Spinone Italiano

The Spinone (pronounced "spi - NO - nay") is a wirehaired versatile hunting dog with ancient origins in Italy; the breed may have existed as early as 500 BC. Also known as the Italian Griffon, the Spinone is large, sturdy, muscular, and possesses a substantial trotting gait that allows him to cover ground at a steady pace. Spinoni hunt with great endurance over difficult ground, staying relatively close and using their huge noses to find and point game. The Spinone has a very strong pointing instinct and is also an excellent retriever.

We have found the Spinone to be very intelligent and an excellent companion, able to go from sweet and gentle to goofy and hilarious at a moment's notice (or all of those things at the same time!). As a hunting breed, the Spinone needs regular exercise but generally does not exhibit the high-octane energy of most other pointing breeds.

Spinone means "very prickly" in Italian, and the plural of the word is Spinoni. The breed gained official AKC status in the year 2000 and is officially called Spinone Italiano (pl. Spinoni Italiani). The meaning of the name could be taken
as either the quality of the coat or the type of terrain the dogs
were developed to hunt.