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Lagotto romagnolo is an ancient breed dating back several hundred years and comes, as the name tells, from the region Emilia Romagna in Italy. It is a working breed and are used for finding truffles. With the help of it's amazing sense of smell, the dogs can find the exclusive fungus that can grow up to 60 centimeters below the surface. The seek are often taken Place in very difficult terrain and it is important that the dog can search both accurately and consistently.
In Sweden has the breed, like most other breeds, become more of a companion dog, but it is important to point out that it is still an active breed with much willingness to work. How we choose to work with our dogs can be very different. Many people use them to train and compete in various dog sports such as agility, obedience or differnt kind of search. On the island Gotland in Sweden, where it grows wild truffle, they are used for what they originally are supposed to do, to find truffles. The fact that there in most placec doesnt grow "real" does not matter, many lagotto are different varieties of inedible truffles such as deer truffles or are trained to look for something else, such as toys, candy or why not other kinds of mushrooms.
Lago is the italian word for lake and that the lagotto is a breed that loves water does most of the lagottoowners know. It's not that strange since the breed has been used as a waterdog long before they decided to reschool it as a truffledog.
The curly coat is a well known hallmark of the Lagotto and it is perceived as a non-sheding breed because the coat it loses doesn't fall to the floor but remain in the coat and forms, if not removed, tangles. Lagotto is thus a breed that requires a lot of grooming to keep it in good condition both for show and daily life. To simplify the grooming the coat can be clipped short, it will then forme less tangles in it and it becomes easier to look after.
When we got our first lagotto we had been without a dog for about a year. We were looking for a bright and alert dog who gladly got to be of a working breed and by a coincidence Johanna's grandmother came across an article on the Internet about a Lagotto who were looking chanterelles. We read more about the breed and during the next two years, we visited different kennels and interviewed everyone we met with a lagotto to finally decide on one breeder. In the spring of 2005, both we and Johanna's grandmother and grandfather got our first lagottos and even though it was a lot of work with two puppies at the same time in the family the breed immediatly went directly in our hearts.
Together with our lagottos we have made several trips to Italy where we have participated both at radunos and competed in truffletrials with fine results. In 2009 Lex was placed as the best male at the raduno in Bagnara and fourth in classe libera at the truffletrial which gave him second place overall in the competition for the combinat, a very prestigious award that has not yet been conquered by any non-Italian dog. In 2012 the truffletrials became an official competition in Italy and since Lex was first out on the track, he also became the first Lagotto to find truffles at an official trial.
We consider it important to preserve the lagottos original working characteristics in combination with a healthy dog and with a correct exterior. To regularly travel to Italy, to participate in the trial, shows and to meet many breeders and breedenthusiasts enables us to keep us updated on what's happening in the breed.