Lagotto Romagnolo: Breed Field Guide Cards

Compact, curly, and built for scent work, the Lagotto Romagnolo is an Italian water dog that became a truffle hunter. The breed standard describes a sturdy, nearly square small-to-medium dog with a dense woolly coat, ring-shaped curls, webbed feet, and a tail carried in a scimitar position at rest. 1

Daily life is active: The Royal Kennel Club lists more than two hours of exercise per day, grooming more than once a week, a country setting, and a lifespan of over 12 years. Those numbers describe the breed profile, not a guarantee for an individual dog. 2

The standard calls the Lagotto lively, intelligent, affectionate, adaptable, and easy to train. That can make a rewarding family companion, provided the household can supply daily movement, scent-based work, and space to explore; it is a poor match for a home looking for a low-input dog. The breed is listed by the FCI as No. 298 in Group 8. 13

Its origin story explains the nose: it first retrieved waterfowl in the marshlands of Romagna, then shifted toward truffle hunting as the marshes were drained. The coat’s natural, unsculpted curls, plus the eyebrows, whiskers, beard, and webbed feet, are the field marks to look for. 12