Spinone Italiano

A healthy Spinone typically lives 10-12 years, which is normal-to-slightly-short for a large breed and a realistic expectation to plan around. The single most devastating threat is not old age but cerebellar ataxia, an inherited disease that kills affected puppies before their first birthday — and because a DNA test exists, it is entirely avoidable through tested breeding. Longevity in this breed is decided as much in the breeder's testing choices as in your care.

Yes — the Spinone is one of the more genuinely mellow large gundogs, patient and tolerant with children and sociable with other dogs, which makes it an excellent family dog for an active household. The important caveats: it needs 60+ minutes of daily exercise to actually be calm indoors, it bonds intensely and does poorly left isolated, and it is messy (drips water and trails food from its beard). A well-exercised, included Spinone is wonderfully easygoing; a bored, isolated one is anxious.

At least 60 minutes a day of real activity — long walks, free running, swimming, or field work — because the breed was built as an all-day endurance hunting dog. It paces itself at a steady trot rather than sprinting, so it is calm in the house, but only when its exercise need is genuinely met. Under-exercised Spinoni become anxious and destructive. The mellow temperament is a result of adequate exercise, not a substitute for it.

More than the casual look suggests. The harsh wire coat is hand-stripped (not clipped) roughly every two months to keep its protective texture and shed dead hair, with a weekly brush in between. The beard holds water and food and needs regular wiping to prevent skin irritation, and the floppy ears need weekly cleaning because the breed is prone to ear infections, especially after swimming. Budget for stripping as a recurring skill or groomer cost, plus daily face-and-beard upkeep.

Cerebellar ataxia (CA) is an inherited, breed-specific neurological disease in which the cerebellum degenerates. Affected Spinone puppies are born normal but develop wobbling, tremors, and worsening incoordination within weeks to months, and the disease is fatal — most affected dogs are euthanized before one year. It is almost entirely avoidable: a DNA test identifies clear, carrier, and affected dogs, so a breeder who DNA-tests both parents (and never pairs carrier to carrier) effectively eliminates the risk. Always ask to see both parents' CA DNA results.

At minimum: a DNA test for cerebellar ataxia on both parents (the non-negotiable one), OFA hip evaluation, and an annual ophthalmologist (CAER) eye exam — these are the breed's CHIC requirements. The parent club additionally recommends heart and thyroid screening. Because cerebellar ataxia is fatal, breed-specific, and DNA-testable, a breeder who cannot show both parents' CA results is one to walk away from, no matter how appealing the puppy.