LAGOTTO ROMAGNOLO

General Appearance  Squarely built, small to medium sized dog of rustic appearance; sturdy and robust with dense, curly coat of woolly texture. Measurement from ground to elbow greater than from elbow to withers. Noticeable difference between sexes.

Characteristics Ancient Italian breed of duck retriever, also used as a truffle hunter. Excellent watch dog and family companion.

Temperament  Lively, intelligent, affectionate.

Head and Skull  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. Length of skull from occiput to stop slightly longer than from stop to nose. Slight but evident stop. Well developed eyebrow arches. Muzzle strong, depth almost equal to length. Nasal bridge straight, with large nose protruding slightly with wide, open nostrils. Jaws wide, large and powerful. Lips tight forming a wide semi-circle when viewed from the front, covered with long, bristly whiskers.

Eyes Fairly large, nearly round, not too close together. Close fitting eyelids with rims in various shades of brown. Well developed eyelashes. Eye colour ranges from ochre to dark hazel and brown, depending on coat colour. Attentive, intelligent expression.

Ears  Moderately large, triangular with slightly rounded tips, rather wide at the base and set slightly above the level of the eye. Hanging at rest, slightly raised when alert.

Mouth Well developed teeth, set square to the jaws. Scissor or pincer bite. Complete dentition highly desirable. Reverse scissor bite permissible.

Neck Relatively short, oval in section, slightly arched, muscular and powerful. Without dewlap.

Forequarters Shoulders muscular, moderately well laid back, long in blade and equal in length to upper arm. Elbows large and close fitting. Forearms straight with sturdy, oval bone. Wrist follows vertical line of forearm and is finer boned, robust and mobile. Pasterns sloping, elastic and slender compared to forearm.

Body Compact and strong. Length from point of shoulder to point of buttock equal to height at the withers, which are set high. Topline falls slightly from withers to croup. Muscular back, loin short, wide, very powerful and slightly arched. Long, wide and slightly sloping, muscular croup. Well developed chest reaches down to the elbows. Chest rather narrow in front, broadening behind the elbows. Slight tuck up. Skin thin, close fitting and without wrinkles.

Hindquarters Powerful upper thigh long with well developed musculature. Good bend of stifle; lower thigh longer than upper. Large hocks. Rear pasterns thin and upright. Angulation slightly greater than in forequarters but without exaggeration.

Feet Compact with strong, curved nails. Webbing between toes highly desirable. Front feet almost round, toes tight and well arched, turning neither in nor out. Hind feet slightly more oval shaped and toes less arched.

Tail  Set on as a continuation of slightly sloping croup, tapering towards the end, just reaching the hock. Hangs in a scimitar position at rest and is markedly raised when alert. When working or excited may be carried over the back but never curled.

Gait/Movement  Free, smooth and tireless with plenty of drive.

Coat  Woolly and waterproof, rather rough on the surface forming very thick, ring shaped curls, with visible, waterproof undercoat. Curls evenly distributed all over the body except on the head where the curls are less tight, forming well-furnished eyebrows, whiskers and beard. Cheeks covered with thick hair. On the ears, curls tend to be open but very wavy. The inner ear flap is covered with hair. Tail covered with woolly, bristly hair. The coat should evenly follow the line of the dog. It may be longer on the head but must not obscure the eyes.

Colour Solid off-white; white with brown or orange markings; brown roan; solid brown (in different shades); solid orange. Brown or dark brown mask acceptable. Pigmentation ranges from light to very dark brown.

Size  Height: males 43-48 cms (17-19 ins), ideal height 46 cms (18 ins). Females 41-46 cms (16-18 ins), ideal height 43 cms (17 ins). More than 1 cm above these heights highly undesirable.

Weight: males 13-16 kgs (281 - 35 lbs); females 11-14 kgs (24-31 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 and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog, and on the dog’s ability to perform its traditional work.

Note  Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.