“Oh, how adorable! Look at your dog sniffing around the base of those oak trees – he really must be onto something! Is that a Doodle mix?”
“No, actually, it’s a Lagotto Romagnolo puppy!”
“Come again? A Ray Romano puppy? What? Tell me more!”
Many Lagotto Romagnolo puppy owners have had people with inquiring minds do a double-take when they find out about your intriguing breed they’ve probably never heard of. A Lagotto Romagnolo is a somewhat rare Italian sporting dog with a unique story involving ducks, truffles, and a fierce love for their owners.
Several dog breeds, such as Border Collies herding sheep and St. Bernards rescuing wayward travelers trapped in alpine avalanches, are known for their special abilities. However, the Lagotto Romagnolo, sometimes going by Lagotti Romagnoli, stands out as the only dog breed in the world that has been specifically developed to hunt truffles.
In addition to being a sweet, cuddly dog, a Lagotto Romagnolo puppy is an efficient, enthusiastic worker with an excellent sense of smell. While you may not have ducks or truffles to hunt daily, you’ll love the close bond a Lagotto Romagnolo puppy forms with its owner and its affectionate nature. Find out what it’s like to live with Lagotto Romagnolo puppies with our ultimate guide.
What Does Their Fancy-Sounding Long Name Mean?
Pronounced “Low-got-tow Ro-man-yow-low,” these cute, hard-working pups are also called Lagotti Romagnoli. A Lagotto Romagnolo puppy is named directly after its purpose and geographical region. "Lago” is the Italian word for lake. In addition, people who live in the regional town of Lagosanto are called “Lagotto.” In the local dialect of Romagna, Italy, “Càn Lagòt” translates directly to “water dog” or “wetland hunting dog with a crimped, curly coat."
Talk about a unique, specific name!
Militia Company of District VIII under the Command of Captain Roelof Bicker, 1643 (Oil on Canvas), Bartholomeus van der Helst
The History and Origin of Lagotto Romagnolo Puppies
Lagotto Romagnolo puppies have been around since the formation of the Silk Road when dogs matching current-day descriptions were introduced in the northern Adriatic regions. They found a home in Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, which also happened to be the capital city of the Western Roman Empire.
The lagoons and lakes in this region were a hotbed of waterfowl activity. The locals learned quickly that Lagotto Romagnolo were excellent duck hunters, plunging into water no matter the season to retrieve bodies of slain ducks. Their thick, waterproof curly coats kept them warm even when diving around blocks of ice to bring back game.
The switch from ducks to truffles
Over time, truffles’ reputation as a rare delicacy increased as a valuable commodity to trade. Lagotto Romagnolo dogs gradually transitioned from water dogs to truffle hunters between 1840-1890. However, truffle hunters began mixing some Lagotto Romagnolos outside a certain area with other dogs in pursuit of an even better truffle hunter dog without much success.
With the change to cultivating truffles, the loss of woodlands due to human growth, and the two World Wars, the Lagotto Romagnolo was on the brink of extinction. A small group of enthusiasts brought the breed back in the 1970s, working from a strain that remained a near-perfect copy of the original dog.
Since then, several clubs and organizations have worked tirelessly to develop standards and gain recognition for this unique breed, first with the FCI in 1995 and AKC in 2015.
Today, Lagotto Romagnolo puppies are regarded best for their companionship and for being excellent family dogs, but some are still used for truffle hunting in the hills and woodlands of Italy and elsewhere. Several truffle festivals held around the world feature truffle-hunting contests with Lagotto Romagnolos consistently winning top prizes.
What’s So Special About Truffles?
A truffle is a type of fungus belonging to the mushroom family that is one of the most expensive foods in the world money can buy. The global truffle market is expected to grow to over $6 billion within about ten years!
Truffles are expensive because they’re very hard to find, have a specific seasonal growing timeframe, and take many years to grow. They flourish at the base of oak trees undisturbed deep into the woods.
The process of finding truffles is labor-intensive and requires dogs with a keen sense of smell to locate them. Once found, it has a short shelf life and begins losing its moisture, necessitating a quick way to get to customers before they are useless.
Why go through so much trouble to harvest these difficult, temperamental fungi? A truffle has a pungent, heady smell and an earthy, musky taste prized in cuisines worldwide.
Lagotto Romagnolos are the perfect breed for hunting truffles. They are obedient and truly love their task. They are hard workers without being distracted by a hunting instinct for animals and prey – just truffles. The dense, curly coat and medium, stocky build make traipsing through thorns and low-lying brush easy, even in harsh weather conditions over a variety of terrains.
What Do Lagotto Romagnolo Puppies Look Like?
Some people may mistake Lagotto Romagnolos for a type of small-to-medium-sized doodle mix thanks to their curly coats and button noses, but they are purebred dogs.
Lagotto Romagnolo puppies will not grow to be very big, standing 16-19 inches tall and weighing 24-35 pounds. They have stocky, athletic bodies that have been described as rustic-looking. They have an air about them that they are always ready to work in the toughest of conditions while also looking like teddy bears!
A distinct physical trait of a Lagotto Romagnolo puppy is its wooly, dense, curly coat crowned by a lavish beard, eyebrows, and whiskers according to the AKC. Their coat feels more like human hair rather than traditional dog fur and doesn’t shed much. A Lagotto Romagnolo puppy’s coat can be one or a combination of seven colors with five different masks and markings including orange, white, brown, sable, roan, and off-white to name a few.
What Lagotto Romagnolo Owners Want You to Know
While most people are familiar with the daily lives of more popular breeds such as Golden Retrievers or Boston Terriers, Lagotto Romagnolo puppy owners know these dogs have special traits to consider before owning one. Here’s a glimpse into the world of life with a Lagotto Romagnolo puppy.
Owner loyalty
Perhaps as part of their working dog heritage, a Lagotto Romagnolo is extremely attached to its owner. They bond well with everyone in the family and are good watchdogs even though they are not aggressive.
Very adaptive
Because of their size and pleasant attitudes, Lagotto Romagnolo puppies are versatile and adaptable to every living situation. They do well in apartments with no yard as long as they get exercised regularly or just as well in the suburbs with a large yard.
The get-along gang
Lagotto Romagnolo puppies are very sociable and love being around other pets and people. They make great canine friends for children granted the children are taught how to behave around puppies and treat them gently. Lagotto Romagnolo puppies get along well with other household pets, as they do not have strong prey drives.
Pleasant temperaments
These puppies are sweet and affectionate with their owners. They are always happy to see you and are rarely moody or sad. Lagotto Romagnolo puppies are always up for playtime and view life as one big game.
Great for first-time owners
A Lagotto Romagnolo is not a demanding dog, so first-time owners will not be overwhelmed by specific needs. They are relatively easy to care for if you keep up with their grooming needs, healthy, and fun to have around.
Attentive expressions
Some Lagotto Romagnolo puppy owners swear their little faces take on human-like expressions. The way they cock your head and look at you with their dark, round eyes convey they can understand what you’re saying. Owners also report they are in tune with their owner’s moods.
Training a Lagotto Romagnolo puppy
With some intelligent dogs comes a stubborn streak to do things their way, but a Lagotto Romagnolo is both intelligent and eager to please its owner without being difficult. The key to training Lagotto Romagnolo puppies is to be consistent in the method you choose. They do not respond well to harsh methods, so an approach using positive reinforcement and lots of praise is one that will work best.
Grooming needs
The thick, curly coat of Lagotto Romagnolo puppies do need some regular care to look good. Most dogs will keep their ring-shaped curls with a natural-looking cut instead of fluffing out the curls or clipping them short. Lagotto Romagnolo puppies’ coats can mat easily, so keeping up with daily brushing is a must. Their coats are not oily like other water-loving dogs, so you’ll only need to bathe them when they start getting stinky.
Care needs
Lagotto Romagnolo puppies will live to be Lagotto Romagnolo puppies can live to be 15-17 years old with proper care – quite a long life in dog years. It’s important to take good care of them so they will lead a full life. Keep up with scheduled vaccinations, give them preventative flea, tick, and heartworm medication, and give them body scans as you brush them to examine their eyes, ears, teeth, skin, and nails. Feed them a nutritious diet.
Possible health concerns
While a relatively healthy breed thanks to centuries of strong genetics, Lagotto Romagnolo puppies may grow up to experience health problems.
- Lagotto Storage Disease is only present in the Lagotto Romagnolo dog breed. It’s a progressive neurological disorder that is fatal, so monitor your puppy for sudden changes in aggression, restlessness, or depression.
- Juvenile epilepsy can cause seizures, but most puppies grow out of it.
- Hip and elbow dysplasia can cause painful joint issues.
Activity Level & Exercise Requirements For Lagotto Romagnolo Puppies
As members of the Working Dog category, Lagotto Romagnolo puppies need lots of exercise and opportunities to tap into their incredible sense of smell and love of water. You can exercise your Lagotto Romagnolo puppy for around 45 minutes a day with chances for both physical and mental stimulation.
Active but not hyper
One great trait about this pleasant breed is they are highly active without being hyper or too out of control. They settle easily and are lively without being annoying.
Ways to exercise them
A Lagotto Romagnolo puppy would love to go on scent walks, where they are allowed a leisurely opportunity on a long lead to sniff to their heart’s content to explore new, exciting smells. Lagotto Romagnolo puppies love to swim, so giving them lots of opportunities in pools, creeks, lakes, or beaches would be a fun outing for them.
Fun with dog sports
Rather than just walking them around the block, you should try out some different dog sports for Lagotto Romagnolos. Give the following a try:
- Agility
- Tracking
- Obedience
- Rally
- Dock diving
- Freestyle dancing
- Nosework
- Flyball
Where Can I Find Lagotto Romagnolo Puppies?
Because of their special skills and specific history, it may not surprise you to learn that finding Lagotto Romagnolo puppy breeders can be exceedingly difficult. You may experience long waitlists and even seek these dogs out internationally. The AKC lists Lagotti Romagnoli as #76 in the Most Popular Dog Breeds of 2022, right above the Biewer Terrier and below Staffordshire Bull Terriers.
In addition, due to their rarity, puppy scammers will seek to cash in on the opportunity to fool people into thinking a doodle mix is a Lagotto Romagnolo. They might use pictures stolen from internet searches and pull the old switcheroo on you by delivering a puppy that closely resembles the photo but is instead an entirely different breed.
Pawrade Offers Lagotto Romagnolo Puppies
At Pawrade, we understand it can be difficult to find Lagotto Romagnolo puppies, but have no fear – we have a fantastic solution to help you end your search by letting us take over.
- We offer a scam-free pet adoption solution via a secure transaction management system so you never have to worry about losing your money. We will never ask for unsecured payment methods like a check, money order, or via apps like Zelle.
- Each Lagotto Romagnolo comes with a comprehensive health guarantee designed to protect you, the breeder, and most importantly, the puppy.
- We have partnered with hand-selected, pre-screened Lagotto Romagnolo breeders that meet our rigorous partner standards so you don’t have to do the heavy lifting yourself of finding a reputable breeder.
- We make delivery options easy. You can choose to meet your puppy in a centralized location, have a few options for flying, or have your puppy arrive right at your doorstep.
- Our teams work together seamlessly to provide the ultimate puppy adoption experience, from the first inquiry through post-delivery.
Check out our Lagotto Romagnolo puppies for sale to have your very own truffle hunter to give you unconditional love as your loyal sidekick.
