Lagotto Romagnolo

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Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Lagotto Romagnolo is a dog breed that originated from Romagna which is a sub-region of Italy. The name meant 'lake dog from Romagna'. Traditionally, the dog's function is to be a gun dog, specifically a water retriever. But it is often used for hunting truffles.

This dog has a square-built, medium sized frame covered in thick, curly hair. Their large head has round eyes, hanging ears, wide nose and a square muzzle that are usually covered in curly hair.

The Lagottos are very affectionate and loving to their masters. They make wonderful family dogs as they are known to be especially gentle when it comes to children. They make great watchdogs too for their strong senses and ability to sense when someone is outside their house.

Color

This dog's coat color usually comes in Off-White solid color, White/Brown, White/Orange, Solid Brown in different shades, Brown Roan, Solid Orange. Acceptable masking includes brown to dark brown.

Coat

The dog's coat is of woolly texture; rough in surface forming tightly curled, ring shaped curls with the undercoat shining through. Except on the head where curls are less tight, their curls must be evenly distributed all over the body. The coat forms the eyebrows, whiskers and beard on the head. Their hair tends to become felted when it is not clipped. Thus, clipping should be done at least once a year. If it is clipped, it will need about 3 months to grow to be ready for shows.

Personality

The Lagottos are wonderful as a family dog and companion. They are very affectionate and loves the closeness to their humans. They are known to be especially playful while being gentle with children. They will bark when it senses someone outside as they have an excellent hearing sense but they get quieter as they mature. If they are properly socialized, they can get along well with other dogs. They are highly active and energetic in nature. As hunters in nature, this dog is keen and very bright. Their senses are very sharp and alert that they can detect the smallest movement in the water for their strong sense of smell and good vision. This is most helpful for their job as a truffle searchers.

Care

This dog's curly coat needs regular care. You will probably hear a lot of ways to care for the coat. Brushing should prevent them from matting so some would advise to brush it sometimes. Another would tell you to only clip it twice a year and nothing else. The coat can get tangled fairly easy and combing regularly should prevent that. On the contrary, if the dog is to be shown, it should be left looking rustic and weathered as it is a working dog, it should be shown as one. Lagottos, on the average, can live through 16 years or more. Hip dysplasia, Benign Juvenile Epilepsy and Cerebral Anomaly are some of the known health issues of this dog.

Training

This breed is highly trainable as obedience is known to be one of their strong traits. These dogs were trained to hunt for truffles in their country of origin. Training should be done in a firm, consistent and calm manner.

Activity

This dog, even for their small size, needs a lot of exercise. They love to search for things as they have a natural instinct for retrieving. Walking them should emphasize that they are pack members by walking next or behind their handlers. These dogs love swimming. Some have even tipped a water bowl over in the kitchen floor to make up a puddle. They enjoy playing with mud and other gooey stuff as well. The Lagotto will be fine living in an apartment as long as they are given enough exercise. They need to be walked at least 3-4 times a day no matter how much space you have at home. These dogs are also diggers. They can dig a big hole in a matter of seconds.