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.

Spinone Italiano Coat Care

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.

Spinone Italiano Care

See the complete guide on how to care for Spinone Italianos.

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About this Article

Authored by:Dog-Learn
Updated:October 5, 2017
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