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Is This Breed Right For You?

Find Your Perfect Dog

Well that depends on you! Do you like teaching skills, playing outdoors, training dogs and having to be one step ahead of your favorite companion?

People come to Lagotto for a variety of reasons, on paper the breed ticks a LOT of the right boxes for people. Things like medium sized, hypoallergenic, smart and biddable all sound really positive and are for the most part true of the breed.

However, there are also claims that they are easy to groom and care for and undemanding. These claims are pretty much NOT true. “Undemanding” was removed from the Breed Standard in 2020. It turns out that while “undemanding” was the correct translation from the Italian word, it doesn’t mean the same to the Italians as it means to us. Undemanding was really closer to “easy keeper” and wasn’t so much a description of temperament as it was was an attempt to convey that they didn’t need a lot of resources, like food!

On grooming, they will need to visit the groomer at least every 6-8 weeks if you intend for them to look like the pictures you see on our website. A good shave down for Summer is a great plan for pet dogs in order for them to enjoy water sports or hikes. Or Mud. It is not true (or good practice to allow them to go unbrushed, and then shave them down every 3 months. Yet, still you will see this as a grooming suggestion. Remember that in the US, most of us enjoy having our dogs in the house or even in our beds, with a coat like Velcro capable of bringing the forest indoors. You will not be happy if you opt for this level of grooming for your dog! If you are looking for a show dog, your grooming will be to keep the dog unmatted with the correct silhouette which is going to require keeping the coat from matting and scissoring in to shape at least Bi-weekly. And their toenails just grow and grow….part of their tools for truffle hunting they don’t wear down easily.

Considering a Lagotto Romagnolo puppy? Research the Lagotto breed to ensure it fits your lifestyle. Visit breeders, dog shows, or performance events to meet these loyal, intelligent dogs. Evaluate your commitment to a Lagotto 15 to 17-year lifespan, including training and care. Explore About Lagotto for insights. Join us to connect with the Lagotto Romagnolo Club of America community!

Are Lagotto good with children?2026-01-15T14:19:31+00:00

They can be! They also might not be. Ensuring that the breeder you choose does a good job socializing the puppies while they are in their care is a good start! Many breeders do the full Puppy culture of Avid Puppy protocols. But remember a shy puppy is a shy puppy, and while they might do just fine with the children in your family, they may or may not take to the idea of non-family members coming over for play dates. This isn’t meant to imply that they are not good with kids, just that the breed is still fairly inconsistent and there are dogs that are at all ends of the “kid spectrum” currently.

How big do Lagotto get?2026-01-16T18:38:23+00:00

Lagotto males should be between 16.5 and 19.5 iinches tall at the shoulder blades, and females between 15.5 and 18.5”. Weights should be between 25-35 pounds (they aren’t a big dog under all that hair!) However, we currently have many lagotto that are oversized and are in the 40-55 pound range. Breeders are working on getting the size down, but we are still surprised at time when an especially large one pops up! And remember that statement about being an easy keeper? Lagotto are healthy eaters and can eat themselves into trouble. You will have to keep a watch on their weight, they should not be free fed!

How much grooming do Lagotto need?2026-01-16T18:59:17+00:00

See above. Honestly, more than you think. However, it is not the precision grooming of a poodle. You can absolutely learn how to do it yourself, even for show. You need a breeder who will mentor you on what you need and how to procede. Currently, it is very difficult to find a groomer that know much about Lagotto. Many folks have been pretty upset to drop off their Lagotto at the groomer and come back and find they have been “Doodled”!

Do Lagotto shed much?2026-01-16T18:43:13+00:00

Only into their own coat. You won’t find it on the floor. It’s busy making mats on the dog. Really.

Are Lagotto good with other pets?2026-01-16T18:45:34+00:00

Often yes. As with any other breed, they are best when raised to respect the boundaries of the other pets in the family.

Do Lagotto adapt easily?2026-01-16T18:46:05+00:00

They should. Shy dogs will have a more difficult time. The ability to adapt to circumstances is also part of what the Italian description of “undemanding”, that sort of go with the flow attitude will be more prominent in dogs who have outgoing temperaments.

Are Lagotto easy to train?2026-01-16T18:46:56+00:00

Yes! But you have to be one step ahead of them. Small training sessions throughout the day are important. THEY ARE BUSY. They can be destructive and somewhat neurotic if they don’t have enough mental stimulation. If you don’t like training animals, THIS IS NOT THE BREED FOR YOU!

Are Lagotto smarter than other breeds?2026-01-16T18:47:24+00:00

Definitely among the smartest! In terms of energy for training they are a couple of “clicks” down from a Border Collie. They can be fantastic in competitive obedience, good at heeling with lots of body awareness, and agile. They should be recognized soon as they wonderful agility dogs that they are as well. And if you enjoy scent sports, you’ll find that not only are they smart but they are very adept at using the world class scenting equipment that they have been bred for in order to locate truffles. They can be a lot of fun to train. So if that sounds like something you’re looking for, THIS IS THE BREED FOR YOU!

How long do Lagotto live?2026-01-16T18:47:52+00:00

Not long enough ☹ A lot of the original information on the breed states 14-16 years. However, most of us in this country have experienced that it’s more like 10-13.

Do Lagotto bark a lot?2026-01-16T18:48:14+00:00

Yes! They are alarm barkers. There may not be anything there. Or they might be barking at their own tail thumping on the floor. And they expect you to fix it, whatever it is.

What type of health issues should my breeder be checking?2025-12-04T14:39:21+00:00

At a minimum, Hips, eyes, Patella and our genetic diseases: BFJE and LSD. Many breeders also check Hearts, we have had some instances of Sub Aortic Stenosis in the Breed. Globally, we Lagotto fanciers are searching for the genetic marker for Cerebellar Abiotrophy. This disease is unfortunately fatal with an onset in late puppy hood. Additionally, breeders should be checking for the proper coat gene (it’s possible for a Lagotto to be born with a “smooth” (and shedding!) coat from two normal coated parents. There is no reason not to test for this, and no reason to produce it as we know the mode of inheritance and the genetic markers.

Check on our Health page, to read about the breeding tests that grant a dog a CHIC numbers, through the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). This is a great discussion to have with a potential breeder. And if missing these important tests (with passing or carrier only status) on the parents? This is not the breeder for you!

2026-01-16T19:25:18+00:00

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