It’s been written that for at least three hundred years, nearly every country in Europe has had its own version of a Pointer, and one of Italy’s – the Spinone Italiano – is descended from dogs hunted over in the Piedmonte district (the other Italian gun dog is the Bracco Italiano). Sometimes referred to as a Griffon (particularly outside the country), “Spinners” are all-purpose hunters of fur and feather. The breed name is derived from “bracco spinoso,” meaning “prickly pointer,” in reference to the spiny thorns of shrubs where game would hide. A coat that enables the dogs to “plow” through most brush has lead to the breed being described as the canine Jeep of dogs.
We’re not sure the breed is singled out for its contralto, but once you meet “Murray,” the singing Spinone Italiano, you may be tempted to add musicality to breed traits:
Image: “Mysko,” a Spinone Italiano from Sweden, Ryttarstigens Busco by shared under the Creative CommonsAttribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.