Italy's ancient water dog -Lagotto Romagnolo- retrained to search truffles.
F.C.I standard no: 298
Group 8, section 3 (water retrievers)
This Italian breed from Romagna in north east Italy has been mentioned in literature since the 17th century.
The original water retriever was to be found with the fishermen and ferrymen who worked in the low marshlands and river deltas.
The Lagotto (Lago = lake) was used to hunt water-fowl and was described as a very efficient and hardy water retriever. From 1840-1890 the task of draining
Italy's considerable lowland and delta areas began.
These marshlands which had cost thousands of human lives over the years through outbreaks of malaria
thus became cultivated farmland. This time can also be said to be the start of phase two in the history of the Lagotto.
The fishermen and ferrymen were forced to look for other places to live and other means of support.
This applied no less to the curly-haired Lagotto dogs
It so happened that the Lagotto's amazing ability to pick up a scent was its salvation.
These dogs became renowned for being able to sniff out the places under the surface of the
ground where the much sought-after truffles grew. The kilo price of truffles is considerably more than that of pure gold.
The adaption of the breed was more or less completed by the 1920s.
The Lagotto was at that time the only breed specialised in searching for truffles.
Characteristics
One could say that the Lagotto during the 1900s has entered phase three,
as an accepted breed and also as a modern day family pet.
A dog that is an active companion for people who enjoy moderate exercise, forest walks,
mushroom picking, obedience training, tracking and agility.
The exceptionally willing and faithful Lagotto is agile, lively, friendly and has a tail which is almost constantly wagging.
However it is not a dog to jump all over strangers or to leap into new situations without a careful first examination.
The vital and nimble Lagotto is not at all suitable for couch potatoes,
but neither does it need large amounts of strenuous exercise.
It loves long walks off the lead. If there is water, a ditch or pools and puddles the Lagotto will usually try them all.
Afterwards they love to roll in sand or grass to dry off.
This may conjure up nightmares for someone who knows about caring for dogs' coats
- yet the Lagotto is often dry within half an hour he will then shake off most of the sand and dirt.
If you are concerned about knots and tangles you may use a special anti-tangle comb to get them out -
but use this with care. The more you comb, the more tangles may get stuck in the soft coat.
It is only the coat on the dog's back which becomes coarse when the animal is fully grown.
Appearance
The Lagotto's most characteristic feature at first sight, is the rather short, soft and curly coat.
It should have tight curls over the whole body, only the head ears and whiskers are less tightly curled.
The coat should not be combed out, dressed, become long or be completely clipped. It should be naturally curly,
very dense and watertight. Accepted colours are white only, off white, liver coloured, orange,
white with liver coloured or orange markings, or brown-roan.
The breed can never have a black coat, black pigment or black eyes.
The overall impression should be a compact square shaped dog and it should not look long in the leg.
The body should appear sturdy, and this effect should be given by the tight curly coat and the slightly tucked-up belly line.
The neck should be strong and muscular,
quite long and the tail should be carried high or even upright when the dog is alert and excited.
When resting it hangs down and is scimitar shaped.
The Lagotto should have a kind and gentle expression.
The head should appear soft and rounded with a wide somewhat arched skull, and a strong, blunt,
not too long muzzle which should have powerful jaws and a large nose which can be any shade of brown.
The round, rather large eyes should have a friendly expression in spite of the fact that they are hazel coloured or light
brown.
The ears should be set rather high and be carried forward when listening.
When resting they may be carried low down and may be folded.
They should not hang motionless and flat to the head but should move to reflect the mentality of the dog.
The bite should be either a scissor bite, pincer bite or inverse scissor bite.
The Lagotto is a lightweight and agile dog - the thick curly coat, not a large heavy bone structure,
is what makes it look quite sturdy and powerful. Its movement is bounding and elastic.
The head is carried quite high when trotting.
Care
The coat should be clipped short once a year and then trimmed once or twice when necessary.
There is not a lot of coat since the breed should have natural curls and quite a lot of downy undercoat.
However, you need to use a special anti-tangle comb so the tangles do not cause discomfort for the dog.
The Lagotto coat is easy to care for and we see its function as being for warmth and protection rather
than vanity and refinement. In the same way we want the dog to retain its original character and continue to be the healthy,
old-fashioned dog of rustic appearance that it is today.
Back to the Lagotto page.
