SUMMARY OF ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF THE SPINONE head: Long, lean, divergent planes, minimal stop, roof-shaped skull, marked backskull, almost-human expression subsTanCe and ouTline: Nearly square, robust, balanced, gently broken topline, minimal tuckup, tail carried horizontal or down CoaT and skin: Close-fitting, wiry, 1½ to 2½ inches in length on body, no undercoat, thick, leathery skin gaiT: Relaxed trot, without exaggeration, profile holds while moving, head carried just above backline
excessive, soft leg hair, or the evidence of scissor marks in the case where shap- ing may have taken place, will all be helpful hints at the pre-groomed tex- ture and quality. Please take the time to carefully evaluate this very important characteristic of the breed. And back to the three areas that are unique but nonetheless only a portion of the whole Spinone: The topline is broken but not extreme (or saddle) and rises into the loin, but remains on a horizontal plane with the wither (i.e. the rump is not raised). The underline of the Spi- none carries equal importance, with minimal tuck-up. The croup falls only at an angle of between 30-35 degrees from the hori- zontal plane, i.e. a gentle roundness over the rump, taking the line of the tail just below the horizontal plane. A short croup may raise the tail above the back (this is incorrect), while an excessive length of croup will incline beyond the desirable 35 degrees. The latter will seriously restrict the hind movement and must be considered to be a serious fault. The tailset is a continuation of the croup line, with minimal break in the flow of the backline and with the tail
carried horizontally or lower. A poor tailset will essentially affect the unique Spinone silhouette, whereas a tail that is set on correctly, but still carried a lit- tle high (which is incorrect in a mature dog or bitch) may be just a temporary stage of development. Consideration must be given to separate tailset from tail carriage.
We are hoping the above informa- tion will assist judges to get closer to the whole picture and expand and refine their understanding of this unique Sporting dog. We appreciate the time you have taken to read this information. Please feel free to con- tact us with any queries or comments at SCOAJudgesEd@gmail.com.
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