Italian Spinone Picture Gallery

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The Full Italian Spinone Description

The Italian Spinone is a strong muscular dog, with a long face and human-like eyes. Their waterproof coats protect them from cold and water.
Italian Spinones are intelligent and easy going. Highly patient this breed loves all children and likes the company of other dogs as well. Italian Spinone are somewhat stubborn and like to do things in a slow and steady kind of way.

Indicative Breed Standard

General Appearance

Solid, squarely built, strong bone and well muscled. Kind and earnest expression.

Characteristics

Intrepid and untiring, very hardy, adaptable to any terrain including water. All-purpose gundog.

Temperament

Faithful, intelligent, patient and affectionate.

Head and Skull

Head long, skull flat, lean; sides gently sloping and very slightly rounded, equal in length from well developed occiput to stop as from gently sloping stop to tip of nose. Median furrow pronounced. Nose large, spongy in appearance, protruding over rather thin lips.

Eyes

Large, fairly round and open, eyelids close fitting. Deep yellow in white, and white and orange; ochre in brown roans.

Ears

Set on level with corner of eye, long, but not more than 5 cms (2 ins) below jaw line, pendulous, forward edge touching cheek. Triangular in shape, slightly rounded at tip, covered with thick short hair, longer and denser at edges.

Mouth

Jaws powerful with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Lips rather thin.

Neck

Strong, muscular, fairly short, merging into shoulder, slight, divided dewlap.

Forequarters

Shoulders strong, well muscled and well laid back. Points of shoulder set well apart. Forelegs straight, bone oval; strong, well defined tendons. Pasterns slightly sloping when viewed from side, elbows turning neither in nor out.

Body

Length equal to height at withers, chest broad, open, well let down. Brisket reaching at least to level of elbows. Front of sternum comes well forward below points of shoulders. Ribs open, well sprung. Topline, a very slight slope from raised withers to well muscled loins, slight rise from loin to broad and muscular croup, croup sloping.

Hindquarters

Thighs long, broad, muscular and strong. Hocks well let down. Metatarsals vertical on extension of buttock line. Tendons clearly visible.

Feet

Front compact, round. Hindfeet slightly oval. Toes arched, covered with short thick hair especially between toes. Nails strong, arched. Pads hard. Pigmented according to coat colours. Never black. Dewclaws on all four feet.

Tail

Customarily docked. Docked: Thick at base. Set on as a continuation of croup line. Carried horizontally or down, customarily docked to half its length.
Undocked: Thick at base. Set on as a continuation of croup line. Carried horizontally or down.

Gait/Movement

Free, relaxed and capable of fast trot.

Coat

Tough, thick, slightly wiry, close fitting, length 4-6 cms (11/2-21/2 ins) on body, shorter on nasal bridge, ears and head, even shorter on front of legs and feet. Eyebrows consist of longer stiffer hair; even longer but softer hair covers cheeks and upper lips forming moustache and beard. Skin thick and leathery.

Colour

White, white with orange markings; solid white peppered orange, white with brown markings, white speckled with brown (brown roan), with or without large brown markings. Pigment of skin, eyelids, nose, lips and pads fleshy red in white dogs, deeper in white/orange and brown roan dogs.

Size

Height: dogs: 60-70 cms (231/2-271/2 ins); bitches: 59-65 cms (23-251/2 ins). Weight: dogs: 34-39 kgs (75-86 lbs); bitches: 29-34 kgs (64-75 lbs).