Spinone Italiano

Breed Group: sporting

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Breed Profile

The Spinone Italiano is a mild-mannered hunting dog that is sweet and intelligent. They love retrieving anything from downed game to tennis balls. They need plenty of exercise, but are more mellow than most sporting dogs. More than anything, they love their families and just want to be loved back.

Behavior

A Spinone Italiano is naturally a little more reserved than most sporting dogs. They are not prone to fits of barking, or sprinting around your house like a madman. They like to learn and be challenged mentally. You’ll find that your Spinone Italiano may like to put its own spin on whatever you’re trying to teach them. They can be headstrong, but if you act as a strong leader they are more likely to listen. If your Spinone Italiano gets bored or frustrated, they are prone to digging, and they love to jump. If they live outside during the day, these are factors you’ll want to account for to keep them safe.

Coat

A Spinone Italiano had a dense, wiry coat with a big fluffy beard around their face. This fluffy beard is cute, but once they drink water they tend to drip from their furry face. Some owners elect to trim their beard to cut back on drippage. It’s not too hard to maintain their coat and they’ll only need a bath every once in awhile. All you need to do is brush them and strip out their dead hair once or twice a month and they’ll be good to go.

Lifestyle

A Spinone Italiano is happiest living in a place where they have a bit of a backyard to play in, but can come back inside to live with their human friends. They get along well with other dogs, and if raised with cats can also get along fine with them. However, they are hunting dogs, so supervised interaction may be best, especially if outdoors. They get along well with children, but if you’ve got toddlers, you should keep an eye on them when they are together to make sure play doesn’t get too rambunctious and the children are playing with respect.

Activity

Retrieving is a Spinone Italiano’s favorite activity, but they’ll enjoy just about any activity that involves the outdoors and people. They are less energetic than most other sporting breeds, but will require around an hour of activity every day to stay happy and well-behaved.

Characteristics

Space Needs

Activity Needs

Intelligence

Playfulness

Grooming Needs

Trainability

Watch Ability

Dog-friendliness

Child-friendliness

About the Spinone Italiano

The Spinone Italiano is a gentle hunting dog who is docile and sweet. They are very social and will always enjoy playing with groups of people or other dogs. The Spinone Italiano was originally bred to be a retriever, so they’ll always be looking for opportunities to play fetch with you, or anyone willing to throw a ball. They are very loving, and will always want to be around their families. Although they do have higher exercise needs, they’re not the typical ball of fire most sporting breeds are. They have a more down-to-earth attitude and although they’re excitable, they’re not over the top. If you’re trying to play a trick on one, a Spinone Italiano will likely figure it out, as they are highly intelligent. After all, they don't have that scholarly, bearded appearance for nothing!