About The Breed
Looking for a co-own home for a female puppy. She will be ready to go near the end of July. Message for more info.
The Lagotto Romagnolo became recognized in Canada through the efforts and hard work of Roz Rickard of Lagotino kennels. THANK YOU Roz, for all you have done to bring this wonderful breed to Canada.
I met my first Lagotto in 2009. We had just opened our grooming, daycare and training facility in our new location. Abby was just 12 weeks old when she started coming to daycare. She was the cutest puppy ever! Abby was a regular at the daycare, coming 5 days a week, as her owner worked full time. I had the pleasure of watching a Lagotto puppy grow and mature into a lovely adult dog. She had so much personality and character, and had the most adorable personality quirks. While attending my obedience classes, I was able to observe her ability to learn and absorb new concepts. Lagotti are very intelligent and learn very quickly. They love to please their owners.
One of the things I have noticed is that the Lagotto breed is often compared to the various "Doodle" mixes out there (Lab, Golden, GSD, Aussie, Mini Aussie, etc.) A big difference, in my opinion, is that the Lagotto is a much calmer dog in general. I see many (though not all) of the "Doodles" with separation anxiety issues, high stress levels and generalized neuroses.
The lovely demeanor and smaller, more compact size of the Lagotto has truly drawn me into this wonderful, ancient, purebred dog. Not to mention they come in some amazing, eye catching colours! To know a Lagotto is to love one; once you meet this breed in person, you will never want a dog of any other breed. An added bonus is that the have hair, not fur. The hair grows continuously, but it does not shed. These dogs are as hypo allergenic as a dog can be.
Note: Although it is acceptable to have a dog with a slightly undershot jaw, (bottom teeth stick out further then top teeth), we will not breed any dogs with an undershot jaw. It is our conviction that breeding dogs with faults will produce more dogs with faults. We strive to breed the best dogs to the best dogs, and breed for the betterment of the Lagotto Romagnolo.
The cost of a Lagotto Romagnolo puppy/dog runs between $3000.00-$10,000.00 + depending on training and intended use of the dog. Once we have decided that this breed is right for you and you would like to be placed on our wait list, a deposit of $500.00 (non refundable) is required.
Canadian Kennel Club Breed Standard:
Origin & Purpose -
Ancient breed of water retrieving dogs in the lowlands of Comacchio and marshlands of Ravenna. During the centuries, the great marshlands were drained and turned into arable land. Subsequently the Lagotto changed from being a waterdog to an excellent truffle dog in the flat open country and in the hills of Romagna.
General Appearance -
Small to medium-sized dog, well proportioned, square, of a rustic appearance, sturdy and robust, with a dense, curly coat of woolly texture.
Temperament -
The natural gift for searching and its very good nose has made the breed a very efficient worker in truffle searching. The former hunting instinct has been eliminated; hence his work is not distracted by the scent of game. The Lagotto is temperate, keen, affectionate, very attached to his owner and easy to train. He is a very good companion and also an excellent warning dog.
Size -
The length of the head reaches 1/10 of the height at the withers. The dog is nearly as high a long. Height = Males from 43 to 49 cm (ideal height: 46cm). Females from 41 to 46 cm (ideal height: 43cm). Tolerance 1 cm more or less. Weight = Males about 13 to 16 kg. Females about 11 to 14 kg.
Coat & Colour -
Hair: of woolly texture, a little rough in surface, forming very thick, ring shaped curls with visible undercoat. Curls must be homogenously distributed all over the body, except on the head, where the curls are more loose, forming abundant eyebrows, whiskers and beard. Even the cheeks are covered with thick hair.
Skin: close fitting all over the body, without wrinkles, thin, with scarce subcutaneous tissue, pigmentation of mucous membranes and of the carpal, digital and plantar pads ranges from light to dark and very dark brown.
Coat: the coat with the undercoat are water-proof. If not cut, the hair tends to felt; therefore a complete clipping must be performed at least once a year. Felted hair and undercoat must be removed periodically.
Colour: dingy white or white solid colour, white with liver-brown or orange markings, liver-brown roan, liver-brown solid colour (in different shades) orange solid colour. Some dogs have a brown or dark brown mask.
Head -
Viewed from above trapezoidal in shape, massive and moderately big; in profile the upper longitudinal axes of the skull and the muzzle should be slightly diverging.
Skull: wide at the zygomatic arch where its length is equal to its width. Viewed from the side, the occiput to stop, the skull should be longer than the muzzle. It is slightly convex and tends to flatten out towards the occipital region. Frontal sinuses well developed, supercilliary arches marked, medio-frontal furrow pronounced, occipital chest short and not much developed, supraorbital fossae slightly marked.
Stop: evident, but not very marked.
Nose: bulky with very wide open and mobile nostrils. Median groove strongly pronounced. Viewed in profile, the nose continues on the same level as the muzzle and protrudes very slightly from the front face of the lips. The colour ranges from light to dark liver brown, depending on coat colour.
Muzzle: is fairly broad, decidedly short than the skull (ratio: skull 56%, muzzle 44%), the depth being only slightly less than the length, it is slightly “wedge shaped," with a moderately flat anterior face. The nasal bridge has a rectilinear profile. Scarcely developed lips are covered with long and quite bristly hair forming whiskers so that the lower profile of the muzzle is determined by the mandible. Viewed from the face, the lips form a wide semi-circle. The colour of the labial edges ranges from light to dark liver brown.
Cheeks: flat.
Jaw: strong and white rectilinear branches and a relatively large mandibular body.
Teeth: scissors or pincer bite, tightly undershot mouth acceptable.
Eye: fairly large, rounded, on a level with the skin, set fairly apart. The colour of the iris ranges from ochre to hazel and dark brown depending on the colour of the coat. The close-fitting eyelids, the colour of the eye-rims ranges from light to dark liver brown. Look alert, expression keen and lively.
Ears: medium-sized in proportion to the head, triangular with rounded tips; rather large set just above the zygomatic arch. Hanging at rest or slightly raised when the dog is attentive if pulled towards the nose they should reach the muzzle at a ¼ of its length. On the ears, the hair tends to show looser curls, but remains very wavy. No short hair on the ear. The inner part of the ear-flap is covered with hair.
Neck -
Stout muscular, lean, with oval section; well detached from the nape and absolutely free from dewlap. Top line slightly arched. In males the perimeter of the neck can reach twice its length.
Forequarters -
Perpendicular, seen from the front or in profile.
Shoulder: shoulder blades long (30% of the height at withers), well laid back (52-55 degrees), muscular, strong and closely attached to the chest, but giving free movement. The scapula-humeral angle ranges between 110-115 degrees.
Upper Arm: muscular, of thin bone structure, as long as the should-blades; its inclination on the horizontal line ranges from 58-60 degrees.
Elbows: close, but not too tightly to the chest; covered with thin skin; as the uppers parallel to the sagittal plane of the body. The tip of the elbow is located on a vertical line lowered from the caudal angle of the scapula to the ground.
Forearm: perfectly straight, long (36% of the height at withers), with compact, strong bones of oval cross-section.
Pastern Joint: viewed from the face in vertical line with the forearm; fine, robust and mobile; pisiform markedly protruding.
Pastern: rather smaller and thinly boned compared to forearm, elastic, with little subcutaneous tissue; seen in profile, forms an angle of 75-80 degrees with the ground.
Forefeet: slightly rounded, compact, with arched and tight toes. Nails strong and curved. Pads well pigmented, interdigital membranes very well developed.
Body -
Compact and strong; almost as long as the height at withers.
Topline: rectilinear from the withers to the croup.
Withers: they rise above the level of the croup; they are not narrow, but quite high set and extended backwards.
Back: rectilinear, very muscular.
Loin: short coupled, strong, in profile slightly arched. Width is equal or exceeds the length.
Croup: long, large, muscular, slightly sloping (cozal inclination ranges from 25-30 degrees).
Chest: well developed, reaching down to the elbows. Although fairly narrow in front, from the sixth rib the chest widens backwards.
Underline and Belly: long sternal section followed by a short section forming a straight line and by a long line sloping gently towards the abdomen which rises in form of a semicircle; the abdomen is not too tucked up.
Hindquarters -
Perpendicular, powerful, well-proportioned to the size of the dog.
Thigh: long (35% of the height at withers), with clearly separated and visible muscles. The axis of the femur has a markedly top/down and back ahead inclination of 80 degrees on the horizontal line. The coxo-femoral angle ranges from 105-110 degree. The thigh is parallel to the median plane of the body.
Stifle: the angle of the stifle joint ranges from 130-150 degrees.
Lower Thigh: slightly longer than the thigh (33% of the height at withers), well boned and muscled, with marked muscular groove. Its inclination to the horizontal line ranges from 50-55 degrees.
Hock Joint: large, thick, lean with clear-cut bone outgrowths; parallel to the medium plane of the body; the tibio-matatarsal angle is 140 degrees.
Hock: thin, cylindrical, perpendicular to the ground.
Hind Feet: slightly more oval-shaped and toes not as arched at the forefeet.
Tail -
Neither too high nor too low set, tapering towards the end. When extended, it should slightly touch the hocks. At rest carried scimitar like; when attentive decidedly raised. When working or excited can be carried over the back, but never curled.
Gait -
Pace regular, trot resolute and lovely, gallop in short periods.
Faults -
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
• Axes of the skull and the muzzle converging
• Dish faced
• Pronounced and disturbing undershot mouth
• Butterfly nose
• Bilateral strabismus
• Coat not curled or close shaven
• Black coat or black markings
• Dewclaws
• Docked tail
• Oversize or undersize
• Overshot mouth
• Depigmentated nose
• Wall-eye
• Rope-like coat
Guideline Measures -
Length of head reaches 4/10th of the height at the withers, length of skull should slightly more than 50% of the total length of the head; length of muzzle is 2/10th less than that of the skull (44% to 56%). Depth of muzzle should be 8.5/10th of the length of muzzle (about 40% of the total head length), width of muzzle should be 3.5/10th less than the length of the muzzle (about 29% of the total length of the head), neck should be 8.5/10th of the total length of the head, length of back should be about 33% of the height at withers, length of loin should be about 1/6 of height at withers, length of croup should be about 32% of the height at withers, depth of chest is less than 50% (about 44%) of the height at withers, forearms should be 56% of total height at withers.
Origin & Purpose -
Ancient breed of water retrieving dogs in the lowlands of Comacchio and marshlands of Ravenna. During the centuries, the great marshlands were drained and turned into arable land. Subsequently the Lagotto changed from being a waterdog to an excellent truffle dog in the flat open country and in the hills of Romagna.
General Appearance -
Small to medium-sized dog, well proportioned, square, of a rustic appearance, sturdy and robust, with a dense, curly coat of woolly texture.
Temperament -
The natural gift for searching and its very good nose has made the breed a very efficient worker in truffle searching. The former hunting instinct has been eliminated; hence his work is not distracted by the scent of game. The Lagotto is temperate, keen, affectionate, very attached to his owner and easy to train. He is a very good companion and also an excellent warning dog.
Size -
The length of the head reaches 1/10 of the height at the withers. The dog is nearly as high a long. Height = Males from 43 to 49 cm (ideal height: 46cm). Females from 41 to 46 cm (ideal height: 43cm). Tolerance 1 cm more or less. Weight = Males about 13 to 16 kg. Females about 11 to 14 kg.
Coat & Colour -
Hair: of woolly texture, a little rough in surface, forming very thick, ring shaped curls with visible undercoat. Curls must be homogenously distributed all over the body, except on the head, where the curls are more loose, forming abundant eyebrows, whiskers and beard. Even the cheeks are covered with thick hair.
Skin: close fitting all over the body, without wrinkles, thin, with scarce subcutaneous tissue, pigmentation of mucous membranes and of the carpal, digital and plantar pads ranges from light to dark and very dark brown.
Coat: the coat with the undercoat are water-proof. If not cut, the hair tends to felt; therefore a complete clipping must be performed at least once a year. Felted hair and undercoat must be removed periodically.
Colour: dingy white or white solid colour, white with liver-brown or orange markings, liver-brown roan, liver-brown solid colour (in different shades) orange solid colour. Some dogs have a brown or dark brown mask.
Head -
Viewed from above trapezoidal in shape, massive and moderately big; in profile the upper longitudinal axes of the skull and the muzzle should be slightly diverging.
Skull: wide at the zygomatic arch where its length is equal to its width. Viewed from the side, the occiput to stop, the skull should be longer than the muzzle. It is slightly convex and tends to flatten out towards the occipital region. Frontal sinuses well developed, supercilliary arches marked, medio-frontal furrow pronounced, occipital chest short and not much developed, supraorbital fossae slightly marked.
Stop: evident, but not very marked.
Nose: bulky with very wide open and mobile nostrils. Median groove strongly pronounced. Viewed in profile, the nose continues on the same level as the muzzle and protrudes very slightly from the front face of the lips. The colour ranges from light to dark liver brown, depending on coat colour.
Muzzle: is fairly broad, decidedly short than the skull (ratio: skull 56%, muzzle 44%), the depth being only slightly less than the length, it is slightly “wedge shaped," with a moderately flat anterior face. The nasal bridge has a rectilinear profile. Scarcely developed lips are covered with long and quite bristly hair forming whiskers so that the lower profile of the muzzle is determined by the mandible. Viewed from the face, the lips form a wide semi-circle. The colour of the labial edges ranges from light to dark liver brown.
Cheeks: flat.
Jaw: strong and white rectilinear branches and a relatively large mandibular body.
Teeth: scissors or pincer bite, tightly undershot mouth acceptable.
Eye: fairly large, rounded, on a level with the skin, set fairly apart. The colour of the iris ranges from ochre to hazel and dark brown depending on the colour of the coat. The close-fitting eyelids, the colour of the eye-rims ranges from light to dark liver brown. Look alert, expression keen and lively.
Ears: medium-sized in proportion to the head, triangular with rounded tips; rather large set just above the zygomatic arch. Hanging at rest or slightly raised when the dog is attentive if pulled towards the nose they should reach the muzzle at a ¼ of its length. On the ears, the hair tends to show looser curls, but remains very wavy. No short hair on the ear. The inner part of the ear-flap is covered with hair.
Neck -
Stout muscular, lean, with oval section; well detached from the nape and absolutely free from dewlap. Top line slightly arched. In males the perimeter of the neck can reach twice its length.
Forequarters -
Perpendicular, seen from the front or in profile.
Shoulder: shoulder blades long (30% of the height at withers), well laid back (52-55 degrees), muscular, strong and closely attached to the chest, but giving free movement. The scapula-humeral angle ranges between 110-115 degrees.
Upper Arm: muscular, of thin bone structure, as long as the should-blades; its inclination on the horizontal line ranges from 58-60 degrees.
Elbows: close, but not too tightly to the chest; covered with thin skin; as the uppers parallel to the sagittal plane of the body. The tip of the elbow is located on a vertical line lowered from the caudal angle of the scapula to the ground.
Forearm: perfectly straight, long (36% of the height at withers), with compact, strong bones of oval cross-section.
Pastern Joint: viewed from the face in vertical line with the forearm; fine, robust and mobile; pisiform markedly protruding.
Pastern: rather smaller and thinly boned compared to forearm, elastic, with little subcutaneous tissue; seen in profile, forms an angle of 75-80 degrees with the ground.
Forefeet: slightly rounded, compact, with arched and tight toes. Nails strong and curved. Pads well pigmented, interdigital membranes very well developed.
Body -
Compact and strong; almost as long as the height at withers.
Topline: rectilinear from the withers to the croup.
Withers: they rise above the level of the croup; they are not narrow, but quite high set and extended backwards.
Back: rectilinear, very muscular.
Loin: short coupled, strong, in profile slightly arched. Width is equal or exceeds the length.
Croup: long, large, muscular, slightly sloping (cozal inclination ranges from 25-30 degrees).
Chest: well developed, reaching down to the elbows. Although fairly narrow in front, from the sixth rib the chest widens backwards.
Underline and Belly: long sternal section followed by a short section forming a straight line and by a long line sloping gently towards the abdomen which rises in form of a semicircle; the abdomen is not too tucked up.
Hindquarters -
Perpendicular, powerful, well-proportioned to the size of the dog.
Thigh: long (35% of the height at withers), with clearly separated and visible muscles. The axis of the femur has a markedly top/down and back ahead inclination of 80 degrees on the horizontal line. The coxo-femoral angle ranges from 105-110 degree. The thigh is parallel to the median plane of the body.
Stifle: the angle of the stifle joint ranges from 130-150 degrees.
Lower Thigh: slightly longer than the thigh (33% of the height at withers), well boned and muscled, with marked muscular groove. Its inclination to the horizontal line ranges from 50-55 degrees.
Hock Joint: large, thick, lean with clear-cut bone outgrowths; parallel to the medium plane of the body; the tibio-matatarsal angle is 140 degrees.
Hock: thin, cylindrical, perpendicular to the ground.
Hind Feet: slightly more oval-shaped and toes not as arched at the forefeet.
Tail -
Neither too high nor too low set, tapering towards the end. When extended, it should slightly touch the hocks. At rest carried scimitar like; when attentive decidedly raised. When working or excited can be carried over the back, but never curled.
Gait -
Pace regular, trot resolute and lovely, gallop in short periods.
Faults -
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
• Axes of the skull and the muzzle converging
• Dish faced
• Pronounced and disturbing undershot mouth
• Butterfly nose
• Bilateral strabismus
• Coat not curled or close shaven
• Black coat or black markings
• Dewclaws
• Docked tail
• Oversize or undersize
• Overshot mouth
• Depigmentated nose
• Wall-eye
• Rope-like coat
Guideline Measures -
Length of head reaches 4/10th of the height at the withers, length of skull should slightly more than 50% of the total length of the head; length of muzzle is 2/10th less than that of the skull (44% to 56%). Depth of muzzle should be 8.5/10th of the length of muzzle (about 40% of the total head length), width of muzzle should be 3.5/10th less than the length of the muzzle (about 29% of the total length of the head), neck should be 8.5/10th of the total length of the head, length of back should be about 33% of the height at withers, length of loin should be about 1/6 of height at withers, length of croup should be about 32% of the height at withers, depth of chest is less than 50% (about 44%) of the height at withers, forearms should be 56% of total height at withers.