Spinone Italiano Breed Profile

Head: Somewhat elongated, mesaticephalic, and substantial, but never narrow. Always in proportion to the rest of the body. The back skull is oval in shape, with the topskull gently arched when viewed in profile or from the front. The skull is only moderately broad, but not narrow. The occipital protuberance is well pronounced and parietal crest well marked. The forehead is only moderately developed, never steep nor flat. The superciliary arches are moderate. A median furrow that starts at the stop and runs toward the occiput is well developed. The head is light, dry, and clean-cut, without excess skin, wrinkle, or folds.

Eyes: Moderately large in size, open oval to almost round. Ochre, to amber in color. The eye rims are well fitted and well pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed.

Ears: Moderate to fairly long in length, falling just below the jawline. When held forward, they should reach the middle of the zygomatic arch. They are triangular in shape, with rounded tips, drop or pendant, and hang with the inner edges flat and close to the head. They are highly mobile.

Muzzle: The muzzle is full, deep, broad, and rectangular throughout, or with just a slight (almost imperceptible) taper toward the end of the muzzle. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight and level or slightly convexed (roman). Upper and lower jaws are well developed, approximately equal in length, and have good bone substance, never appearing snipy or weak.

Nose: The nose is well pigmented and pink to liver. The nostrils are well opened.

Neck: A moderate length allows for good head carriage and movement, with length being approximately 2/3rds of the head length. It is powerfully muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is fairly clean-cut, with only a minimal loose skin forming a slightly developed dew lap, never heavy throatiness or pendulous dewlap.

Chest: Deep and broad, but never wider than deep, with forechest slightly developed, never overly prominent. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows.

Body: Deep, robust, and substantial, never cloddy or racy. Width at forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters. The proportions allow the body to almost fit into a square.

Feet: Oval to hare, with well-arched toes and tough pads. Toes are well padded.

Tail: Set neither high nor low on the croup, but as a natural extension of the topline. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, often horizontally, just below the horizontal, or downward in a relaxed position. It may be left natural (preferred) or docked. Natural tails are of a moderate length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. The tail may be straight or gently curved. Docked tails are cut to a length of 5½ -10 inches.

Movement: Smooth, easy, effortless, efficient, and steady, the characteristics of healthy structure are evident: when moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in a line with the nose. The width between the forefeet when extended should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.

Temperament: The Spinone Italiano is an exceptional hunter, capable of navigating and locating game in any terrain. He is known to be sociable, friendly, affectionate, calm, and gentle. He enjoys interaction with his family as a companion, but enjoys the challenge of the field, especially that of challenging terrain. He is, for the most part, even-tempered and gets well on with other dogs and is especially fond children. In the field he is steady, confident, and enjoys working at his own pace. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.