In some regards, the Spinone Italiano is “old school.” Its style in the field harkens back to a time before wing shooting when the breed was developed as an all around bird dog for the foot hunter. This has lead some to describe the breed as “slow footed,” but in fact, the desired gait for a Spinone in the field is an extended trot, with intermittent galloping strides (source: Spinone Club of America). What untrained eyes may see as a slower paced dog as compared to other hunting dogs is actually a sure footed, methodical hunter that works instinctively into the wind in a back and forth pattern to get the maximum coverage of the land on which they are hunting.
Craig Koshyk has described the breed’s pace in his marvelous book, Pointing Dogs, as a staccato type rhythm that goes from trot to gallop and back again. This enables the versatile Spinone to expend less energy, and that means a dog that can hunt all day, every day. As the breed standard states: “He has a free, relaxed trot, geared for endurance. This trot, with intermittent gallop, allows the Spinone to cover maximum ground with the least amount of effort.” We love the way one hunter described her dog: “The Spinone possesses fantastic stamina, hunts with deliberate intention, and has a marvelous Italian sense of humor.”
What, we wonder, is an “Italian sense of humor.” Anyone?
Mind you, while hunters familiar with the breed acknowledge the Spinone’s talent for working in close, dense cover, not all are not fans of a dog that work close to them in the field and maintains tight contact with their owner. That said, the Spinone is regarded by most sources as a highly efficient worker that outranks all other Italian gun dogs, so it must be a small percentage of hunters who hold that view. Having said that, some readers may wonder how the Spinone compares to Italy’s other hunting dog, the Bracco Italiano. The Spinone has stronger retrieving skills particularly when water is involved, while the Bracco’s trot is faster, and less of a mix of trotting and galloping. A Bracco holds his head higher which may make the dog more stylish on point.
Both are marvelous breeds, but the differences make each a perfect fit for the right owner.
Image: “Spinons” watercolor on paper by Siurha. Prints are available at the links below:
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