History

Brief Historical Summary from ENCI Standard:
We find in the bibliography descriptions which evoke a rough-haired dog of Italian origin which passes as being the ancestor of the present Spinone. In his book "Le parfait chasseur" (the perfect hunter), Selicourt, in 1683, speaks of a "griffon" coming from Italy and the Piedmont. In the Middle Ages and in the 15th century, this dog has been represented by famous masters; the best known painting is a fresco by Andrea Mantegna in the ducal palace of Mantua.

In the early part of the last century, strong efforts were being made in Italy at improving the overall quality of the Spinone. To the great loss of dedicated breeders, during World War II the breed nearly became extinct. In order to salvage their beloved Spinone, some were out-crossed to other breeds, such as German Wirehaired Pointers, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons (Korthal Griffons), and the Bracco Italiano, as well as some other breeds.

Spinoni were imported to Great Britain in the 1950s and more notably in the 1980's when the popularity of the breed grew there. Since that time, many dogs have been imported to the United States from both Great Britain and Italy. The breed is also relatively popular in the Netherlands and Germany.