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Lagotto
Gundogs
| Group: |
gundog |
 |
| Size: |
medium |
| Lifespan: |
12-15 years |
| Exercise: |
high |
| Grooming: |
medium |
| Trainability: |
medium |
| Watchdog ability: |
high |
| Protection ability: |
low |
| Area of Origin: |
Italy |
| Date of Origin: |
1300’s |
| Other Names: |
Lagotto Romagnolo |
| Original Function: |
water retrieving |
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| History |
| The
Lagotto Romagnolo is an old breed dating back to the 1300's;
it has remained the same in appearance and conformation over
the centuries. It hails from the northeastern area of Italy
known as Romagna. Its original job was as a water dog used in
the hunt for water fowl. However over the years, as the region
became more and more inhabited, the wetlands were drained and
the water fowl disappeared from the area. The Lagotto found
itself a new job, that of sniffing out truffles and it does
that job to this day. |
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| Temperament |
| 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 eliminated; hence his work is not distracted by the
scent of game. The Lagotto is tractable, undemanding, keen,
affectionate, very attached to his owner and easy to train.
He is a very good companion and also an excellent warning dog.
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| Upkeep |
| Like
all hunting dogs, the Lagatto needs daily exercise. This can
take the form of a long walk or good run off leash. It can live
outdoors in temperate to cool climates, but it is a family dog
and prefers to share time with its people. The coat and the
undercoat are water-proof. If not cut, the hair tends to become
felted; therefore a complete clipping must be performed at least
once a year. Felted hair and undercoat must be removed periodically. |
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|
Official Breed Standard |
Please Note:
Words placed in normal brackets (.......) are as in the standard.
Words placed in square brackets [......] are explanations or
alternative translations.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
Ancient breed of water retrieving dogs in the lowlands of Comacchio
and the marshlands of Ravenna. Over the centuries, the great marshlands
were drained and turned into arable land. Subsequently, the Lagotto
changed from being a waterdog to an excellent dog for searching
for truffles in the flat open country and the hills of Romagna.
GENERAL APPEARANCE:
Small to medium sized dog, well proportioned, powerfully built,
of a rustic [hardy] appearance, with a dense, curly coat of woolly
texture. Important proportions - The length of the head is 40% of
the height at the withers. The dog is nearly as high as it is long
(square). The length of the skull should be slightly more than 50%
of the total length of the head. The length of the muzzle is 20%
less than that of the skull (i.e. 44%:56%) The depth of the chest
is less than 50% (about 44%) of the height at the withers.
Characteristics:
[Not specified.]
Utilisation:
Truffle Dog.
Temperament:
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 eliminated, hence his work is not distracted by the scent
of game. The Lagotto is tractable, undemanding, keen, affectionate,
very attached to his owner and easy to train. He is a very good
companion and also an excellent watch dog.
Head and Skull:
Viewed from above, trapezoidal in shape [a four sided shape with
no two sides parallel] and moderately broad; the upper longitudinal
axes [planes] of the skull and of the muzzle diverge slightly [slightly
down-faced].
Cranial region:
Skull:The skull is wide at the level of the zygomatic arches [cheek
bones] and is as long as it is wide. Viewed from the side, from
occiput to stop, the skull should be longer than the muzzle. It
is slightly convex [arched] and tends to flatten out at the back
skull. The rounded bones of the forehead are well developed, well
defined eyebrows, pronounced forehead furrow, occipital crest short
and not very developed, slight depressions above the eye sockets.
Stop:Not too pronounced.
Facial region:
Nose: large, with wide open and mobile nostrils. Median groove strongly
pronounced. 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 colour ranges from light to dark brown, depending
on the colour of the coat. Muzzle: Fairly broad, a little shorter
than the skull (ratio - skull 56%, muzzle 44%), the depth being
only slightly less than the length. It is slightly wedge shaped,
with a moderately flat front face. The bridge of the nose is straight.
Lips: The lips are not too thick; they are rather tight, so that
the lower profile of the muzzle is determined by the lower jawbone.
They are covered with a long and rather bristly moustache. Viewed
from the front, the lips form a wide semi-circle. The colour of
the edges ranges from light to dark brown. Cheeks:Flat . Eyes: Fairly
large, rounded, filling the socket, set fairly well apart. The colour
of the iris ranges from ochre to hazel and dark brown, depending
on the colour of the coat. Close fitting eyelids; the colour of
the eye-rims ranges from light to dark brown. Eyelashes very well
developed. Look is alert, expression keen and lively Ears: Medium
sized in proportion to the head, triangular with rounded tips; their
base is rather wide; they are 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 the muzzle at 1ž4
of its length. On the ears, the hair tends to show looser curls,
but remains very wavy. No short hair on the ears. The inner part
of the ear-flap is also covered with hair. Mouth: Jaw strong with
almost straight branches and a relatively large lower jaw. Complete
scissor or pincer bite with white and well developed teeth. Slightly
undershot mouth acceptable.
Neck:
Strong, muscular, lean with oval section; well set off from the
nape and absolutely free from dewlap. Topline slightly arched. In
males, the circumference of the neck can be twice that of its length.
The length of the neck is a little less than the total length of
the head.
Forequarters:
General: Vertical, seen from the front and in profile. Shoulders:Shoulder
blades long (30% of the height at the withers), well laid back (52-55
degrees), muscular, strong and closely attached to the chest, but
moving freely. The angle between the shoulder blade and the upper
arm ranges from 110 to 115 degrees. Upper Arm:Muscular, of fine
bone structure, as long as the shoulder blade; its angle from the
horizontal ranges from 58-60 degrees. Elbows:Well attached to the
chest wall, but not too tightly; covered with fine skin; parallel
to the median sagittal [central] plane of the body as are the upper
arms. The point of the elbow is located on a vertical line lowered
from the back end of the scapula to the ground. Forearm: Perfectly
vertical, long (36% of the height at the withers), with compact,
strong bone of oval cross section. Wrist (carpus): Viewed from the
front, in a vertical line with the forearm; fine, robust and mobile;
pisiform bone markedly protruding. Pastern:Rather less thick and
of finer bone compared with the forearm; mobile; seen in profile,
it forms an angle of 75 to 80 degrees with the ground.
Body:
Compact and strong; almost as long as the height at the withers.
Topline: Straight from the withers to the croup. Withers :. They
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, very muscular. Loin: Short coupled, very strong,
in profile slightly arched. Width is equal to or exceeds the length.
Croup:Long, wide, muscular, slightly sloping; (slope of the hip
bone ranges from 25 to 30 degrees). Chest:Well developed, reaching
down to the elbows. Although fairly narrow in front, from the sixth
rib the chest widens backwards. Underline and belly:Long sternal
section in form of a straight line; the following tuck-up is only
slight.
Hindquarters:
General:Hindquarters upright, powerful, well proportioned to the
size of the dog. Upper Thigh: Long (35% of the height at withers),
with clearly separated and visible muscles. The femur forms a sharp
angle of 80 degrees from the horizontal. The angle between the hip
bone and the femur ranges from 105 to 110 degrees. The thigh is
parallel to the median plane of the body. Stifle:The angle of the
stifle joint ranges from 130 to 150 degrees. Lower thigh:Slightly
longer than the upper thigh (36% of the height at the withers),
well boned and muscled, with marked muscular groove. Its angle on
the horizontal ranges from 50 to 55 degrees. Hock-joint :Wide, thick,
lean, with clearly defined bone; parallel to the median plane of
the body; the angle between the lower thigh bone and the bones forming
the hock is about 140 degrees. Hock(Metatarsus) : Thin, cylindrical,
perpendicular to the ground.
Feet:
Forefeet:Slightly rounded, compact, with arched and tight toes.
Nails strong and curved. Pads well pigmented. Webs between the toes
very well developed. Hindfeet: Slightly more oval-shaped than the
forefeet and toes slightly less arched.
Tail:
Set on neither too high nor too low; tapering towards the end. When
extended, it should barely reach the hocks. At rest, carried scimitar-like;
when attentive, decidedly raised. When working or excited, can be
carried over the back, but never curled.
Gait/Movement:
Walk is regular, trot energetic and brisk, will gallop for short
periods.
Coat:
Skin:Close-fitting all over the body, without wrinkles, thin, with
little subcutaneous tissue. Pigmentation of mucous membranes and
of pads ranges from light to dark and very dark brown.
Coat:
Of woolly texture, somewhat rough in surface, forming tightly curled,
ring-shaped curls with the undercoat shining through. Curls must
be evenly distributed all over the body, except on the head, where
the curls are less tight, forming well-furnished eyebrows, whiskers
and beard. Even the cheeks are covered with dense hair. The topcoat
and especially the undercoat are waterproof. If not clipped, the
hair tends to become felted; therefore a complete clipping must
be performed at least once a year. Felted topcoat and undercoat
must be removed periodically.
Colour:
Off-white solid colour, with brown or orange patches, brown roan,
brown solid colour ( in different shades), or orange solid colour.
A brown to dark brown mask acceptable.
Size:
Height at withers: Dogs from 43 to 48 cm [17-19 ins] (Ideal height:46
cm [ 18 ins] ) Bitches from 41 to 46 cm [ 16-18 ins] (Ideal height:43
cm [17 ins] ) Weight: Dogs about 13 to 16 kg [ about 29-35 lbs]
Bitches about 11 to 14 kg [ about 24.5- 30 lbs]
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. Axes of the skull and the
muzzle converging. Butterfly nose. Dishfaced. Pronounced undershot
mouth.. Strabismus [squinting or cross-eyed]. Docked tail. Dewclaws.
Coat not curled or clipped short. Black coat or black patches. Oversize
or undersize
Serious Faults:
Totally depigmented nose. Overshot mouth. Wall-eye. Corded coat.
Note:
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended
into the scrotum.
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