 Spinone
One
of only two native Italian breeds of gundog, the Spinone’s origins can be traced
back over many centuries. Researchers of the breed consider that it was the
migrating Celts that introduces a large, wire-haired breed into the region as
long ago as 2000 BC. Certainly the Celts did establish themselves in Northern
Spain and Southern France and they did use long legged, wire haired, running
dogs, for hunting purposes.
Whatever the
history is, what is certain is that the breed established itself in Piedmont
region of Italy. The name Spinone is derived from the Italian word for thorn
bush ‘pino’ which was thick and seemingly impenetrable and often used by game birds for hiding
in. Only thick-skinned, coarse haired dogs could flush birds from such
cover.
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European
Gundogs