Origin

The Lagotto Romagnolo is an ancient breed known in Italy since the 14th century, originally bred for use as a water retriever in the lowlands of Comacchio and the marshlands of Ravenna, the name means “water dog from Romagna”. In the 1474 work titled “The Meeting” Andrea Mantegna depicts a small dog in the lower left corner that is the perfect image of today’s Lagotto. Over the centuries, the marshlands were drained and turned into arable land. Since the 19th century this intelligent breed has been utilized as an excellent dog for truffle sniffing in the flat open country and the hills of Romagna, a region in the north-east of Italy. It is the only breed that is recognized for snuffling truffles due to its highly developed sense of smell and its ability to concentrate on the search.

Description

The Lagotto is a medium sized dog, well proportioned and square built with a rustic appearance. The head is quite big and supported by a powerful neck. The eyes can be any colour between dark yellow and dark brown, usually depending on the colour of the coat. The coat can be white, orange, white and orange, brown, white and brown or roan. The waterproof woolly coat is dense and curly. Its dropping ears are triangular with rounded tips and are well proportioned to the head. The front legs are straight and the paws are webbed, which make it an excellent swimmer.

Temperament


The Lagotto is a working dog. It has a natural gift for searching and its excellent nose has made this breed very efficient in searching for truffles. The former hunting instinct has been eliminated, hence they are not distracted by the scent of wilds animals or other dogs. The Lagotto is loyal, keen, affectionate, very attached to their owner and easy to train. It gets on well with other dogs and other pets if sufficiently socialized, in Italy they are kept in packs. It is an excellent family companion and a very good guard dog. The Lagotto makes a good pet and loves people, but in addition to needing plenty of regular exercise, they need to use their brain. This intelligent dog needs a job to do and something to keep its mind occupied with activities such as tracking, games of searching for people in the woods or searching for mushrooms and truffles. Obedience is also something they like and are good at, and agility is a favourite! For some this breed is perfect, because of its allergy friendly, non shedding coat, its medium size and happy disposition.

Height & Weight

Height: Male 17-19 inches (43-49 cm.) Female 14-16 inches (36-41cm.)
Weight: Male 28-35 pounds (13-16 kg.) Female 5-6.5 pounds (11-14 kg.)

Exercise

Lagottos like to have regular exercise, it is recommended to take the dog for a walk at least 2-3 times a day if possible. In the Lagottos nature lies a desire to dig – they love to dig big holes and can do this in a matter of seconds! The Lagotto also loves to swim and this is a great and fun way of exercising them.

Health & Life Expectancy

Health issues facing the breed are hip dysplasia, cataracts and benign juvenile epilepsy although these are rare and the New Zealand Lagotto Romagnolo Club promotes a sensible breeding strategy to limit their impact on the Lagotto breed. This breed has been known to live 16 or more years.

Grooming

It has a dense, waterproof coat which forms thick, tight curls that cover the entire body and needs regular care to prevent the coat from matting. There are differing opinions on how to care for the coat, we at MiaBella brush them once a day to remove any debris, bath about once a month and trim the coat with scissors or clippers every 3-4 weeks. This breeds sheds little to no hair and as such Lagotto are considered excellent pets for people with allergies.