A true champion: Geneva couple's Spinone headed to Westminster dog show

GENEVA – Mateo, a 3-year-old Spinone Italiano dog, has his own room and shelves of trophies – including one for being the No. 1 Spinone 2015.

His owners, Lindsay and Roger Stanton of Geneva, will be driving Mateo to New York City soon to compete in the 140th annual Westminster Kennel Club All Breed Dog Show, which takes place from Feb. 15 to 16.

The 80-pound shaggy dog with soulful eyes, whose breed name is pronounced spi-NO-nay, was bred as a hunting dog but is also a good dog for a family, Lindsay Stanton said.

“They are such a unique breed,” Lindsay Stanton said. “They are known as the clown of the sporting world. They have a goofy side to them. They are active outside but definitely more of a couch potato inside. In the house, they are very relaxed and not as high-energy as other sporting breeds. We did not want a high-energy dog in the house.”

Lindsay Stanton had another Spinone, Dante, that died more than three years ago at age 12. Although she showed Dante for about a year, he didn't really care for it the way Mateo does, she said.

At 6 months old, Mateo was in a national American Kennel Club competition – the one time each year everyone in a particular breed gets together from all across the country, Lindsay Stanton said.

“I entered him for the heck of it, and he won in his class every day,” Lindsay Stanton said. “And he just loved it. He thought everybody was clapping and cheering for him.”

When Mateo finished No. 1 for 2015, he was almost 100 points ahead of the dog that finished second in his breed, Lindsay Stanton said.

At home, Mateo has a sweet, playful temperament. He is so popular that neighborhood children will come and ask if Mateo can come out and play, Lindsay Stanton said.

Judging at the dog shows is not only based on the dog meeting all the structural standards for a particular breed, but also how the dog acts in the ring with its handler, Lindsay Stanton said.

“Judges also look for a dog having fun in the ring,” Lindsay Stanton said. “He was made for the ring. He is just a ham. The first time he showed, Mateo won a toy. He was so proud of that toy. He has a big personality.”

Mateo has a sweet temperament, she said. The Spinone’s eyes are the only dog breed with eyes shaped like human eyes, she added.

“There is a deep connection when you look into their eyes,” Lindsay Stanton said.

Former Elburn resident Diana Cannon, whose kennel, Darby Canyon Spinone, bred Mateo, agrees with that dog-human connection.

“They are very special,” Cannon said of Spinoni. “It’s the type of dog that will look into your soul. I have done dog therapy work for years, and so many of my puppies do therapy work. They really connect with their human beings.”

Mateo is the half-brother of another winner, Spumante, which was the No. 1 Spinone for 2012. Cannon said she will also attend the Westminster show as three of her dogs, including Mateo, will be showing there.

“I have been breeding Spinones for 14 years, and out of the six from my first litter, five are still alive,” Cannon said. “I’m proud of my breed.”

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Lindsay and Roger Stanton’s Spinone Mateo –  his American Kennel Club name is Darby Canyon Dante’s Inferno – won these awards:

• No. 1 Spinone 2015.

• National Specialty Best of Opposite Sex.

• National Parent Specialty Best in Specialty Show.

• Multiple Best in Specialty Wins.

• Multiple Group Placements.

• Multiple Supported Entry Best of Breed Wins.

• Kicks off 2016 with two Supported Entry wins out of 23 other dogs in the Spinone breed.

• More than 80 best of breeds in shows across the U.S.

• Sporting group placements and wins across U.S.