About the Spinone Italiano
The Spinone is a versatile hunting dog — bred and trained to search for and point game, to track and retrieve on both land and water. Known for their endurance, calmness, and cooperative style, they hunt by air-scenting and ground tracking to stealthily point the way for the hunter.
While the Spinone was bred to hunt, it also enjoys showing, a variety of dog sports, and therapy work. Within the home, it excels as a family companion dog.
The name ‘spinone’ comes from the ‘bracco spinoso’ or prickly pointer. It refers to either their harsh coats or shrub thorns where game would hide.
Singular: Spinone Italiano | Plural: Spinoni Italiani
Origins of the Spinone
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Built by the Land
The modern Spinone comes from ancient hunting dogs of Italian ancestry. The harsh mountain and marshland conditions created big, sturdy, and robust dogs with thick skin and armoring, bristly coats.
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200 A.D.
There are references to the careful, productive hunting style typical of the Spinone
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Middle Ages
There are remarkably consistent accounts of rough-haired, large, and companionable pointing dogs
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Around 1470
Andrea Mantegna painted a large, light-colored dog with the distinctive head of a Spinone relaxing under the throne of the Marquis of Mantua
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1683
French canine expert Selicourt writes “the finest griffons (pointers) come from Italy and the Piedmont”
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1800s
Variations of Spinone developed according to specific regions of Italy: Spinoso or Restone in Tuscany, Bracco Restoso near Naples, Can Cravin in the Piedmont, Spinone in Lombardy
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1897
The Societa Braccofilia acknowledged a breed standard with the unified name ‘Spinone’
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1930s
Breeders worked to reverse the regionalization trend to revitalize the breed
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1939 - 1945
World War II devastated Italy, disrupting breeders, their families, animals, and records. Ever enterprising dogs, they hunted scarce game, tracked soldiers, or just kept people warm in winter.
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1950
The efforts of the first national breed club ‘La Famiglia dello Spinone’ stabilized the reduced numbers and gene pool
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1994 & 2000
SCOA began hosting National Specialty shows in 1994, was recognized as the official AKC parent club and was accepted into the Sporting group in 2000
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Today
The Spinone is well-represented internationally and respected as a competent hunting partner and a wonderful family companion
Living with Spinoni requires
a sense of humor, patience, and
a beard rag at the ready.
They are not the breed for everyone, but can quickly turn into an addictive habit. They are sweet, but often require your undivided attention. They have opinions, which they make known with a quiet grumble, a piercing stare, or perhaps the “Spinone paw.”
The Spinone remains a rare breed.
Be patient and do your research. The wait for a puppy can be anywhere from a month to a year.
The Ideal Spinone
The Spinone is first and foremost a functional working gun dog. The AKC breed standard focuses on: unique silhouette, correct head type, harsh, single coat & thick skin, and its free relaxed movement.
Breed standards describe ideal type, structure, gait, and temperament of the breed. They are aligned to the function each dog has been bred for. Dogs are measured by how closely they conform to the standard, not to one another. Alignment with the breed standard is a good indication of a dog’s ability to perform the tasks it was bred for and, when considered along with comprehensive health information, performance and pedigree, its ability to produce healthy, purpose-bred puppies that will meet the standard.
The AKC and SCOA members approved a 2019 revision to the Spinone Italiano AKC Breed Standard.
Health & Longevity
The Spinone is generally a healthy breed, living on average 10 - 12 years.
The SCOA Health Committee evaluates and reviews health issues, trends, and concerns that affect Spinoni. Breeders carefully track hip, elbow, and eye evaluations.
A Well-Groomed Dog is a Healthy Dog
Whether you have a hunting dog, show dog, or family companion, your Spinone should be groomed regularly.
A correct Spinone coat is hard-textured, and naturally dirt-and-water repellant. It needs minimal bathing, combing, and hand-stripping (a method of removing dead hair using your fingers or specialized tools). It can reduce the amount of shedding, however Spinone do shed (like nearly all dog breeds).
An unstripped or shaved coat loses its texture, requires more grooming, and often mats. SCOA has created an in-depth grooming guide with recommended techniques that benefit dogs in the field, ring, and the family home.