Spinone Italiano vs Russian Harlequin Hound - Breed Comparison

This Italian breed has an ancient blood line tracing all the back to 500 BC. Originally bred to hunt, he is today a friendly, alert and loyal companion. He is intelligent enough to do any job you give him. The Spinone is thought to be one of the oldest gun dogs ever, but it is not entirely clear that he came from Italy. There are some who think he may have come from somewhere in these European countries – Italy, Greece, France, Celtic Ireland, Spain or Russia. However, most believe the breed came from Italy in the Piedmont area.

The most common thinking is that he is a descendent of the Spanish Pointer and/or the Russian Setter. One other theory is that setters from Greece were brought to the Roman Empire and crossed with a variety of Italian dog to make the coarse haired Spinone we see today. Then the French put in their claim that the breed is a cross of many French pointers.

The theory that counts might just belong to the Italians who believe the ancestor to the Spinone includes the German Wirehaired Pointer, the Pudelpointer and the Wirehaired Pointer. It was not until the 19th century that the name Spinone was officially given to the breed.

Before that it might have been known as a Spinoso and named after a thorn bus in Italy called the Spino. This bush was so thick and sharp that small prey animals learned to hide under it because the predators could not get through it. The Spinone however was able to fight through the briars with its thick, coarse hair and tough skin.

The breed almost became extinct during the second world war as before and after the hunters in Italy had started to use other breeds for hunting. Breeders also began to cross the Spinone with wire hairs like German Wirehaired Pointer, the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon and the Boulet.

The most popular hunting dog in Italy today is the Bracco Italiano while the Spinone is still used for hunting.

The origins of the Russian Harlequin Hound are somewhat vague as there are many Russian hunting hounds and many of them have a similar ancestry.

The Russian Harlequin Hound is an indigenous hound whose origins go back to the 18th century. The first breed standard was published in 1925.

The breed was then developed during the early 1900s – being a mix of Russian Hound and English Foxhound. The Russian Harlequin Hound is a rare dog breed and you will find it almost exclusively in Russia.

The breed is made up of strong, solid and muscled dogs that have an almost square build. His legs are made to travel any terrain and his head is long with an occipital that is pronounced and unique to the Spinone. They are said to have “human appearing eyes”, with a docked tail in countries allowing it and webbed paws.

Shorter hair covers their feet, head, legs, muzzle and ears. They have longer hair on their eyebrows and it is stiff, with soft hair on the muzzle and cheeks with a beard and mustache. It is a single coated dog though the coat is rough. They should have skin, lips, nose, and pads in colors that coordinate with their coats. For white dog it is a red-orange color, brown in dogs that are roan colored and dark red-orange in the orange and white colored dog.

The Russian Harlequin Hound is a medium to large sized dog that stands between 55 – 68cm in height and weighs between 18 – 31kg.

He has a solid build with long, straight legs with a long tail that can be slightly curved. The head is broad and square with medium sized ears which are floppy. The short coat is essentially white with tri-colored markings of white, tan and black.

Temperament:

The Russian Harlequin Hound has an amicable expression to his face and is a friendly social dog breed. He is lively and energetic, and with his hunting background will required a good deal of exercise.

They make great family pets, getting on well with children in the home and making friends with any other pets in the family. He is a gentle dog and with training and socialization is well mannered and obedient.

He loves his human family and wants to spend time with them in their company. He isn't suited to life in the city and a small property, but will require a home with bigger grounds.

1.Children friendliness – yes they live kids.

2.Special talents – Digging and running.

3.Adaptability – Young dogs need a lot of attention but they don’t need a lot of space. The young dogs are energetic while the adult dogs are laid-back. They need exercise every day and at least a small back yard.

4.Learning ability – good/stubborn/intelligent.

The Russian Harlequin Hound has always been a hunting dog, known for his excellent hunting skills. He isn’t only a good hunting dog, but he makes a good family pet too.

If you’re looking for an unusual dog breed that is also intelligent, loyal and loving, then you might want to consider this Russian Harlequin Hound.

This is an ancient breed with not a lot of documented genetic issues, but it does have one deadly condition.

• Cerebellar ataxia (CA) is inherited and hits the puppies. Because it is a recessive gene both the mother and father must carry it for the puppy to inherit it. This makes it less likely than it would be otherwise. Puppies with the condition do not live more than a year. Since it is a genetic problem there is now a test for it that identifies carriers at a 95% accuracy rate.

• Like many other large breed dogs, they are susceptible to hip dysplasia. This can cause arthritis and/or lameness. There are now hip replacement surgeries available for this condition.

• Bloat is again common in large dogs and you need to watch for it with the Spinone. It can be deadly if not treated immediately. Let your dog rest quietly after eating. Do not let her exercise or play energetically after eating.

Your Russian Harlequin Hound is a rare dog breed that can reach 12 years of age if well cared for. There are some dog ailments that must be watched for. Cancer, ear infections and skin allergies can be problems to look out for. Other troublesome ailments can be -

Bloat:

This is a more common disease with deep-chested dogs, and the deep chested Russian Harlequin Hound is prone to bloat. Gas is trapped in the stomach and the stomach can actually twist. It can be life threatening. Your pet will have a hard, swollen belly and will be restless and salivating. Get him to the vet immediately. He may well require immediate surgery.

Hip Dysplasia:

This condition is all about problems with the hip joints. It is sad for any dog with this disease as it can be painful for your pet to walk. Inflammation and arthritis can mean your pet being in pain. He can become lame too.

There are anti-inflammatory medications and your vet will suggest other treatments to make sure your pet is as comfortable as can be.

1Feeding the puppy – feed a high quality dog food for puppies of large breeds. Feed 3-4x day but don’t overfeed or let him exercise after eating even as a puppy.

2.Feeding the adult - feed a high quality dog food for large breeds. Feed 1-2X day but don’t overfeed or let him exercise after eating.

3.Points for Good Health – Active and strong

4. Games and Exercises – The Spinone is an active breed, but not a fast dog. In fact, they like to travel at a trot so it becomes a great dog for jogging or running with. They love to jump, track, hunt, hike. They do well with agility, retrieving, flyball, carting, being a therapy dog, a rescue dog and a watchdog.

Exercise:

The Russian Harlequin Hound needs both mental and physical stimulation. He is a curious dog and wants to be out and about sniffing around and exploring. He will need to have a walk every day as well as lots of ball- and rope games. He will suit being the pet of a busy, outdoorsy family as opposed to a family of couch potatoes.

Grooming:

The Russian Harlequin Hound is looked upon as a low maintenance dog breed, and with his short, dense coat you can get by with just brushing him twice a week. Because he is such a lover of the outdoors check him over for ticks and fleas when you brush him.

Check inside his ears for redness and infection.

Open his mouth and look for bad, rotting teeth.

Check him over for any unusual lumps.

Make sure his eyes are clear and free of discharge.

Trim his nails.

Diet:

Every dog should be fed excellent food as this encourages good health. Commercially manufactured dog foods can be wonderfully convenient and nutritious if you get the better quality ones.

Try and include some simple, tasty home-made food to his diet . High-quality dry dog food will provide a balanced diet, but you want to make it a little more tasty for him by giving him some chopped up boiled chicken, brown rice, sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach. This can be added into the dry kibble twice a week.

Try and include some raw meat occasionally. Fresh, cool water should always be available around the clock.