Lagotto Romagnolo
An Italian water retriever that changed careers into truffle hunting when its marshes were drained. Sheds almost nothing, mats easily, and starts digging if you do not give its nose something to solve.
- Weight
- 11–16 kg
- Lifespan
- 15–17 years
Weight and lifespan are reference ranges from the breed guide. They vary by sex, lineage and individual dog and do not predict your dog’s ideal weight or lifespan. Read the care descriptions alongside the individual dog’s history.
Background and characteristics
The Lagotto Romagnolo retrieved waterfowl from the marshes of Romagna in northern Italy until those wetlands were drained for farmland in the nineteenth century. The job disappeared, but the nose did not, and the dogs were redirected to searching out truffles underground. It is now effectively the only breed developed specifically for truffle work, and that history explains the temperament exactly.
This dog is satisfied by solving scent problems, and if you do not supply them it will dig up the garden looking for its own.
Exercise and play
An hour of daily exercise is about right, but the distance matters less than the sniffing. Ten to fifteen minutes a day of hidden treats, a snuffle mat, or a simple find-the-scent game does more for an indoor Lagotto's behaviour than an extra mile of walking. With a lifespan of fifteen to seventeen years, this is a long commitment, so think about whether you can keep supplying that enrichment for the whole of it.
Coat and everyday care
The coat is a dense, woolly single coat of tight curls. It sheds almost nothing and mats readily, and it is not managed like a long silky coat. The point is to keep the curl at a workable length rather than brushing it out into fluff, so most owners check for mats weekly and have the whole coat scissored or clipped down three or four times a year.
Hair growing over the eyes and inside the ears needs attention more often than that.
Before bringing this dog home
Two habits surprise new owners: alert barking at household and street noise, and digging when the dog is under-stimulated. On health, this breed has DNA tests for benign juvenile epilepsy and for a storage disease, and hip dysplasia and progressive retinal atrophy also come up, so ask for results rather than reassurance.
Home environment and care planning
The size suits apartments and terraced houses well, and the low shedding helps in carpeted homes. In humid weather, dry the curls all the way to the skin after baths and keep the coat shorter through summer, because damp wool against the skin invites hot spots and ear trouble.