Italian Spinone
- Thread starter Treedave
- Start date
deerstalker.308
Well-Known Member
Not a breed you see many of over here, been years since I have seen one, cracking dogs though!!
Treedave
Well-Known Member
More lively than an under exercised viszla?
Keith Edmunds
Well-Known Member
There is one in our village, yes it's a lively dog for sure, covers ground in the blink of an eye
delta wolf
Well-Known Member
Take a look at Cwmdunant spinones, ex colleagues of mine who breed them. I believe some of theirs have gone on to work.
sportingspaniels
Well-Known Member
If you want/need a hpr get a good GSP. Job done
Mrs FB was dead keen on getting one until one day in Deal she met a lady sitting with one in the High Street, herself of course couldn’t resist and went straight over for a chat (really to pet the dog). All went well until it shook its head and slobber (which they apparently produce in quantity) went everywhere but mainly over her, pure ectoplasm and not easy to get off a new leather jacket, our of hair etc….
End of love affair!
End of love affair!
dartmoordog
Well-Known Member
………….and they smell!Mrs FB was dead keen on getting one until one day in Deal she met a lady sitting with one in the High Street, herself of course couldn’t resist and went straight over for a chat (really to pet the dog). All went well until it shook its head and slobber (which they apparently produce in quantity) went everywhere but mainly over her, pure ectoplasm and not easy to get off a new leather jacket, our of hair etc….
End of love affair!
Keith Edmunds
Well-Known Member
May I ask 'why' they would not have made working dogs?
I should say that I've never trained a dog for working so they may well be fine in more suitable hands, but from my lay perspective there are two observations I'd make -
One is the breed is well known to suffer from 'selective hearing', i.e. if there's something interesting then they can't hear you.
Two is that the dogs I've had are often sniffing around in the vicinity of a rabbit or a pheasant and I can see it long before they catch on. That may well be a training thing.
But they are lovely dogs, big soppy things, and as I said they are very common working dogs in Italy so it's either me or the breeding of the lines over here, or both.
One is the breed is well known to suffer from 'selective hearing', i.e. if there's something interesting then they can't hear you.
Two is that the dogs I've had are often sniffing around in the vicinity of a rabbit or a pheasant and I can see it long before they catch on. That may well be a training thing.
But they are lovely dogs, big soppy things, and as I said they are very common working dogs in Italy so it's either me or the breeding of the lines over here, or both.
Keith Edmunds
Well-Known Member
You might find that what you perceive as being 'wrong' for a working dog is exactly the thing that the Italians harness for their type of hunting
"One is the breed is well known to suffer from 'selective hearing', i.e. if there's something interesting then they can't hear you."...........probably = high prey drive
"Two is that the dogs I've had are often sniffing around in the vicinity of a rabbit or a pheasant and I can see it long before they catch on. That may well be a training thing"...........Dogs use Nose/Ears/Eyes in that order, they are probably focussing on the scent while you are 'looking at' the prey.
How do you find the energy level, is it a bit OTT or is it copable?
I think you're probably right Keith, and they're not OTT at all - first couple of years they're boisterous but after that they're not high energy - not dogs you'd keep in a flat but nothing like collies for example. We've always had girls and as long as they've got a good bit of garden they're happy ambling about. They do like attention, and get a bit jealous if you're dealing with the sheep or other animals - certainly not aloof dogs! In terms of prey drive, I always associate that term with not leaving dogs alone with other animals and ours have always been fine with chickens, sheep etc. which is good, they are definitely governed by their noses!
Keith Edmunds
Well-Known Member
Thanks Leglas, the one in our village has had a few yomps after deer and is more often on a lead when out, but it does have a good-sized garden. One of our Teckel pups shares a home with a Spinone too. Prey drive is more 'relentless determination' on the hunt and that's where the 'deaf ears' often come in.
