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AKC: Spinone Italiano breed overview

Sporting group · Italy

Spinone Italiano

Also called Spinone, Italian Spinone, Italian Griffon

A bearded Italian pointer with a gentle, patient soul and a pace best described as thoughtful.

The Spinone Italiano is a large, rough-coated gundog from northern Italy, built for steady, methodical hunting over difficult ground. It is famously affectionate and easy-going with people and other dogs, and it rewards owners who do not mind some drool, a dripping beard and a dog that likes to consider its options.

Original AI-generated breed illustration

Weight

28 to 39 kg

62 to 86 lb

Height

58 to 70 cm

at the shoulder

Life expectancy

10 to 12 yrs

Activity estimate

60 to 90 min

editorial daily planning range

Adult-size estimate

24 months

approximate model input

Life with a Spinone Italiano

Ask Spinone owners to describe their dogs and the same words keep returning: gentle, patient, affectionate and slightly comical. The breed is good-natured almost to a fault, tolerant of children, friendly to visitors and generally relaxed with other dogs. It is also sensitive, and it is happiest in a calm household where it can stay close to its people, ideally touching them.

Rough-coated pointing dogs have worked in Piedmont and Lombardy for centuries, and the Spinone is often credited as one of the oldest continental gundogs. Hunters wanted a dog that could push through thorny scrub and marshland, hold a steady point and retrieve from cold water. The wars of the 20th century hit the breed hard, and dedicated Italian breeders gathered the remaining dogs to restore it.

In the field a Spinone works fairly close to the hunter at a steady trot, head high to catch air scent, then freezes into a point with intense concentration. At home that same deliberation shows up as a dog that may pause before deciding whether your request is worth the effort. Most owners come to find this charming rather than frustrating.

It is a big, solid dog: males stand up to 70 cm (27.5 in) and weigh up to around 39 kg (86 lb). Add a beard that collects water and crumbs and a fondness for leaning its full weight against your legs, and you have a companion best suited to people who like a relaxed, slightly scruffy home.

What stands out

Training

Spinoni are intelligent and keen to please, but they run on their own timetable. They respond best to patient, positive training with food and warm praise; harsh correction makes them shut down or dig in. Give them a moment to process a cue before repeating it, especially when something interesting is in front of their nose.

Read the full training guide

Easy to train

Open with strangers

Good with other dogs

A great match for

families with children and other pets
owners who enjoy long, unhurried countryside walks
people interested in gundog or HPR training
homes with space and a relaxed attitude to mess

Think twice if

drool and a wet beard after every drink
slow to mature and slow to respond on some days
large size and a habit of leaning on legs
bloat risk as a deep-chested breed
discomfort in hot weather

Personality and needs at a glance

Living together

Good with children

Good with other dogs

Open with strangers

Apartment friendly

Copes with alone time

Energy and character

Energy level

Playfulness

Easy to train

Barking

5 means very vocal

Care and climate

Grooming needs

Shedding

Drooling

Handles cold

Handles heat

How much a Spinone Italiano eats

Illustrative calculations for neutered adults at midpoint breed weights, with food at 370 kcal per 100 g and 100 g per cup. These are not measured breed requirements. Use actual weight, the food label and veterinary body-condition advice.

Dog	Weight	Calories	Dry food
Female, relaxed lifestyle	31 kg	1290 kcal	350 g (3.5 cups)
Female, typical pet	31 kg	1470 kcal	400 g (4 cups)
Male, typical pet	36 kg	1630 kcal	440 g (4.5 cups)
Male, very active	36 kg	2040 kcal	550 g (5.5 cups)

Full Spinone Italiano feeding guide Calculate for my dog

Care guides for the Spinone Italiano

FeedingSpinoni tend to have healthy appetites, and many thicken around the middle in middle age if portions are not adjusted. A 35 kg (77 lb) adult walking about an hour a day typically needs about 380 to 480 g of a typical dry food, roughly 4 to 5 cups, split into two meals.Read more Puppy growthSpinone puppies shoot up in height during their first 8 months and then mature slowly, often not reaching full physical and mental adulthood until around 2 years. A 12-week-old puppy may weigh about 10 to 13 kg.Read more ExerciseAn adult Spinone usually needs about 60 to 90 minutes of exercise a day. They love long, sniffing walks, swimming, retrieve games and field work.Read more GroomingThe wiry coat is fairly low maintenance. Brush once a week with a pin brush or a wide-toothed comb, and hand-strip lightly a few times a year to remove dead hair and keep the outline tidy.Read more HealthKnown conditions in the breed include hip dysplasia, bloat, eyelid problems such as ectropion (a drooping lower lid) and cerebellar ataxia, an inherited neurological disease that affects puppies within their first months and is fatal. Because a DNA test for cerebellar ataxia exists, responsible breeders test all breeding dogs so no puppy can be affected.Read more

Things owners are often surprised by

1The name is said to come from spino, a thorny bush that the dog's tough coat let it push through
2Moves at an efficient, ground-covering trot rather than a gallop, saving energy over long days in the field
3Classed in the UK as an HPR breed (hunt, point, retrieve), able to do all three jobs
4Numbers fell sharply around the Second World War, and Italian enthusiasts rebuilt the breed afterward
5A DNA test lets breeders eliminate cerebellar ataxia, a fatal inherited disease of young puppies

Spinone Italiano questions

Do Spinoni drool a lot?

More than most gundogs. The loose lips and full beard trap water and saliva, so drips after drinking and a damp beard are normal. Keep a towel near the water bowl and wipe the beard after meals. The amount varies between dogs; some drool mainly after drinking or when they are excited about food, while others leave a light trail most of the day.

Is a Spinone Italiano good with other pets?

Generally very good. Spinoni are sociable and easy-going with other dogs and often live peacefully with cats when raised alongside them. As a bird dog it may take a keen interest in poultry and wildlife outdoors, but aggression is not typical of the breed. Introduce any new pet gradually and supervise the first weeks, as you would with any dog.

How does a Spinone differ from a German Wirehaired Pointer?

Both are rough-coated HPR gundogs, but the Spinone is larger, slower and softer in temperament, working at a trot and staying close to the handler. The German Wirehaired Pointer is faster, more intense and often more protective of home and family. The Spinone also has a longer, more tousled coat with pronounced eyebrows and a fuller beard.

Can a Spinone live in a flat?

It is possible but not ideal. Spinoni are fairly calm indoors, yet they are large, they drool and they need daily walks of an hour or more. A ground-floor flat close to parks or open countryside can work for a committed owner. A house with a garden makes life easier for both of you, especially with a wet beard after rainy walks.

How long does a Spinone take to grow up?

Longer than many breeds. Physically, Spinoni fill out until about two years old, and mentally many stay puppyish until two or even three. Expect a long adolescence with bouts of forgetfulness and silliness, when a well-learned recall suddenly seems to vanish. Keep training consistent and patient through this stage, and the steady adult you were promised usually arrives.

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