The Spinone Italiano (plural, Spinoni Italiani) is an Italian dog breed. However, it should be recognized that the Spinone is a unique, indivisable breed and the correct reference is Spinone (plural, Spinoni). It was originally bred as a versatile gun dog. To this day, the breed still masters that purpose. The Spinone is a loyal, friendly and alert dog with a close lying, wiry coat. It is an ancient breed that can be traced back to approximately 500 BC.