Valkyrie Kennels

*Excerpt from the Canadian Kennel Club breed standard

Full standard can be viewed here.

Origin

The appealing, curly-coated Lagotto is an ancient breed of water retriever from the lowlands of Comacchio and marshlands of Ravenna, Italy. However, over the years, the marshlands were drained and turned into farmland and the Lagotto lost his job. But it wasn’t long before he found a new occupation and the Lagotto changed from a water dog to a truffle hunter in the Romagna region. A natural gift for searching and a very keen nose made him very efficient at his new job.

Temperament

The Lagotto is tractable, undemanding, keen, affectionate and very attached to his owner. Easily trained, he makes an excellent companion and a good watchdog.

Activity Level

This medium-sized, powerfully built dog is well behaved in the home but requires a fair amount of outdoor exercise to work off his excess energy.

Height/Weight

The ideal height is 18 in (46 cm) for males and 17 in (43 cm) for females. Weights range from 28-35 lb (12.5-16 kg) for males and 24-30 lb (11-13.5 kg) for females.

Coat

The rather unusual appearance of the Lagotto is due to the woolly textured, rough-surfaced coat of thick, ring-shaped curls that are distributed evenly all over the body with the exception of the head. There, the curls are less tight and form abundant eyebrows, whiskers and beard. Even the cheeks are covered with thick hair. Both the outer coat and the undercoat are waterproof.

Colour

The coat may be a solid off-white, white with brown or orange markings, brown roan, solid brown or solid orange. Some dogs may have a brown mask.

Grooming

If left untrimmed, the curls tend to become felted. In addition to regular grooming with a brush and comb, a complete clipping is recommended annually.

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