Lagotto Romagnolo


The Lagotto Romagnolo is an Italian breed of dog. It originates in the marshlands of the Delta del Po in the eastern part of the Romagna sub-region of Italy. The name derives from Can Lagòt, meaning "water dog". Its traditional function was as a gundog, specifically a water retriever; since the drainage of large areas of wetland habitat in its area of origin, it is now more often used to hunt for truffles.

History

The Lagotto is a breed of water retriever from the lowlands of Comacchio and marshlands of Ravenna, Italy. Modern water retrieving dog breeds are believed to have descended in part from the Lagotto Romagnolo.
Andrea Mantegna in the 1474 work titled "The Meeting" depicts a small dog in the lower left corner that resembles a Lagotto.
It was provisionally accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1995, and received full acceptance in 2005. In 2018 the Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana recorded 2207 new registrations.

Characteristics

The Lagotto is of small to medium size, rarely over at the withers, powerfully built and of rustic appearance. It is roughly square in outline, the body length more or less equal to the height. The coat is thick, wool-like and tightly curled into ringlets. It may be completely off-white, or off-white with orange or brown patches or roaning, or solid orange or brown either with or without white markings.
A Lagotto usually lives for about fifteen years. Neurological disorders that have been identified in the breed include cerebellar abiotrophy and idiopathic epilepsy.