Lagotto Romagnolo
🧠 Temperament & character
The Lagotto Romagnolo is attentive, eager to learn and balanced, while being affectionate and easy to handle. He is closely oriented towards his family, friendly and usually uncomplicated in dealings with people and dogs. His outstanding sense of smell and his enthusiasm for work call for scent and search games. Unlike many hunting dogs he has only a moderate hunting drive, which makes him easy to control.
📜 Origin & history
The Lagotto Romagnolo comes from the Romagna and the marshes of the Po delta, where he originally served as a water retriever for duck hunting – his name derives from the dialect word 'lago' (lake). When the marshes were drained in the 19th and 20th centuries, he lost this task and was retrained as a specialised truffle-searching dog. Thanks to dedicated breeders the breed was consolidated in the 20th century and recognised by the FCI. Today he is valued worldwide as a truffle dog and charming companion.
✂️ Grooming, care & training
The Lagotto's woolly, water-repellent curly coat sheds hardly at all, but must in return be combed regularly and clipped several times a year, otherwise it quickly mats; the ears also need care. As a clever working dog he needs enough exercise and above all plenty of mental work, for instance through scent and search games. He is very eager to learn and easy to handle, which makes him a rewarding training partner. Without mental activity he can become bored and develop unwanted behaviour.
🩺 Health
The Lagotto Romagnolo is overall a robust and long-lived breed with a life expectancy of around 14 to 16 years. Breed-typical hereditary conditions such as benign familial juvenile epilepsy (BFJE), Lagotto storage disease and hip dysplasia occur; most of these can be controlled via a genetic test. Responsible breeders apply these tests consistently and examine hips and eyes.
🏡 Who is this breed right for?
The Lagotto Romagnolo is a versatile, family-friendly dog who, thanks to his balanced nature, is also well suited to first-time owners. He is adaptable and can also live in an apartment given enough activity, as long as he gets daily exercise and plenty of scent work. As a low-shedding dog he is of interest to many allergy sufferers. In Switzerland he enjoys growing popularity as a clever, medium-sized companion and family dog.