An Andrea Mantegna fresco has adorned Mantua’s Ducal Palace since the 15th century, and the Spinone’s FCI standard counts it among the best-known depictions of its ancestors. This dog with brows and beard is therefore older than most breed names. The Spinone Italiano was bred for hunting grounds other dogs hesitate to enter.
| FCI | Group 7 (Pointing Dogs), Section 1.3 Continental Pointing Dogs, Griffon type, Standard No. 165, with working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Italy |
| Size (height at the withers) | Males 60 to 70 cm, females 58 to 65 cm |
| Weight | Males 32 to 37 kg, females 28 to 30 kg |
| Life expectancy | median 11,9 years in a British analysis of 584.734 dogs (McMillan et al. 2024) |
| Coat | stiff, harsh, dense, fairly close-fitting, 4 to 6 cm on body, without undercoat; eyebrows, moustache and beard |
| Colours in the standard | pure white; white with orange patches or ticking; white with chestnut-brown patches; orange or chestnut-brown roan; tricolour, tan markings and black not allowed |
Temperament: patient, but no idler
Sociable, trainable and patient, says the standard, yet tireless in thorny undergrowth or cold water. It hunts across all terrain, retrieves naturally and tends towards a powerful, fast trot.
A Griffon from Piedmont
The standard says literature repeatedly describes a rough-haired Italian dog as its ancestor. As early as 1683, Sélincourt mentions a Griffon from Italy and Piedmont. The FCI therefore places the Spinone among Griffon-type pointing dogs, like the Wire-haired Pointing Griffon. Its short-haired compatriot is the Bracco Italiano.
Trotting rather than sprinting
The standard says it should search while hunting at a fast, ground-covering trot, only occasionally interrupted by galloping strides. It accompanies long hikes tirelessly but also needs scent work: dummies from water, tracking and search games.
Rough hair without undercoat
The harsh hair has no undercoat and is easier to maintain than it looks. Brush weekly, occasionally pluck dead hair and clean the beard after meals. It carries water and food in its beard. The standard also mentions a tail docked for hunting to 15 to 25 cm. In Germany, docking is generally prohibited under Section 6 of the German Animal Welfare Act. Exceptions exist only in individual cases.
Two inherited diseases to watch
With a median 11,9 years, it was level with crossbreeds (12,0 years) in the British analysis. Epilepsy deserves serious attention: among 1.192 British Spinoni with completed questionnaires, researchers found 63 cases, an estimated prevalence of 5,3 per cent against 0,6 per cent in dogs generally; the course was often severe (De Risio et al. 2015). No single gene has yet been found (Jenkins et al. 2025). Spinocerebellar ataxia differs: recessively inherited, it begins around four months and usually leads to euthanasia in the first year. Since a DNA test became available, no new cases have been reported (Forman et al. 2015). Ask for both parents’ test results and about seizures among relatives.
A good home for it
With people often outdoors, who hunt or love scent work and appreciate a large, calm bearded dog. With considerate children, it can be a friendly family dog.
Where things become difficult
In small flats without exercise opportunities, with people who cannot bear wet beards, or where lifelong epilepsy treatment would be unaffordable.
Before falling for the beard, the breed quiz helps with the practical question of whether a large hunting dog suits you; our book gives background: “Welcher Hund passt WIRKLICH zu dir?” (book in German). For the first days with a puppy, there is the free Puppy Starter Pack. For your Spinone, explore a portrait in a wooden frame, the digital artwork to download or all our dog portraits.
Further reading
- Weimaraner: the beautiful hunting dog that never clocks off
- Dog pulling on the lead: 5 mistakes almost everyone makes
- An older dog, new rules: giving your senior their best years
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI-Standard Nr. 165 Spinone Italiano (fci.be, German version dated 16.02.2018, valid original standard published 13.11.2015); McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024; De Risio L et al., Idiopathic epilepsy in the Italian Spinone in the United Kingdom: prevalence, clinical characteristics, and predictors of survival and seizure remission, Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 2015; Jenkins CA et al., Genome-wide association study of idiopathic epilepsy in the Italian Spinone dog breed, PLoS One 2025; Forman OP et al., Spinocerebellar ataxia in the Italian Spinone dog is associated with an intronic GAA repeat expansion in ITPR1, Mammalian Genome 2015.
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