LAGOTTO ROMAGNOLO                                                                                                                                                    RECOGNIZED: 2020 Effective: July 2026

The breed standard outlines the ideal characteristics, temperament and appearance of a breed, and ensures that a dog can carry out its original purpose. Breeders and judges should be mindful to prioritize dogs that are healthy and sound in both mind and body.

ORIGIN & PURPOSE
Ancient breed of retrieving water dogs in the lowlands of Comacchio and marshlands of Ravenna in Italy. During the centuries, the great marshlands were drained and turned into arable land. Subsequently the Lagotto changed from being a water dog to an excellent truffle dog in the flat open country and in the hills of Romagna.
A natural gift for searching and its very good nose has made the breed very efficient in truffle searching. The former hunting instinct has been modified by genetic selection; hence his work is not distracted by the scent of game.

GENERAL APPEARANCE
Small to medium-sized dog, well proportioned, nearly square, powerfully built, of a rustic appearance, with a dense, curly coat of woolly texture. Overall, the Lagotto gives the impression that it can withstand hard weather conditions and show endurance, strength and sound movement.

TEMPERAMENT
The Lagotto is highly intelligent, tractable, undemanding, adaptable, keen, affectionate, very attached to his owner and easy to train. He is a very good companion and also an excellent watchdog. This breed should never be aggressive or overly shy.

SIZE
Height at the withers:
Dogs from 43 to 48 cm (17 to 19 in); ideal height 46 cm (18 in)
Bitches from 41 to 46 cm (16.25 to 18 in); ideal height 43 cm (17 in)
Tolerance 1 cm (0.4 in) more or less for either sex.
Weight:
Dogs, 13 to 16 kg (28.75 to 35.25 lb); bitches, 11 to 14 kg (24.25 to 31 lb)

COAT
Hair: Of woolly texture, semi-rough on the surface, with ring-shaped curls (not frizz) and visible undercoat. The coat is never twisted in an attempt to form cords. Curls must be evenly distributed over the body, tail, head (including eyebrows whiskers, beard and cheeks). The curls may not appear as tightly formed on the head and ears. The topcoat and especially the undercoat are waterproof. The trimmed coat, when pulled straight, must not be longer than 4 cm (1.5 in) and it should be uniform with the silhouette of the dog. Only on the head can the coat be longer, but not as long as to cover the eyes. The area around the genitals and anus should be kept short. The coat must not be formed and brushed up or clipped so short (except as noted above) that curls and texture of the coat cannot be assessed. The correct clip is unpretentious and contributes to accentuate the natural, rustic look typical of the breed. The correct coat is never luxurious, shiny or excessively groomed (i.e., sculpted or blown out so that the curl may not be assessed). Skin: Close fitting all over the body, without wrinkles.

COLOUR
Off-white solid colour, white with brown or orange patches, brown roan, orange roan, brown (in different shades) with or without white, orange, with or without white. Some dogs have extremities darker than the body colour. Tan markings (in different shades) allowed. The colours may fade, sometimes to such an extent that the brown areas can appear as silvery grey roan. All the above colours are equally acceptable, including the faded or diluted colours. Pigmentation of the skin and pads harmonizes with the colour of the coat, ranging from dark pink to dark brown.

HEAD
The length of the head is 4/10 of the height at the withers. Head moderately broad. When viewed from above the widest point is at the zygomatic arch. When viewed from the side, planes of muzzle and skull diverge slightly. Skull slightly convex, as wide as it is long and flattening at occiput and with medial-frontal furrow. Length of skull from
occiput to stop slightly longer than from stop to nose. Slight but evident stop. Well-developed eyebrow arches. Muzzle strong and wedge-shaped, rather blunt in profile. In depth, almost equal to length. The topline of the muzzle straight, with large nose protruding slightly with wide, open nostrils. Viewed in profile, the nose continues on the same level as the muzzle and protrudes very slightly from the front edge of the lips. The nose should be fully pigmented in shades from pale beige to deep purple-brown, varying with coat colour. Jaws wide, large and powerful. Lips tight forming a wide semi-circle when viewed from the front, covered with long, bristly whiskers. Pigment of the lips and flews ranges from pale beige to dark brown. Flat cheeks. Teeth: Scissors, pincer or slightly reverse scissors bite, with white and well-developed teeth. Complete dentition is preferred; missing pre-molars acceptable. Eyes: Large, round, but never exaggerated, filling the socket, set fairly wide apart. The colour of the iris ranges from ochre to hazel and dark brown depending on the colour of the coat. Close-fitting eyelids, with the eye rim’s pigment ranging from pale beige to dark brown. Eyelashes very well developed. Look is alert and expression is keen and lively. Ears: Medium-sized in proportion to the head, triangular with rounded tips; base is rather wide; set just above the zygomatic arches. Hanging at rest or slightly raised when the dog is attentive. If pulled towards the nose they should reach one-quarter of the way down the topline of the muzzle. Both sides of the ear flap are covered with hair, with the exception of the ear canal.

NECK
Strong, muscular, lean, with oval cross section; slightly arched, well set off from the nape and absolutely free from dewlap. In males, the perimeter of the neck can reach twice its length. The length of the neck is a little less than the total length of the head.

FOREQUARTERS
Shoulder: Shoulder blades are long and well laid back (its angle on the horizontal line ranges from 52-55°), muscular, strong and closely attached to the chest, but moving freely. Humerus (Upper arm): Muscular, of light bone structure, same length as the shoulder-blades; its angle on the horizontal line ranges from 58-60°, as measured from the top of the forearm to point of shoulder. Elbows: Well attached to the chest wall, but not too tightly; covered with thin skin; parallel to the centre line of the body, as are the upper arms. The tips of the elbow are located on a vertical line lowered from the back end of the scapula to the ground and do not turn in or out. Radius (Forearm): Vertical, long, with strong and compact oval bone. Carpus (Wrist): Viewed from the front in vertical line with the forearm; fine, robust and mobile; pisiform markedly protruding. Metacarpus (Pastern): Rather less thick and of finer bone compared to the forearm, it’s fine and resilient. Seen in profile, it forms an angle of 75-80° to the ground from the horizontal line. Forefeet: Slightly rounded, compact, with arched and tight toes. Nails strong and curved. Pads well pigmented. Interdigital membranes very well developed.

BODY
Compact and strong; nearly as high as long (nearly square), as measured from the highest point of the shoulder to the ground and the prosternum to the point of ischium. Withers: Rise above the level of the croup; the highest points of the shoulder blades are not too close, but quite high set and well laid back. Back: Straight from the withers to the croup, very muscular. Loin: Short coupled, very strong. Width is equal to or slightly exceeds the length. Croup: Long, wide, muscular, slightly sloping (slope of the croup ranges from 25-30° as measured from a horizontal line). Croup should neither be flat nor steep. Chest: Well developed, reaching down to the elbows, but not below them. The depth of the chest is less than 50% (about 44%) of the height at the withers. The rib cage is slightly narrow in front, widening from the sixth rib back, allowing elbows to move smoothly along the body. Ribs are well sprung (width of rib cage at the widest point is about 30% of the height of the dog). Underline and belly:
Long and straight sternal section very slight tuck-up.

HINDQUARTERS
Powerful, well proportioned to the size of the dog; parallel to the centre line of the body, upright seen from the rear and well-angulated seen in profile. Thigh: Long (35% of the height at withers), with clearly defined muscles. The axis of the femur has a distinct angle of 80° from the horizontal. The coxo-femoral angle ranges from 105-110°. The thigh is parallel to the median plane of the body. Stifle: Stifle joint angle ranges from 130-150°. Lower thigh: Slightly longer than the thigh (36% of the height at withers), well boned and muscled, with marked muscular groove. Its inclination to the horizontal line ranges from 50-55°. Hock joint: Broad, thick, lean with clear-cut bone, well angulated. Metatarsus (Rear pastern): Thin, cylindrical, perpendicular to the ground. No dewclaws. The Lagotto Romagnolo does not genetically have dewclaws on the rear pasterns. In the unlikely event that dewclaws were to be present (whether unilateral or bilateral), the dog carrying this gene should be eliminated from breeding programs. Hindfeet: Slightly more oval-shaped than forefeet and toes slightly less arched.

TAIL
The tail is set on following the line of the croup. The tail tapers from base to end and should reach to just above the hock. At rest, it is carried scimitar-like, and no higher than the back. When excited, the tail is decidedly raised and carried in a loose arc above the level of the back. Tip of tail should not be carried further forward than the pelvis. The tail should never be curled or carried straight up in the style of a gay tail.

GAIT
Movement is meant to be balanced, effortless, even and free. Prerequisite to good movement is balance of the front and rear assemblies. The two must match in angulation and muscular development if the gait is to be smooth and effortless. Well laid-back shoulders that permit a long stride and excellent rear quarters that provide the driving power are both essential to correct movement. When viewed from the front, the forelegs should reach forward from the shoulder in an effortless manner, with no tendency for the feet to interfere with each other. From the rear, the parallel hocks should drive well under the body in line with the forelegs. As the dog increases speed, the neck moves slightly lower and forward. Single tracking.

FAULTS
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and on its ability to perform its traditional work.

DISQUALIFICATIONS
• Aggressive or overly shy dogs
• Axis of the skull and axis of the muzzle converging (i.e., dish-faced)
• Overshot bite; undershot bite by more than 2 mm (0.075 in)
• Partial and/or total depigmentation of the nose
• Wall-eyed
• Tail bent or curled over the back; absence of or short tail, whether congenital or artificial; docked tail
• Corded coat; coat not curled or clipped too short preventing the assessment of curl; sculptured clip
• Black coat colour, black patches or black pigmentation
• Oversize or undersize

CANADIAN KENNEL CLUB • LAGOTTO ROMAGNOLO