in terms of brushing, but the breed does have high maintenance requirements thanks to its high energy levels and its desire to jump in the water and get muddy.

Below we look at some of the things you need to know if you are considering taking on one of these dogs.

Food & Diet Requirements 🦴

The energetic Spinone Italiano needs to eat a lot to keep up with the energy it uses on an average day. This isn’t the type of dog that will laze around and even when it isn’t running in the fields, it will charge from one spot to the next, looking for opportunities to play. This means that despite being a medium-sized dog, the breed will consume around three cups of dry kibble per day. You may need to feed more or less than this according to how active the dog is as well as any health needs it has, and whether the dog is underweight or overweight.

If feeding wet food, weigh your Spinone and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines on the packaging regarding how much to feed.

When giving treats, remember that you should not feed more than 10% of your dog’s daily calorie allowance in treats. Opt for healthy treats, especially if you are going to use them extensively for training purposes. Always ensure your dog has access to fresh water.

Exercise 🐕

One of the most challenging aspects of owning a Spinone Italiano is its high energy requirements. This is an active dog that will generally choose to jog or run, rather than walk, and it will relish being taken on long walks. If you and your family enjoy hiking or partaking in other outdoor activities, grab a leash and involve your Spinone.

Ensure you provide a minimum of one hour of exercise every day. This can include walks, but this is one breed that will benefit from being given more intensive types of exercise. Consider jogging with your Spinone or sign up for some kind of canine sports class. The breed will enjoy playing fetch because this mimics the fetching of downed game similar to the dog’s original gun dog purpose.

Training 🎾

This lively, energetic, and active dog has a lot of energy, and it has a sharp mind. This combination makes training essential. Training will also help you teach the dog what is suitable for carrying and what isn’t, and you will likely want to prevent unwanted behavior like jumping up.

Fortunately, these dogs are intelligent and generally take well to training, but because of the extensive need for training, the breed is not generally recommended for first-time owners and will respond better to experienced families.

Sign up for puppy classes because they do offer several benefits. First, they teach some basic commands like sit and stay, while also giving you the knowledge that is needed to continue training your dog. They also enable your new dog to meet other pups, and this socialization is critical to a dog’s development. Socialization should continue outside the classroom, though, on walks and even in the home.

Grooming ✂️

The wiry coat of the Spinone Italiano does not require a lot of heavy brushing, although it will benefit from a quick brush once or twice a week to remove dead hairs and ensure the dog is comfortable and cool. However, the breed does have other grooming and maintenance requirements. Their beautiful facial hair needs regular maintenance. They will gather mud and even bacteria and can start to smell. Have some wipes ready to clean the beard and get rid of mud from the rest of the dog’s coat. The wiry coat will shed most dust and dry dirt, but wet dirt will still stick otherwise.

As well as keeping the beard trimmed, you will need to cut nails approximately every 2–4 weeks to prevent them from splitting and causing discomfort and pain. Because the Spinone likes to play in water, you should check inside the ears and look for signs of infection, too.

Finally, brush the Spinone’s teeth three times a week. Dental disease is rife among pet dogs, and while dental chews and other chews can help, these are not a substitute for regular cleaning or dental checkups.

Health and Conditions ❤️ 🏥

The breed is considered a hardy breed and is one of the generally healthier gun dog breeds, but like all breeds, it is prone to some hereditary and other conditions. It is prone to otitis externa, which is an inflammation of the ear canal and commonly occurs in floppy-eared breeds, especially when they get dirty water inside their ears.

Cerebellar ataxia is a serious neurological condition that is more likely in this breed than others, although is thankfully rare.

Male vs Female

The male Spinone Italiano will be heavier and a little larger than the female, and while males tend to be more playful, they can also be more territorial, although this is rare in the breed. Females are more prone to mood swings and tend to be less playful than their male counterparts.

However, the individual’s character plays a more important part in determining the dog’s characteristics than its gender.

3 Little-Known Facts About the Spinone Italiano

1. They Were Initially Called Bracco Spinoso

The breed used to be known as Bracco Spinoso and Spinone means prickly, which refers to both the wiry texture of the dog’s coat and also the texture of the undergrowth that the dog would have worked in.

2. Spinone Italianos Nearly Became Extinct

The Spinone nearly became extinct during World War II. During the war, breeders were forced to stop their breeding efforts at a time when they were trying to create a single breed from what was previously a collection of regional Spinone breeds. Following the conclusion of the war, breeders helped prevent their extinction.

3. They Are One of the Oldest Hunting Breeds

There are records dating back to 200 AD describing the Spinone Italiano and, in particular, their cool and collected hunting prowess. Despite having existed for such a long time, the breed was not well known outside their home country of Italy until recently and was only recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2000.

Final Thoughts

The Spinone Italiano is an Italian hunting breed that is known for its combination of pointing and retrieving. This versatility made the breed very popular with hunters, while its friendly, fun, and lively character has helped the breed transition to become a very popular companion pet breed.

Although the Spinone would struggle in an apartment setting, it does well in a house with outdoor space. And regardless of whether you keep it in an apartment or house, it will need a lot of exercise, or the Spinone can become depressed. It also needs the companionship of its human family so if you go out to work, it may not be the ideal breed for you.

However, active families with experience in dog training will find a breed that gets along with all family members, can get along with dogs, and will relish accompanying its humans on hikes and other outdoor activities.

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Featured Image Credit: AnetaZabranska, Shutterstock