Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pronounce Lagotto Romagnolo? Is the Lagotto a purebred dog?
Lagotto Romagnolo (plural: Lagotti Romagnoli) is pronounced Lah-go-toh Roman-yolo.
The Lagotto Romagnolo is a purebred dog. They were accepted into the American Kennel Club FSS program in 2001. In 2015, the AKC officially welcomed the breed into the Sporting Group.
How big does a Lagotto get?
The Lagotto Romagnolo is a medium sized dog. The females being 24-31 pounds, 16-18 inches tall. The males 28-35 pounds and 17-19 inches tall.
How long do they live? Are they healthy?
Lagotti are a long-lived breed. The expected lifespan is 15-17 years.
The Lagotto is a healthy dog. Most of the common ailments that may affect the breed are easily avoided with DNA testing. All of our dogs are health tested through Optimal Selection (Genoscoper Laboratories) to confirm that we are performing a breeding that will produce healthy puppies.
Do they shed? What can I expect grooming-wise?
The Lagotto Romagnolo is considered a hypo-allergenic breed. I have had many families with allergies not have any reaction to our Lagotti. That being said, every individual will have different intensities and triggers.
The breed does not shed. They have a continuously growing coat. We recommend, at least, weekly comb through with a full groom/hair cut, every 6-8 weeks.
What is the temperament of the Lagotto Romagnolo?
I love the Lagotto. They fit in to our family perfectly. They are an active breed that needs a good run in the backyard a few times a day, but are content chilling on the couch afterwards. This breed is adaptable to many different energy levels. They are very gentle with children and great with other dogs.
The Lagotto is not a good guard dog, but they make a perfect "alert" dog. Ours will bark if there is a stranger where they shouldn't be, but they warm up to new people quickly.
Are Lagotti easy to train?
We have loved how easily our dogs have taken to training. They do well with reward-based training and a gentle hand. Commands are picked up quickly, with consistency. Ours even obey my 3 year old daughter.
We do not condone or support the use of E-collars or prong collars on Lagotti. These harsh methods of training should not be used on a Lagotto.
Short History of the Lagotto Romagnolo
The Lagotto is an ancient Italian dog. It is believed they have been around since at least Renaissance Italy. They were originally bred as a waterfowl retriever. When the marshlands were claimed as farmland, the breed faced a drastic decline. Close to extinction, the breed gained the interest of truffle hunters. Because of their heightened sense of smell, the dogs were excellent at finding this delicacy. The Lagotto Romagnolo is the only purebred dog officially recognized as a truffle hunter. This breed is also a foundation breed, being an ancestor to many, if not all, water breeds, including the Poodle, Portuguese Water Dog, and Spanish Water Dog.