Buying a Spinone Pup

Are you the right owner for a spinone? Not everybody is. Before buying a spinone, it is important to remember that the breed has characteristics that might not thrill the average dog owner. Here are a few questions to ask yourself that Gael Stenton put together for the British publication Dog Monthly (April 1992). "Do you and your family have a sense of humour? You will need one to cope with the antics of a typical spinone. Can you offer a spinone constant companionship? Spinoni are very sociable and if left too frequently on their own they become withdrawn and/or destructive. Are you house proud? Spinoni have big feet which they frequently use for paint and wallpaper removing purposes. Spinoni also have beards! Can you cope with spit flying through the air just as the boss and his wife are about to arrive for dinner? Can you cope if your spinone steals the boss' dinner whilst you are hurriedly wiping the spit off the wall (Gael said you would need a sense of humor)? Do you have a spinone-proof area in which you can safely leave you pup while you attend to the necessities of life (crate)? Are you willing to pay for the cost of replacing numerous chewed household items (spinoni have big teeth) and your prized garden shrubs (spinoni are expert gardeners)? If you answered yes to most of these, then by all means read on!"

Buying a Spinone pup is much the same as buying a pup of any breed. Make sure you do your homework and find a good breeder. How do you know if you have found a good breeder? Watch out for anybody who seems to be breeding commercially with many dogs kept in kennel runs or will not allow you to see his or her operation. This is a red flag that can tip you off to a puppy miller. Be especially wary of the breeder who always insists on meeting at a neutral site, never at the actual kennel. Spinoni have very sensitive temperments and don't socialize well without much human contact. Make sure the breeder gives a good amount of attention to the pups and includes them in daily life. If possible find breeders who are willing to assess the temperment of each individual pup and let you know which pups make a good fit with your temperment. A good breeder will also: 1) keep the pup with its mother until it is between seven and eight weeks old. Some breeders will even keep the pup up to twelve weeks of age as the socialization process at this age is very important to the eventual temperment of the adult dog. Any time between seven and twelve weeks is acceptable to take the pup from mom and the litter. If the breeder is keeping the puppies for longer than seven weeks, make sure the pups are being seperated from the littermates daily and spending individual time with the breeder. This is a prime bonding time and the young pups must learn to accept humans into their world if they are to be acceptable companions. You should never take a pup home before its seventh week 2) x-ray the hips of its breeding stock. Hip dysplasia, while not as much of a problem as in other breeds, can strike the Spinone. A reputable breeder will use only dogs known to be HD free in his/her breeding program. Make sure you see evidence (be it OFA, PennHip or some other evaluation registry) of the parent's and grandparent's hip x-rays and insist on a hip guarantee before you agree to buy a pup from a litter. Should you have any questions about a breeder contact the Spinone Club of America for information 3) register the puppies from each litter with the Spinone Club of America or American Spinone Club and provide you with a pedigree. If you are buying from a NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association) registered litter, the pup's registration in NAVHDA will already have been taken care of. It is also a good idea to ask the breeder to supply you with references. If he/she refuses to do this, find another breeder. Don't be surprised if the breeder also asks you some questions or for references. A good breeder is just as concerned about where a pup is going as you are about the health of the pup. Make sure you ask if the puppies have been checked for worms and wormed if necessary, as well as have had their first shots, if they haven't, insist upon it.

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