The Working Standard (2)

The Working Standard
 
The Spinone’s gait is a long, tidy trot, alternating occasionally with something of the rhythm of a gallop (back legs only), so that he is a little swifter than the Italian Bracco, but the required gait when engaged in the act of sniffing is the trot. It is a lively and economical gait which works in diagonals which are nearly always straight, a hundred metres long and sometimes more, well spaced out and determined by the excellent sense of smell which this great pointer always shows provided he does not overdo it in gaits which are contrary to his nature:Clearly for him, as for all other trotters, concentration on the smelling job is of foremost importance and finding a solution to the various problems, which comes almost by instinct in a lightning flash to the gallopers, demands of the Spinone a complex mental process which can easily be read in his lovely facial expression as a “thinker”.

(more…)

Continue ReadingThe Working Standard (2)

The Working Standard

The Working Standard
 
 
The Spinone’s gait is a long, tidy trot, alternating occasionally with something of the rhythm of a gallop (back legs only), so that he is a little swifter than the Italian Bracco, but the required gait when engaged in the act of sniffing is the trot. It is a lively and economical gait which works in diagonals which are nearly always straight, a hundred metres long and sometimes more, well spaced out and determined by the excellent sense of smell which this great pointer always shows provided he does not overdo it in gaits which are contrary to his nature:Clearly for him, as for all other trotters, concentration on the smelling job is of foremost importance and finding a solution to the various problems, which comes almost by instinct in a lightning flash to the gallopers, demands of the Spinone a complex mental process which can easily be read in his lovely facial expression as a “thinker”.

(more…)

Continue ReadingThe Working Standard

About The Working Spinone

The Italian Spinone is a very ancient hunting breed, and is part of the Gundog Group.

Within this group there are sub groups made up of Retrievers, Spaniels, Pointers & Setters and HPR (Hunt, Point & Retrieve). The sub groups are designed to group the dogs into the type of work they are mainly bred for.

The Italian Spinone comes under the sub group of HPR (Hunt, Point & Retrieve). As you can see by the name of the sub group the Italian Spinone has been bred to be an all round gundog.

(more…)

Continue ReadingAbout The Working Spinone

Epilepsy Research Study

We’ve been asked by a researcher at the Clinical Investigations Centre at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) to help recruit for a food trial looking into the treatment of epilepsy.  A new diet has been developed with the aim of improving the management of epileptic dogs, not only by reducing seizure frequency, but also by decreasing the level of side-effects seen with standard antiepileptic drugs.

(more…)

Continue ReadingEpilepsy Research Study