Spinone Italiano Grooming

Dogs of the Spinone Italiano breed have medium-length, wiry, single-layered coats that, aside from occasional hand-stripping, don't require a great deal of care. The section below will provide further details on maintaining your Spinone's coat, including info on the stripping process.

Italian Spinone grooming is not a very time-consuming task, since these dogs' medium-length, wiry coats are single-layered and don't shed much (though they do tend to tangle or mat some). Dogs of this breed will require weekly brushing and baths every 2-3 months (or if the dog gets especially dirty or stinky). And while they don't need proper haircuts, Spinone Italiano grooming should include occasional hand-stripping of the coat.

Brushing a Spinone is a weekly undertaking, and is best done with a slicker brush. (Having a good 2-in-1 comb for tangles and mats might come in handy as well.) Brush in the typical line-brushing fashion, and work through any stubborn mats with the comb; particularly bad tangles should be first separated with your fingers, then smoothed with the comb. If you're following the brushing with a bath, use either a bathtub or an outdoor kiddie pool and a garden hose. With all-purpose canine shampoo (as opposed to human shampoo, which can irritate a dog's skin), lather well starting on the back and working downward, making sure to include the legs. Rinse well, towel-dry, then give the coat another quick brush-through to make it look clean and neat.

Hand-stripping these dogs' coats can take an hour or more, but fortunately only needs to be done every 3-4 months. The process is easy but time-consuming: go over the entire coat section by section, grasping a small bundle of hair with your thumb and forefinger. When you tug gently on the bundle, any dead hair should come out. It may take a while, but once you're finished the coat will look great.