A large dog with an impressive stature, your Italian Spinone is reputed for his strength and stamina. With a love of hunting, your Spinone will need plenty of exercise to keep him happy and content. He may not be as fast as a collie or pointer, but he prefers to keep a slow, solid and steady pace when he works on the hunt. Even the Spinone’s coat makes him a good hunter as it protects him from water and cold temperatures, which means he is more than happy to jump into a freezing lake or swamp in order to hunt or retrieve water fowl. Extremely intelligent and patient, your Spinone learns fast and responds well to motivational training, providing he feels that the human training him is above him in the pack. Though he takes training and hunting very seriously, your Italian Spinone is a happy go lucky, easy going breed with a comical and clownish personality. His friendly nature means he’s sociable and welcoming to visitors, but he isn’t a protection dog. Intruders are more likely to be licked than barked at and your Spinone is unlikely to attack unless you or your family are directly and aggressively threatened.