About the Breed

Ancient Roots & the Age of the Caesars

The Lagotto’s story begins with Italy’s long tradition of working water dogs. Breed historian Dr. Giovanni Morsiani describes Etruscan hunting and fishing depictions at Spina that resemble today’s Lagotto, and a water-dog tradition continuing through Roman and medieval times. These connections place the breed’s proposed ancestry in the world of ancient Italy, including the age of the Caesars. They do not establish an unbroken modern pedigree or prove that a particular Roman emperor owned a Lagotto. The documented working history is firmer: written accounts place these dogs in Italy’s marshes by the 1600s.

Renaissance Courts & Noble Companions

The connection to royalty is more accurately a connection to Renaissance nobility. A fresco by Andrea Mantegna at Mantua depicts a dog near Marquis Ludovico III Gonzaga that some breed historians identify as Lagotto-like. The identification is debated—the AKC notes that others see a Spinone Italiano. It is a fascinating possible glimpse of the breed’s ancestors in courtly life, not proof that Lagotti were exclusively royal dogs.

The Marshland Hunting Dog

For centuries, the Lagotto worked alongside the vallaroli (marsh workers) in the vast lowlands of Comacchio and the marshes of Ravenna. Their primary role was waterfowl retrieval. The breed's distinctive rustic, woolly, and tightly curled coat was an essential adaptation, acting as a water-resistant layer that protected them in the freezing, wet conditions of the marshes.

From Waterfowl to Truffles

During the 19th century, drainage steadily transformed much of the marshland into farmland. As wetland hunting declined, the Lagotto’s work shifted toward searching for truffles in the Romagna countryside and hills. Truffle searching was already part of the local working tradition; over time it became the breed’s defining specialty.

An excellent nose, intelligence, and persistent search aptitude made the Lagotto well suited to detecting the scent of truffles hidden underground. Generations of selection favored dogs that stayed focused on the search rather than chasing game. Individual dogs can still have a prey drive. The Lagotto is distinctive as a breed specifically developed and recognized for truffle searching—not because other breeds cannot learn the job. That close cooperation between dog and handler remains one of its most appealing qualities.

Preserved in Italy: Recovery & Recognition

By the 1970s, the breed's identity was at serious risk. Hunters had begun crossbreeding the Lagotto with other dogs solely for working ability, threatening to dilute the pure lineage. Recognizing the danger of losing this historic Italian working dog, a dedicated group of enthusiasts and breeders in Italy initiated a concerted recovery effort.

Their stewardship led to the founding of the Club Italiano Lagotto in 1988, official recognition by the Italian Kennel Club (ENCI) in 1992, and provisional recognition by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) in 1995. This is the documented story behind Italy’s protection of the breed: enthusiasts preserving its identity, working ability, and health through breed clubs, standards, and responsible breeding. Recognition should not be confused with a special protected-species designation or an export ban.