Spinoni Italiano E-Book

Richard G. Beauchamp

• Herausgeber: CompanionHouse Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Serie: Comprehensive Owner's Guide
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 234

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

The new cucciolo on the block, the Spinone Italiano is one of Italy's superb contributions to the gundog family, an ancient breed that is a newcomer to the United States but quickly gaining ground. The Spinone is prized for its prowess in the field as well as its hallmark prickly coat, which forms a beard, mustache and bush eye brows on the distinguished adult dog. For the family desiring an active companion, a proficient hunting dog and a keen watchdog, the Spinone Italiano is a first-rate choice. This new Special Limited Edition, written by well-known sporting dog judge and author Richard Beauchamp, offers a complete history of the breed, with a special section on the breed's development in the US written by breeder Jan Naigus, and chapters on breed characteristics and the breed standard. This colorful guide provides new owners with all of the information they need to not only select and care for a well-bred Spinone cucciolo (puppy!) but also attend to the needs of an adult and senior dog, including grooming, feeding and exercise. A chapter on obedience training and house-training detail what is required to have a properly behaved, completely livable Spinone Italiano. A health chapter by world-famous veterinarian and author Dr. Lowell Ackerman presents excellent up-to-date information about vaccinations, parasite control, spaying/neutering and much more.

Leseprobe

Physical Characteristics of the Spinone Italiano

(from the American Kennel Club breed standard)

Head: Long. The profile of the Spinone is unique to this breed. Skull of oval shape, with sides gently sloping. With occipital protuberance well developed, medial-frontal furrow is very pronounced.

Eyes: Ochre (yellowish brown) in color…Large, well opened, set well apart, the eye is almost round, the lids closely fitting the eye.

Neck: Strong, thick, and muscular. Clearly defined from the nape, blending in to the shoulders in a harmonious line. The throat is moderate in skin with a double dewlap.

Nose: Bulbous and spongy in appearance with upper edge rounded. Nostrils are large and well opened.

Muzzle: Square when viewed from the front. Muzzle length is equal to that of backskull. The planes of the skull and muzzle are diverging, downfaced.

Ears: Practically triangular shape. Set on a level just below the eye, carried low, with little erectile power. The leather is fine, covered with short, thick hair mixed with a longer sparser hair, which becomes thicker along edges.

Chest: Broad, deep, well muscled and well rounded; extending at least to the elbow. The ribs are well sprung. The distance from ground to the elbow is equal to half the height at the withers.

Forequarters:Shoulders: Powerful and long, withers not too prominent. With well-developed muscles, the points of the shoulder blades are not close together. Forelegs: The forelegs are straight when viewed from the front angle with strong bone and well-developed muscles; elbows set under the withers and close to the body.

Feet: Large compact, rounded with well-arched toes, which are close together, covered with short, dense hair, including between the toes.

Back: The topline consists of two segments. The first slopes slightly downward in a nearly straight line…The second rises gradually and continues into a solid and well-arched loin. The underline is solid and should have minimal tuck up.

Croup: Well muscled, long…lightly rounded, well-filled-out croup.

Tail: Follows the line of the croup, thick at the base, carried horizontally or down. The tail should lack fringes.

Hindquarters: Thighs are strong and well muscled, stifles show good function…The hock…being ideal, is strong, lean and perpendicular to the ground.

Coat: The ideal coat length is 1.5 to 2.5 inches on the body, with a tolerance of one-half inch over or under the ideal length. Head, ears, muzzle and front sides of legs and feet are covered by shorter hair. The coat is dense, stiff and flat or slightly crimped, but not curly, with an absence of undercoat.

Height: The height at the withers is 23 to 27 inches for males and 22 to 25 inches for females.

Color: The accepted colors are: Solid white, white and orange; orange roan with or without orange markings; white with brown markings, brown roan with or without brown markings.

Contents

History of the Spinone Italiano

Trace the history of the pointing dogs of Europe and see how the prickly pointer of Italy came into being. Meet the breeders responsible for the Spinone Italiano’s newfound popularity in the US and around the world.

Characteristics of the Spinone Italiano

Learn the answers to these pressing questions: Is the Spinone Italiano the right breed for you? Is this a good breed with children? How active is the Spinone Italiano? Why a purebred dog? How trainable is this dog? What hereditary problems exist in the breed?

Breed Standard for the Spinone Italiano

Learn the requirements of a well-bred Spinone Italiano by studying the description of the breed set forth in the American Kennel Club standard. Both show dogs and pets must possess key characteristics as outlined in the breed standard.

Your Puppy Spinone Italiano

Find out about how to locate a well-bred Spinone Italiano puppy. Discover which questions to ask the breeder and what to expect when visiting the litter. Prepare for your puppy-accessory shopping spree. Also discussed are home safety, the first trip to the vet, socialization and solving basic puppy problems.

Proper Care of Your Spinone Italiano

Cover the specifics of taking care of your Spinone Italiano every day: feeding for the puppy, adult and senior dog; grooming, including coat care, ears, eyes, nails, teeth and bathing; and exercise needs for your dog. Also discussed are the essentials of dog ID.

Training Your Spinone Italiano

Begin with the basics of training the puppy and adult dog. Learn the principles of house-training the Spinone Italiano, including the use of crates and basic scent instincts. Enter puppy kindergarten and introduce the pup to his collar and leash, and progress to the basic commands. Find out about obedience classes and other activities.

Healthcare of Your Spinone Italiano

By Lowell Ackerman DVM, DACVD

Become your dog’s healthcare advocate and a well-educated canine keeper. Select a skilled and able veterinarian. Discuss pet insurance, vaccinations and infectious diseases, the neuter/spay decision and a sensible, effective plan for parasite control, including fleas, ticks and worms.

Showing Your Spinone Italiano

Step into the center ring and find out about the world of showing pure-bred dogs. Here’s how to get started in AKC shows, how they are organized and what’s required for your dog to become a champion. Take a leap into the realms of obedience trials, agility trials, tracking tests and field and hunting events.

KENNEL CLUB BOOKS®SPINONE ITALIANO

ISBN 13: 978-1-59378-307-5

eISBN 13: 978-1-62187-015-9

Copyright © 2005 • Kennel Club Books® A Division of BowTie, Inc.

40 Broad Street, Freehold, NJ 07728 USA

Cover Design Patented: US 6,435,559 B2 • Printed in South Korea

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by photostat, scanner, microfilm, xerography or any other means, or incorporated into any information retrieval system, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the copyright owner.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Photography by Alice van Kempen

with additional photographs by:

Paulette Braun, T.J. Calhoun, Alan and Sandy Carey, Isabelle Français, Carol Ann Johnson and Bill Jonas.

Illustrations by Patricia Peters.

The publisher wishes to thank all of the owners whose dogs are illustrated in this book.

First and foremost a hunting dog, the Spinone Italiano is a reliable pointer, well suited to almost any terrain. He is an intuitive hunting companion with unending loyalty to his master.

ORIGIN OF THE BREED

Working side by side with your favorite canine hunting pal in the field or lounging with him in front of the fireplace reveals how well the dog has been integrated into our human lives. Certainly the last thing that picture would bring to mind is the wild ancestry that stands behind each and every dog, regardless of its size, purpose or country of origin. It is a well-established fact that, aided by various steps and crosses, all breeds of dog have descended from Canis lupus, the wolf, particularly from the branch of the family known as the Northern European Gray Wolf.

How long it took for the wolf to move out of the forest and into man’s cave dwellings is a point of conjecture. However, it seems obvious that observing wolves in the hunt could easily have taught early man some survival techniques that he was able to use advantageously. It goes without saying that the wolves that could assist man in satisfying his need for food would have been most highly prized. As the man-wolf relationship developed through the ages, certain descendants of these increasingly domesticated wolves began to assist in a myriad of capacities that ran from hauling to sounding the alarm when a marauding neighbor or beast of prey threatened.

BREED NAME

“Spinone” (singular) is pronounced speh-no-nay; the plural is spelled “Spinoni,” not “Spinone,” and is pronounced speh-no-nee.

Through the centuries, due to man’s intervention and manipulation, many descendants of the original wolf stock underwent significant anatomical changes. In The Natural History of Dogs, authors Richard and Alice Feinnes trace the descendancy of all breeds of dog from one of four major groups, each of which traces back to separate and distinct branches of the wolf family. The four classifications are: the Dingo Group, the Greyhound Group, the Northern Group and the Mastiff Group.

Each of the groups has its own particular characteristics that have been handed down through countless generations to our modern dog. These characteristics have become the features that individualize and specialize our pure-bred dogs of the day. As we trace back into the history of man’s hunting companions, we find a common denominator in the Mastiff Group. This group owes its primary heritage to the Tibetan wolf (Canis lupus chanco or laniger). The great diversity of the dogs included in this group indicates that they were not entirely of pure blood, as many of the specific breeds undoubtedly were influenced by descendants of the other three groups. The descendants of the Mastiff Group are widely divergent but are known to include many of the scenting breeds. These are the breeds that find game by the use of their olfactory senses rather than by sight, which is to say that they rely upon their noses rather than their eyes. They include the breeds we now classify as gundogs and the true hounds, or scenthounds.

In the 14th through 16th centuries, the Spinone Italiano was popular with various European courts, accompanying noblemen to the hunt and performing admirably in the field.

ANCIENT DOG GROUPS

As early as the first century AD, Romans had classified dogs into six general groups: House Guardian Dogs, Shepherd Dogs, Sporting Dogs, War Dogs, Scent Dogs and Sight Dogs. Most dogs we know today can trace their ancestry directly back to dogs from these groups. A good many other breeds were developed by combining two or more individuals from those original groups to create yet another “breed.”

As man became more sophisticated and his lifestyle more complex, he learned that these descendants of the wolf could be bred in such a manner as to suit his specific needs. Often these needs were based on the manner in which man himself went after game and the terrain in which he was forced to do so. The importance here is that man had taken control of the individual dogs that mated. Particular characteristics were prized and inbreeding practices employed to perpetuate these characteristics.

One type of hunting dog that man developed retained the wolf characteristics of pursuing the prey until it was cornered and killed, until it was chased up a tree or until the dog gave up in exhaustion. This practice is more or less typical of that group of dogs known today as the hounds. While the tenacity was held in high regard, a hound’s willingness to chase could continue on for miles if need be, and some men found keeping up rather tiresome.

Thus was born a need for the hunting dog that never followed through with the chase or the attack. Its job was not to do the hunting or killing, but rather to assist the human hunter by finding the game and indicating its discovery to the hunter quietly so as not to scare away the game. Further, like any good assistant, the hunting dog obeyed its master’s commands without hesitation.

CANIS LUPUS

“Grandma, what big teeth you have!” The gray wolf, a familiar figure in fairy tales and legends, has had its reputation tarnished and its population pummeled over the centuries. Yet it is the descendants of this much-feared creature to which we open our homes and hearts. Our beloved dog, Canis domesticus, derives directly from the gray wolf, a highly social canine that lives in elaborately structured packs. In the wild, the gray wolf can range from 60 to 175 pounds, standing between 25 and 40 inches in height.

References have been made to the existence of this kind of dog as early as the time of the ancient Greeks. Written records point to the existence of a rough-coated breed of dog in Italy that signaled their discovery of game by assuming a rigid position and placing their bodies in direct line with the find, thus directing the hunter to the hiding place. Although most people are inclined to think of a pointer as a distinct breed of dog, the name actually refers to an entire group of dogs that work the field in a distinctive manner, not unlike that described by the ancient Greeks.

Braque du Bourbonnais.

Pointer.

Braque St. Germain.

Perdiguero de Burgos.

Perdigueiro Portugues.

Braque d’Auvergne.

Bracco Italiano.

Cesky Fousek.

Braque Français.

Two Italian hunting breeds, the Bracco Italiano with his Spinone countryman.

Countries throughout Europe developed their own unique breeds of “pointer” or “pointing dog” based on the demands made by the terrain of their respective locales. The results of these efforts can be seen in such breeds as Germany’s Shorthaired Pointer, the Braque Français of France, the breed known simply as the Pointer, which was the UK’s contribution, and Italy’s Bracco Italiano and Spinone Italiano.

The Italian pointers were particularly popular with royalty across Europe in the 14th through 16th centuries. The royal courts rode horseback to the hunt, and good-sized, long-legged dogs suited the occasion well. Controversy exists regarding the root source of the Italian pointing breeds, but one important source of the breed’s history is Fiorenzo Fiorone’s The Encyclopedia of Dogs, written in collaboration with the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI). The book was first published in Italy as Enciclopedia del Cane in 1970. Fiorone’s work was closely supervised by Italian breed authorities and is particularly commended by Giulio Colombo, one of the National Association of Italian Dog Fanciers’ (NAIDF) most active and highly respected presidents.

A HUNTER AT HEART

Italian breeders value the hunting ability of the Spinone Italiano above any characteristics that are simply “beauty points.” The appreciation that breeders have historically maintained for their breed’s working ability is what has enabled the Spinone Italiano to remain one of the Sporting Group’s most efficient and tireless field dogs.

Fiorone appears to be most closely in agreement with Tschudy’s study, which indicates that the Spinone was developed in Italy during the Roman era, with its origins in coarse-haired setters brought there by Greek traders and others from the western Adriatic coast in ancient times. These setters were crossbred with a white Mastiff-type dog already prevalent along the coasts of Italy at the time. The results were called Spinoni.

Mery was a Best of Breed winner from the early 1930s, a time when the Spinone Italiano was known solely as a working dog and was a rarity in the show ring.

Accurate representation of the working Spinone Italiano appeared in Italian art as early as the 1400s. It should be noted that it was the working ability of the breed that was of primary consequence and what caused the breed to be held in high esteem by Italian sportsmen even then. Paramount concern has been the preservation of these natural abilities. There is no doubt that various strains and deviations existed throughout Italy in the centuries that followed, but there is also fairly unanimous agreement that the dogs also shared many common characteristics.

It appears, even in the initial attempts to define the essence of the Spinone Italiano, that certain characteristics were described that have remained constant through the years. Head characteristics, the breed’s unique silhouette, the quality of the skin and rough coat texture, along with large size, continue as the traits necessary to the breed’s correct conformation and appearance.

FAMILY HISTORY

There are breeders in Italy whose families have maintained Spinone Italiano lines that trace as far back as the 16th century. These individuals have been highly successful in both hunting and show-ring endeavors.

The tail of the Spinone Italiano is docked at birth. Shown here with docked (LEFT) and undocked (RIGHT) tails.

The name of the breed has evolved alongside the development of the breed itself. First called Bracco Spinoso (Prickly Pointer), and Bracco Spinone later, finally in 1887 it was decided to call the breed simply Spinone Italiano. The exact translation of “Spinone” in English is, in fact, “very prickly.” Some say the name describes the quality of the coat. Still others believe the name indicates the type of ground upon which the dogs work so efficiently—ground thickly overgrown with every kind of dense prickly bush.

A Spinone Italiano at work. The rough coat protects the dog no matter the terrain.

A definitive standard for the breed was written in 1939 by Giuseppe Solaro. This standard remained basically unaltered until 1944 when it was modified by the governing body for all pure-bred dog activities in Italy, Ente Nationale della Cinofilia Italiano (ENCI).

The two World Wars did little to assist or even maintain the development of the Spinone Italiano, but, at the close of World War II, devoted breed fanciers gathered the remaining specimens of the breed and planned careful breedings to eliminate the undesirable qualities contributed by unfortunate crosses to other breeds. Great credit must go to the members of the Italian breed club, La Famiglia dello Spinoni, for the breed’s renaissance. Formed in 1950, the organization was given recognition by the ENCI as the official breed club in Italy. The name of the club has since been changed to Club Italiano Spinoni (CISp).

THE SPINONE ITALIANO IN ENGLAND

There is little doubt but also little documentation of the importation of Spinoni into Britain throughout the early years of the 20th century. Attempts to establish the breed, however, went unrewarded. Then, late in the 1950s, the internationally famous concert pianist Alberto Semprini brought a pair of Spinoni named “Arno” and “Gita” with him when he toured the UK. The pair was housed at Ryslip Kennels from 1957 to 1958 and during that time Gita whelped a litter. England’s Kennel Club paved the way for future imports to be registered by placing Arno and Gita on the Breed Register.

Over 20 years later, in 1981, Mrs. Mary Moore (Odivane) and Dr. Ruth Tattersall (Westoy) imported four of the breed into the UK. The imports were a male, Friz del Odivane, and the litter sisters Clara and Megana dei Marchesi dei Galpiott from Odivane. The trio was from Sergio Cantoni’s kennel in northern Italy. Dr. Tattersall’s female named “Lidia” came from the same kennel. This time interest in the breed flourished. All three of the bitches imported from Sergio Cantoni’s kennel were bred, but Megana’s two litters by Friz are those that had the greatest impact and are credited as becoming the cornerstone of the breed in the UK.

Although still considered a rare breed, Spinoni are becoming more well known world-wide. This quality example hails from the Netherlands.

The Italian Spinone Club of Great Britain (ISCGB) was organized through the efforts of many breed diehards including Dr. Tattersall, Glenys Barlow (Wintercleugh), Cyndy and Malcolm Bevan (Snowlodge), Margaret and John Curgenven (Chruston), Jean Houltram (Caldocani), Viv Rosser (Nantiderri), Lorraine Spencer (Bannonbrig), Gael Stenton (Gaesten) and Helen Thomson (Deldawn).

Spinone Italiano from the UK, where the breed has only been truly established since the latter half of the 20th century.

Initially entered and shown in rare-breed competition, the Spinone Italiano made rapid headway, recording impressive wins in that category as early as 1986. Linda Collins’s Sacul Romeo Rio of Wynsett and Rio’s granddaughter, Gallowdyke Pawnee, owned by Mike Gadsby and her breeders Sheila and John Piggin, both achieved the Best Rare Breed in Show distinction. Rio was Top-Winning Rare Breed Dog for 1986.

Photo circa 1932, published in Hutchinson’s Dog Encyclopedia. Part of the caption read: “Spinone Italiano. Intelligent, intrepid and untiring, this is undoubtedly the most popular with sportsmen in its native country.” The caption also acknowledged the Italian breeders for reviving the breed from near-extinction.

The ISCGB held its first Open Show in 1989. Topping the entry was Mrs. Collins’s Sacul Romeo Rio of Wynsett, with Best Puppy in Show being awarded to Mr. and Mrs. Shimell’s Connomar Careena. The year 1994 proved to be a banner year for the breed—the Spinone Italiano became eligible to receive Challenge Certificates (CCs). The efforts of the breed’s many staunch supporters were finally rewarded.

The first Show Champion was Gallowdyke Wreckless Eric at Sundeala who, after winning his first two CCs at Crufts and the Scottish Kennel Club, acquired the title at ISCGB’s first championship event in June 1994. Eric was owned by Barbara Davies and Michael Gadsby and bred by John and Sheila Piggin and Michael Gadsby.

Dedicated breed fanciers began to express some concern over the fact that the Spinone Italiano, though widely used throughout Europe as a hunting dog, was not receiving the field trial support that the breed warranted in the UK. Thus a sigh of relief was released when Sh. Ch. Sentling Zenzero achieved his Gundog Working Certificate at the German Wirehaired Pointer Club’s novice field trial in December 1998. In so doing, Zenzero became Britain’s first Champion Spinone Italiano. The achievement was particularly noteworthy in that Zenzero, among his many outstanding victories, also claimed first in the Gundog Group at Birmingham National and Best in Show at the breed club championship show under judge Penny Robertson. He completed 1998 as the Top-Winning Spinone Italiano. Zenzero is regularly worked during the shooting season by his owners, Liz and Jonathan Shaw, who bred him. He was whelped in April 1994 in a litter by Wynsett Jumpin’ Jack Flash ex Sentling Ancona. Ancona’s litter brother, Italian Sh. Ch. Sentling Affidato, is the only UK-bred Spinone Italiano to win a title in the breed’s home country.

Meanwhile, in Italy, the fanciers of the breed have expressed wonder at the fact that the breed is referred to as the Italian Spinone in England. In an article written for Dog News by Italian breed authority and judge Dr. G. W. Mentasti, he states, “To start with, we must define the name of the breed: Spinone, not Spinone Italiano. In the FCI list there is only one Spinone, and only one breed with Spinone characteristics. So, there is really no need to add further adjectives.”

Nonetheless, the fact remains that the breed is known throughout the UK as the Italian Spinone and in the US as the Spinone Italiano. It is highly doubtful that any change in the name will occur, as there are many breeds in the UK that are happily burdened by superfluous adjectives (Hungarian Vizsla, Australian Silky Terrier, Japanese Shiba Inu, etc.).

A handsome pair of modern-day Spinone Italiano from the UK.

Bedecked by his many awards is Ch. Rufus Di Morghengo MH, owned by Lena Amirian.

THE SPINONE IN THE US

BY JAN NAIGUS

Although the Spinone Italiano is still considered by many to be a “new” breed in the United States, it is known that a Spinone arrived in this country in 1903. Nothing more is known about that dog or any others until nearly 30 years later. In 1931 a Dr. Gigante imported a pair of Spinoni from Italy. Together with a barber, whose name has been lost, he periodically imported Spinoni from Italy and established a breeding program that lasted until 1958. At that time the dogs were sold, and there are no records of what happened to them. Spinoni remained little known for many years.

A Spinone was entered in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in the Miscellaneous Class in 1932 and 1933, and an entry in Hutchinson’s Dog Encyclopedia (1934) states, “Spinoni are workers and are, therefore, seldom seen in the show ring. [A] remarkably fine specimen, however, was exhibited by Mr. Emil Perona at the Westminster Kennel Club show at Madison Square Gardens, New York, where it was judged to be the best Spinone Italiano in the show, ‘Mery’.” After 1933, no Spinone would be seen at Westminster until 2001, when the breed was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Ch. Risky Business Pistol’s Fire CD, JH, bred by Jim Channon and owned by the Applegates and Junior McDaniel, won the national specialty in 2004.

In 1970 a Spinone club was founded in Alabama, but was discontinued after a short time. Then, in the 1980s, a common interest in hunting and in the Spinone brought together four men who, though not close geographically, would meet and establish the Spinone Club of America (SCOA) in 1987. Paolo Sacchetti (Del Sasso) had brought Spinoni with him when he came to the US from Italy; Larry Dickey (Ruff Creek) obtained a Spinone, Alba del Sasso, from Paolo; Larry contacted Jim Channon (Risky Business) after noticing a North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) registration of a Spinone that belonged to Jim; and Jim had gotten his Spinoni from Canadian Guido Malandruccolo (Di Morghengo). Three dogs from those early days can be said to be the foundation of the breed in the US: Nico Del Benaco at Risky Business, a white and orange dog imported from Italian breeder Valentino Vignola; Iso Dell’Adige, a brown roan dog, also from Italy, bred by Mr. Bonvicini; and Deldawn Federico at Dazen, a white and orange dog bred by Helen Thompson of England. The majority of American-bred Spinoni trace back to these three dogs.

Ch. Rufus Di Morghengo MH, owner-handled by Lena Amirian, winning the breed at Westminster Kennel Club in 2004.

A primary purpose of the SCOA was to foster, improve, encourage and promote the Spinone as a hunting dog in North America. From the beginning, annual meetings were held that featured hunting tests and a conformation show as well as the annual club business meeting. The club maintained a registry of Spinoni in the US, and later oversaw the recognition of the Spinone Italiano by the American Kennel Club. The SCOA was officially recognized as the AKC parent club for the Spinone Italiano on February 11, 2000, and the Spinone was accepted into the Sporting Group on September 27, 2000.

The first AKC champion and top-winning Spinone for that year was Ch. Mals-About Little Drummer Boy, bred, owned and handled by Pat Fendley. After AKC recognition, the first official SCOA national specialty show was held in April 2001 in Hustle, Virginia. Winning the breed and finishing his championship that day was Rufus Di Morghengo, bred by Guido Malandruccolo and owned and handled by Lena Amirian. Best of Opposite Sex was Ch. Cerebella del Caos, bred by Allison Schultz and owned by Debbie Perrott. Best in Sweepstakes was Isis La Dolce Vita, bred and owned by Jan Naigus. Cerebella was also the first Spinone Best of Breed winner at the Westminster Kennel Club show in 2001. Rufus went on to repeat his national specialty win in 2003 and won the breed at Westminster in 2004.

Ch. Cerebella del Caos JH, CGC, owned by Debbie Perrott, winning the breed at Westminster.

The first Spinone to win Best in Show at an all-breed show was Ch. Dee Tias Julius Pleaser JH, bred by Chuck Gern and owned by Michelle and Lauren Brustein and Dave Brooks. Julius was also the national specialty winner in 2002 and the winner of the breed at Westminster in 2005.

The versatility of the Spinone is exemplified by the dogs’ successes in the field, the conformation ring and the obedience ring. Rufus, the first specialty winner, went on to earn a Master Hunter title in AKC tests and has the distinction of being the first Spinone to earn a NAVHDA Versatile Championship. Ch. Cerebella del Caos JH, CGC earned her Junior Hunter title.

Ch. Dee Tias Julius Pleaser JH prized in the NAVHDA Natural Ability test as well as earning his Junior Hunter title. Ch. Risky Business Pistol’s Fire CD, JH, bred by Jim Channon and owned by Ed and Suzanne Applegate and Junior McDaniel, not only earned her Junior Hunter title but also finished her Companion Dog obedience title the same day she won the SCOA national specialty for the second time. Another notable dog is Ed Hanna’s Risky Business Nita, bred by Jim Channon. Nita was the first Spinone to compete in the NAVHDA Invitational Test, and although she did not qualify that first trip, Ed and Nita kept training and earned another invitation. This time Nita received her Versatile Championship with the maximum score possible, the only Spinone to do so and an accomplishment few dogs can match.

Ch. Dee Tias Julius Pleaser JH, owned by Michelle and Lauren Brustein and Dave Brooks, is a multiple Best in Show winner.