Plate 195 · Mediterranean
Spinone Italiano
意大利史毕诺犬
“Piedmont's rough-coated hunting dog.”
- Origin
- Italy
- Piedmont, north-west Italy
- Region of origin
- The modern breed originated in Piedmont; the marker is the reference point of the province of Turin.
- The point marks the region the breed comes from, not an exact birthplace.
- Era
- Rough-haired pointers since the Renaissance; modern breed 19th century
- Today
- Gun dog · Companion
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
History
01 · Origin
Piedmont, north-west Italy
A solidly built, shaggy-browed Italian pointing dog that tracks, points and retrieves at a steady trot.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Hunting game in thick, thorny cover on hilly ground and retrieving on land and in water.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
Rough-haired pointers appear in a Mantegna fresco of about 1470, and a 1683 French book says the best griffons come from Italy and from Piedmont. In the Second World War Spinoni are reported to have helped partisans track enemies and carry food; numbers fell afterwards and the breed was rebuilt from about 1950.
04 · Today
Gun dog · Companion
A gun dog and gentle family companion.
Personality
- Sociable
- Patient
- Docile
- Stubborn
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: the AKC’s trait scores as its breed page gives them (the AKC’s 1–5 guidance for owners, not a measurement). Other profiles here use editorial ratings, a different source, so compare across them with care.
- Exercise
- 'Low octane' for a sporting dog; a fenced yard and play.
- Grooming
- Hand-strip rather than scissor; clean the ears weekly.
- Training
- Soft, stubborn and smart: training is a matter of 'barter'.
Living with one
- Size
- Medium
- Lifespan
- 10–12 years
- Coat
- Rough, dense, flat coat; white, white with orange or brown, or orange or brown roan
Field note
The AKC links its name to 'pino', the thorny undergrowth of Piedmont.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Sporting Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (as Italian Spinone, Group 7, standard 165), ENCI (Italy)
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Sporting Group, recognized 2000.
Wikipedia, citing ENCI, reports about 400–650 new registrations a year in Italy (2010–2018). AKC registrations: ranked 113 among breeds in 2025.
Sources3 references
- Spinone Italiano — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/spinone-italiano/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · Registry status, group, size, life expectancy and registration rank; history as the AKC tells it. Ratings: the AKC's own 1–5 owner-guidance trait scores as the page gives them (energy level, trainability, barking level, openness to strangers, good with other dogs), not measurements.
- Spinone Italiano — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinone_Italiano
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · Mantegna fresco, the 1683 reference to Piedmont, 19th-century Piedmont origin, wartime use by partisans, post-war rebuilding, FCI 1955, Italian registrations.
- Italian Spinone — FCI breed nomenclature — Fédération Cynologique Internationale
https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/ITALIAN-SPINONE-165.html
Kennel club · accessed 2026-10-14 · Country of origin Italy; Group 7, section "Continental Pointing Dogs"; accepted 1955.
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: The modern breed originated in Piedmont; the marker is the reference point of the province of Turin.