Lagotto Romagnolo

About this Breed

Lagotto Romagnolos are an Italian breed of dog from the Romagna region of Italy. Sporting curly hair and charming faces, they were originally bred as hunting dogs during the Medieval Period; however, today they are mostly kept as pets and as a different kind of hunting dog—Lagotto Romagnolos are expert truffle dogs. Their wonderful sense of smell makes them a great candidate for finding and unearthing truffles, rare and expensive mushrooms that are considered culinary delicacies.

Lagotto Romagnolos are very much “working dogs” and likely won’t be satisfied if they spend most of their time indoors. Because of this, they do best with families that are active and spend a lot of time outside. If interested in truffle hunting, prospective owners can purchase Lagotto Romagnolos that were specially trained to find truffles. If kept simply as pets, however, it is very important that Lagotto Romagnolos are given enough time outside and adequate exercise, or they can become bored and subsequently destructive. Due to this, they aren’t ideal apartment dogs—though they can adapt if need be—and would generally do better in a suburban or rural environment. Mental exercise is just as important as physical exercise; Lagotto Romagnolos are very intelligent and can get bored easily. Enrolling Lagotto Romagnolos in a dog sport or obedience training is a great way to keep them occupied.

Lagotto Romagnolos are very loving and loyal dogs and are a great choice for families with children and other pets. They get along well with other dogs and can do very well with cats if socialized with them from a young age. They have sweet demeanors and are relatively easy to train with proper instruction.

Another great thing about Lagotto Romagnolos is that they shed very little, and they are as close to hypoallergenic as a dog can be (though no dog is completely safe for people who are severely allergic to dogs). They make great companions for families that are sensitive to allergy issues and who are looking to add an active and sweet dog to their home.