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The Spinone Italiano is a unique-looking breed. It was developed as a hunting companion and has certain physical characteristics. Its coat is very coarse and thick. The coat lies close to its skin and varies in length and thickness. It is typically longer on the back and shorter and thicker on the head and legs. The coat is naturally resistant to water and does not feature an undercoat. The breed has a strong body. Its chest is wide and deep. The neck is wide and well muscled and extends to a back that slopes at the shoulders and inclines toward the tail. The tail is docked and tends to narrow towards the tip. The head is elongated and features a muzzle that is wedge shaped. Its eyes are larger than average with a significant amount of space between them. The ears are set low and are "v" shaped. The breed stands on very muscular and long legs. The front legs are straight while the back legs are well angled.
How to find a good Spinone Italiano Breeder
1.Pet the dense coat. It is a stiff coat that is about 1½ to 2½ inches long on the body. The ears, muzzle, head, front of the legs and feet are all covered with shorter hair. The hair around the eyes and the lips is stiff and forms a eyebrows, a beard and mustache. The coat may be white, orange roan, white and orange, brown roan or white with brown markings. The roans may have additional orange or brown markings.
2.Check that the strong neck is thick and muscular. It blends into long, powerful shoulders and a deep, broad chest. The throat sports a double dewlap. The shoulders are well angulated and have strong muscles. The front legs have strong bone and muscle. The large feet are tight and rounded, leading to arched toes protected by lean, hard pads. The thighs are also strong and muscular. The rear feet are a bit more oval than the front, but are otherwise tight, leading to arched toes protected by lean, hard pads. The tail is thick near the base and it is carried at the horizontal or down. It is usually docked to 5 ½ to 8 inches.
3.Make sure the head is long. The expression given off by the Spinone Italiano is intelligence and its gentleness. The skull is oval and leads into a square muzzle. The length of the muzzle is the same as the length of the backskull. Lending to its expression are its ocher eyes that are wide open. They sit wide apart on the skull. The eyes do not protrude, nor are they deep set and the rims are tight against the eye to protect it from dust and other debris while out in the field. The nose is large and sports wide opened nostrils. The upper part of the nose is rounded. Pigmentation depends on the color of the dog. The ears are triangular in shape and generally do not stand up. When extended forward, they reach the nose or just past the nose.
4.Look at the general appearance of the Spinone Italiano. This is a very muscular breed with a lot of bone for structure. It was bred for endurance and is a great hunter. Males are 23 to 27 inches at the withers and females are 22 to 25 inches. It is a squarish-looking breed--when measured from the sternum to the rear, it is about the same as the height measurement.
Buy a Spinone Italian Dog
1.Contact a spinone breeder. There are few breeders in the U.S., and they will be able to tell you when new puppies are expected and will often have information about some older dogs that are for sale as well. You can locate a spinone breeder online, either through a personal site or through sites like Breeder Retriever that have an option to search for specific breeds of dog and give information about breeders by state. Not every state has a spinone breeder, so you might need to travel to another state to find a spinone.
2.Call local animal shelters. Though spinoni are rare when compared with other dogs in the U.S., some do end up in shelters around the country for various reasons.
3.Look at online pet-finding sites. There are many sites available, such as Petfinder.com, that have information about various pets that are looking for homes. Though spinoni can be hard to find, these sites are frequently updated.
4. Check online for spinone rescue dogs. SpinoneUS has an area on its message board listing spinoni that need a good home. This site helps you connect to breeders around the country and can give potential owners the location of the nearest spinone rescue to their hometown.
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