Beauchamp Richard G - Spinoni Italiano: a Comprehensive Owners Guide

Physical Characteristics of the Spinone Italiano

(from the American Kennel Club breed standard)

Head: Long. The profile of the Spinone is unique to this breed. Skull of oval shape, with sides gently sloping. With occipital protuberance well developed, medial-frontal furrow is very pronounced.

Eyes: Ochre (yellowish brown) in colorLarge, well opened, set well apart, the eye is almost round, the lids closely fitting the eye.

Neck: Strong, thick, and muscular. Clearly defined from the nape, blending in to the shoulders in a harmonious line. The throat is moderate in skin with a double dewlap.

Nose: Bulbous and spongy in appearance with upper edge rounded. Nostrils are large and well opened.

Muzzle: Square when viewed from the front. Muzzle length is equal to that of backskull. The planes of the skull and muzzle are diverging, downfaced.

Ears: Practically triangular shape. Set on a level just below the eye, carried low, with little erectile power. The leather is fine, covered with short, thick hair mixed with a longer sparser hair, which becomes thicker along edges.

Chest: Broad, deep, well muscled and well rounded; extending at least to the elbow. The ribs are well sprung. The distance from ground to the elbow is equal to half the height at the withers.

Forequarters:Shoulders: Powerful and long, withers not too prominent. With well-developed muscles, the points of the shoulder blades are not close together. Forelegs: The forelegs are straight when viewed from the front angle with strong bone and well-developed muscles; elbows set under the withers and close to the body.

Feet: Large compact, rounded with well-arched toes, which are close together, covered with short, dense hair, including between the toes.

Back: The topline consists of two segments. The first slopes slightly downward in a nearly straight lineThe second rises gradually and continues into a solid and well-arched loin. The underline is solid and should have minimal tuck up.

Croup: Well muscled, longlightly rounded, well-filled-out croup.

Tail: Follows the line of the croup, thick at the base, carried horizontally or down. The tail should lack fringes.

Hindquarters: Thighs are strong and well muscled, stifles show good functionThe hockbeing ideal, is strong, lean and perpendicular to the ground.

Coat: The ideal coat length is 1.5 to 2.5 inches on the body, with a tolerance of one-half inch over or under the ideal length. Head, ears, muzzle and front sides of legs and feet are covered by shorter hair. The coat is dense, stiff and flat or slightly crimped, but not curly, with an absence of undercoat.

Height: The height at the withers is 23 to 27 inches for males and 22 to 25 inches for females.

Color: The accepted colors are: Solid white, white and orange; orange roan with or without orange markings; white with brown markings, brown roan with or without brown markings.

Contents

Trace the history of the pointing dogs of Europe and see how the prickly pointer of Italy came into being. Meet the breeders responsible for the Spinone Italianos newfound popularity in the US and around the world.

Learn the answers to these pressing questions: Is the Spinone Italiano the right breed for you? Is this a good breed with children? How active is the Spinone Italiano? Why a purebred dog? How trainable is this dog? What hereditary problems exist in the breed?

Learn the requirements of a well-bred Spinone Italiano by studying the description of the breed set forth in the American Kennel Club standard. Both show dogs and pets must possess key characteristics as outlined in the breed standard.

Find out about how to locate a well-bred Spinone Italiano puppy. Discover which questions to ask the breeder and what to expect when visiting the litter. Prepare for your puppy-accessory shopping spree. Also discussed are home safety, the first trip to the vet, socialization and solving basic puppy problems.

Cover the specifics of taking care of your Spinone Italiano every day: feeding for the puppy, adult and senior dog; grooming, including coat care, ears, eyes, nails, teeth and bathing; and exercise needs for your dog. Also discussed are the essentials of dog ID.

Begin with the basics of training the puppy and adult dog. Learn the principles of house-training the Spinone Italiano, including the use of crates and basic scent instincts. Enter puppy kindergarten and introduce the pup to his collar and leash, and progress to the basic commands. Find out about obedience classes and other activities.

By Lowell Ackerman DVM, DACVD

Become your dogs healthcare advocate and a well-educated canine keeper. Select a skilled and able veterinarian. Discuss pet insurance, vaccinations and infectious diseases, the neuter/spay decision and a sensible, effective plan for parasite control, including fleas, ticks and worms.

Step into the center ring and find out about the world of showing pure-bred dogs. Heres how to get started in AKC shows, how they are organized and whats required for your dog to become a champion. Take a leap into the realms of obedience trials, agility trials, tracking tests and field and hunting events.

K ENNEL C LUB B OOKS S PINONE I TALIANO

ISBN 13: 978-1-59378-307-5

eISBN 13: 978-1-62187-015-9

Copyright 2005 Kennel Club Books An Imprint of I-5 Press A Division of I-5 Publishing, LLC

3 Burroughs, Irvine, CA 92618 USA

Cover Design Patented: US 6,435,559 B2 Printed in South Korea

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by photostat, scanner, microfilm, xerography or any other means, or incorporated into any information retrieval system, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the copyright owner.

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Photography by Alice van Kempen

with additional photographs by:

Paulette Braun, T.J. Calhoun, Alan and Sandy Carey, Isabelle Franais, Carol Ann Johnson and Bill Jonas.

Illustrations by Patricia Peters.

The publisher wishes to thank all of the owners whose dogs are illustrated in this book.