W2D-016 Italian Spinone club-4.txt
Preparing an Italian Spinone

How to start the task of preparing your Spinone. First of all start with a clean dog. Yes, he can have a bath! This should be done a week before the show. Beard and legs can be rinsed the night before For hand stripping your dog the best tool and the cheapest of course, is finger and thumb, a good stripping comb and thinning scissors. NEVER USE STRAIGHT SCISSORS

THE HEAD:

Start with the head. The skull and occiput should be short and smooth. Gently strip towards the back skull and from the outer corner of the eyes to the beginning of the cheek. The eyebrow should be combed through, then gently strip out any over hanging brow. I have never found it necessary to trim the beard. If you use a fine comb regularly this keeps it in trim. However, this can be kept tidy with thinning scissors. EARS must also be kept tidy. They are set on level with the eyes, triangular in shape, slightly rounded at the tip, hanging no more than two inches at the jaw line. You can have a surplus of two inches or more hanging from the ears - this needs to come off.

THE NECK:

The Spinone is known for growing a lion's ruff around the neck and shoulders. If this is not stripped out this can give the impression of no neck at all. Hand strip down the neck and shoulders. The dewlap should also be clean and tidy. Continue down from the shoulderblades and onto the back towards the tail.

THE TAIL:

The tail should be carried out or down. If your Spinone carries his tail high the last thing want to see is a flag hanging from it.

LEGS:

Forelegs should be straight, bone oval, strong well defined tendons. Elbows neither turning in or out, pasterns slightly sloping when viewed from the side. If your Spinone has got all this why cover it with excess hair and fringing? The Standard says the coat should be shorter on the front of the limbs and on the feet. The same goes for the hindquarters. Particular attention should be made to keeping the elbows and hocks tidy, also the stifle. The Standard does not ask for exaggeration on this point, so again long fringing should not be left on. This includes the underline which should not be fringed excessively. Finally feet - front compact and round, hindfeet slightly oval, toes arched, covered with short hair especially between the toes. Nails strong and arched. If you find this area difficult to strip out it can be done with thinning scissors.

The preparation of your Spinone should not be done in haste. Do a little at a time so he does not get bored and you don't make the mistake of taking off too much. The end result will be worth it. By LINDA COLLINS (WYNSETT)
