Spinone Dog (Detailed Introduction)

The Spinone dog’s body tends to be rectangular, with height and body length roughly equal. Males have a shoulder height of about 23~27 inches, females about 22~25 inches, with weight proportional to size. This dog has a solid build, energetic temperament, and substantial bone mass.

The head outline of the Spinone dog is very distinctive. Expression is extremely important for this breed. It should show intelligence and gentleness. The eyes are soft, large, spaced far apart, round in shape—neither protruding nor sunken. The eye rims vary in color according to the coat color. The nose is ball-shaped and spongy, with a rounded upper edge and large nostrils; ears are triangular, positioned level with or slightly below the eyes, hanging down. The ear pinnae are delicate, covered with short, dense hair.

The neck is sturdy, thick, and muscular. The topline consists of two parts: the first part slightly slopes downward from the withers to the eleventh thoracic vertebra; the second part gradually rises, extending to a firm, arched loin. The hips are muscular, and the tail is habitually held higher than the back or upright during work. If docked, the tail usually retains 6–8 inches.

Viewed from the front, the forelimbs are very straight with strong bones; the thighs are solid and muscular. The skin is very thick, fitting closely to the body. Skin is slightly loose at the head, throat, groin, underside of the legs, and elbow folds.

The coat is dense, hard, and flat, not curly. Colors include solid white; white and orange, among others. The primary role and function of the Spinone dog is as a gun dog. It was bred to be a versatile hunting dog that covers the largest ground with minimal effort, meeting the demands of an all-purpose gun dog.