The Lagotto Romagnolo is a rare dog breed that originated during the Renaissance period in Italy. They were bred to retrieve waterfowl. “Lago” translated, means lake in Italian This dog breed was also used for a while to sniff out truffles. Most water retrieving dog breeds are thought to have originated from this dog breed. Their sniffing capabilities are outstanding!
Brief History
The Lagotto Romagnolo is a small to medium-size dog breed. It is powerfully built, and has a rustic, country feel. This dog breed has a distinctive, dense, curly coat with lots of woolly hair. With the length being nearly the same as the height, the Lagotto has a deep chest. The head is trapezoidal in shape, with eyes that are round and large. The eye color can be hazel to dark brown. Ears are medium-sized, and triangular in shape. The muzzle is broad in width, with the nose being large. There is a long moustache, that is wiry.
Physical Description
The Lagotto Romagnolo is a small to medium-size dog breed. It is powerfully built, and has a rustic, country feel. This dog breed has a distinctive, dense, curly coat with lots of woolly hair. With the length being nearly the same as the height, the Lagotto has a deep chest. The head is trapezoidal in shape, with eyes that are round and large. The eye color can be hazel to dark brown. Ears are medium-sized, and triangular in shape. The muzzle is broad in width, with the nose being large. There is a long moustache, that is wiry.
Neck is strong, as is the entire body; strong, muscular, and compact. Tail is woolly, and should just reach the hocks when resting. The coat is never twisted to forming cords. It has tight, ring shaped curls with a soft undercoat beneath. Curls are everywhere, except on the head where there are abundant eyebrows, whiskers, and a beard. Color should be an off-white solid color, or white with brown and orange patches, brown roan, different shades of brown, with or without white, orange with or without white. The temperament is undemanding, and keen. The Lagotto is affectionate, and easy-to-train. The movement is energetic with reach and drive!
Temperament
The Lagotto Romagnolo is an affectionate, and easy-to-train dog breed. It is undemanding, and keen, yet very attached to its dog parent. This dog breed is an excellent guard dog, but is not aggressive. This dog breed has wonderful sniffing abilities. The Lagotto is known for its gentleness, and for being a great companion. It is good with children, and other animals. This is an indoor dog that needs companionship, and lots of TLC. It is very loyal, and energetic. This dog breed enjoys swimming.
Special Needs
The Lagotto Romagnolo needs an active family that enjoys long hikes, swimming, and plenty of outdoor fun. This dog breed is gentle, and positive dog training needs to be geared with that in mind. Socialization should begin during the first four weeks of puppyhood, and continue throughout a dog’s life. This breed needs plenty of mental stimulation, and does well with organized canine sporting activities like agility, field trails, dock diving, and obedience.
Scent work combined with search- and rescue makes for a happy Lagotto. These dogs do well with detection of medical conditions, and work well as therapy dogs. These are indoor dogs that benefit from lots of TLC. They need plenty of outdoor activity. That said, the Lagotto enjoys hanging out with the family on the couch at home.
Possible Health Concerns
The Lagotto Romagnolo is a very healthy and active dog breed that may be susceptible to the following:
- Bloat. This breed is deep- chested, and thus more prone to bloat. Bloat is a life threatening emergency. It is caused by the twisting of the stomach, together with the accumulation of gas, with or without fluid. It is best to never elevate your Lagotto’s water and food bowls. Stress is also a major factor in causing bloat. Never feed your dog a large meal, followed by exercise. At the first signs of dry vomiting, restlessness and discomfort, contact your emergency veterinarian. Never wait for a few hours. This is a true emergency that is life-threatening!
- Hip Dysplasia: This is a hereditary developmental disease. HD affects the Lagotto dog breed. HD occurs when the hip joint fails to develop properly. In the Lagotto with HD, the head of the thigh bone does not fall into the hip socket. The imperfect fit results in the joint becoming loose and unstable, and results in osteoarthritis.
- Juvenile Epilepsy: This is a recessively inherited disease. In this dog breed, the symptoms occur from 5-9 weeks of age. The dog has seizures of the entire body with loss of consciousness. The seizures go away by 8-13 weeks of age.
Exercise
The Lagotto Romagnolo is an energetic dog breed that does well with plenty of regular exercise and canine sporting activities. Keep your Lagotto mentally stimulated when out exercising. Sports like obedience training, field trials, dock diving, tracking, and agility are good options for this dog breed. Swimming at the dog beach and pool at home are also fun activities for the family.
Puppies under 6 months of age need to have special exercise programs especially tailored for puppyhood, so as to prevent hip dysplasia and other injuries related to sports and exercise. Consult with your veterinarian as to the best canine sporting activities for your dog.
Scent work combined with search- and rescue makes for a happy Lagotto. These dogs do well with detection of medical conditions, and work well as therapy dogs. These are indoor dogs that benefit from lots of TLC. They need plenty of outdoor activity. That said, the Lagotto enjoys hanging out with the family on the couch at home, as well.
Nutrition
Feed your Lagotto the best high-quality dog food that you can afford. Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Feed a diet from a well-known, reputable company. Contact them with any questions of concern.
- The labels on any diet should meet the levels established by the AAFCO Control Officials and/ or feeding trials.
- All dog food diets should have the following statement “Animal Feeding tests using the AAFCO procedures substantiate that “Brand X” provides completed and balanced nutrition for growth (or maintenance.)
- Feed puppy’s puppy food and be sure to feed a large breed like the Lagotto puppy, a large breed puppy diet.
- Feeding a small dog diet can cause large dogs like the Logotto to grow too quickly, and can lead to serious growth abnormalities and “growing pains.”
- There is no “best diet”- dogs are individuals. A diet that works for one dog may not be the best for another. Age, energy level and individual medical concerns play a large role for each patient.
- The recommended guidelines on bags often contain more calories than some dogs need. Check with your veterinarian for the best nutritional advice.
- Feed a complete and balanced food for the appropriate life stage of your dog.
Lagotto pet parents need to understand that the life stage that a dog food is marketed for, may not be the same life stage for which the food actually meets the minimum requirements. Consult with your veterinarian if you need advice about which dog food to feed your dog.
Grooming
The Lagotto Romagnolo has a waterproof coat that is curly. They have a double coat of hair, and shed rarely. Trimming needs to be done regularly on this dog breed. That said, the coat is woolly, and some dog parents to this breed may find it easier to opt for a complete body clipping. This dog breed is one of the best for allergy sufferers because they hardly shed.
Regular bathing is recommended with natural shampoos and conditioners to promote good skin and coat health. Daily tooth brushing is recommended to prevent gum disease. Twice yearly visits to the veterinarian for dental hygiene maintenance is required. Ears need to be regularly wiped out, and nails trimmed regularly to prevent pain when walking and running.
Adopting a Lagotto Romagnolo
The Lagotto Romagnolo needs an active family that enjoys long hikes, swimming, and plenty of outdoor fun. This dog breed is gentle, and positive dog training needs to be geared with that in mind. This dog breed needs plenty of socialization, and positive dog training starting during puppyhood.
Bring your Lagotto puppy with you during your daily activities, so that it learns to be less fearful of new people and other animals. The Lagotto is a wonderful family dog that is alert, friendly, and intelligent. These dogs excel at most organized canine sports like agility, and do their utmost to please their dog parents. This breed does not do well if left outside. It needs to be with family, partaking in family activities, even if that means lounging on the couch with a good book!
As with any dog adoption, make sure that you have the time and resources to take good care of your Lagotto Ramagnolo This is such a wonderful breed to adopt, but will need plenty of one- on-one time.