"Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him" - Mark Antony.
But before Caesar was even alive the pre-Roman Italian Etruscan tribe used the Lagotto Romagnolo dog breed to hunt wild game.
Friends, countrymen, and PetzPaws Nation the Lagotto Romagnolo dog breed dates to before 753 BC!
And if you're keeping track, that's a long time ago!
But, 1st things 1st, what does Lagotto Romagnolo even mean?
The term "Lagotto" originates from Roman and Venetian vocabulary and means "duck dog".
Remember that Venice, Italy was originally a swamp.
And "Romagnolo" simply means "from Romagna" or "native of Romagna".
Romagna is in the Northern Italian region of Italy, a couple of hours from Venice.
And as crazy as it seems the trusted duck dog almost went extinct because of lagoon clearing - they no longer had a purpose.
But the Lagotto Romagnolo has a new game - truffle hunting!
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"Loss is nothing else but change, and change is nature's delight". - Marcus Aurelius
And the Lagotto Romagnolo knows change well!
It changed from being a "duck duck" to a truffle hound, to the delight of the truffle hunters.
And the Lagotto Romagnolo Carpe Diem - "seize the day" - Horace; by being 1 with their human counterparts while on the hunt.
The humans couldn't do this job alone, that's just how critical the Lagotto Romagnolo dog breed is - and the payout is enormous - a half pound of truffle can earn over $200,000 in 2024.
The Lagotto Romagnolo is a smart dog, and works energetically, not like the truffle hunting pigs that ate the darn things; definitely a step up!
When the Lagotto Romagnolo is done truffle hunting these curlicues make a great friend - and that's good because truffle hunting season is only 3 months; between September and November.
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Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here? - Gladiator.
And the Lagotto Romagnolo has been entertaining Italians since the Middle Ages - since the Pre-Roman Etruscans.
The Lagotto Romagnolo dog breed was particularly popular with the Vallarolo hunters in Valle San Giovanni; the breed is particularly good at hunting in the lagoons, evidenced by their name, which means "duck dog".
Lagotto is both a Roman and Venetian word, and Romagnolo means from Rome.
Remember that Rome had conquered all of what is now Italy, Spain, Portugal, France Germany, etc. so the term Roman was loosely used throughout its territories.
But, dredging of the Abruzzi regions' lagoons reduced the Vallaroli people and the Lagotto Romagnolo.
But, the Lagotto Romagnolo is adaptable and found a new game to hunt!
Truffle!
The truffle is an underground mushroom, or fungi that looks like a small potato.
Got it? Good.
Because truffles grow randomly - underground, and not in the Abruzzi region, it probably took a while to connect the dots.
But around the 1850s the dots connected and the Lagotto Romagnolo's 4 legs hit the ground running, and it didn't take them long to displace the truffle-hunting pigs.
Good thing too, because the pigs would find and eat the truffles!
And that's bad for business.
And the truffle business is booming - only a 1/2 pound of truffle can earn over $200,000 in 2024.
Plus, truffle season is only 3 months long, but your Lagotto Romagnolo can produce for a long time - they can live between 15 and 17 years.
You can bet the Lagotto Romagnolo is living large in a Tuscan villa, but the Lagotto Romagnolo isn't large; they only weigh between 24 to 35 pounds depending on if it's a boy or girl.
A lot of energy has gone into making the Lagotto Romagnolo a great dog, and they became a member of the AKC in 2015.
The Lagotto Romagnolo is an energetic dog breed that is good around kids.
The breed joined the AKC's Sporting Group with another Italian compadre the Spinone Italiano, and another bird dog the Vizsla. and another curlicue the Curly-Coated Retriever.
Yes, the coat of the Lagotto Romagnolo is tightly wound but its personality isn't tightly wound - they love to play and have fun!
And the pooches' double coat of hair is waterproof and barely sheds which together prevents hypothermia and is hypoallergenic.
The Lagotto Romagnolo is a medium-sized dog breed that is low maintenance:
- 1) Clean the ears with a towelette
- 2) Use a clipper on the nails
- 3) Routinely shampoo, condition and cut the curly hair
- 4) Feed your Lagotto a high-quality pet food from a 1-quart bowl
The Lagotto Romagnolo is full of style - like PetzPaws dog walking apparel.
And like you, they are intelligent, eager, and ready to sniff out anything that you've lost...they're your updated Find My Phone app.
But unlike your phone's app., the Lagotto does require training - but unlike your phone's app. - they are eager to please you.
And they can please you in multiple colors like:
- 1) White
- 2) Off-White
- 3) Orange
- 4) Brown and
- 5) Roan
Can your app do that?
I didn't think so!
The Lagotto is not the perfect apartment dog breed because they are an active dog breed that needs both physical and mental stimulation.
They are better suited for city life with homes with a fence and a pool; and best suited for country life where they can run freely and swim in a pond or lake.
Look, the Lagotto Romagnolo was not a Roman guard dog and you don't have to guard your hoard either at petzpaws.com with discount code Lagotto for 10% off.
Thankfully, due to the Lagotto Romagnolo's limited, yet rising popularity, they are free from most health issues too, which means veterinarian's bills shouldn't hit too hard.
Are you considering a Lagotto Romagnolo?
Well, you should feel free to ask any Lagotto breeder about health testing.
And you can test your Lagotto Romagnolo's abilities in AKC Competitions like:
- Obedience - they love to please you so that should be a piece of cake.
- Tracking -with their ability to find truffles - that should be easy-peasy.
- Agility - their name means "duck dog" chalk that up to done.
- Rally - They didn't go extinct because they know how to follow directions.
- Confirmation - well with their cute size, playful demeanor, and perm - I don't see why they can't win ribbons.
Now would you play fetch with a Lagotto Romagnolo?
Yes, please.
And that concludes today's study.
Thank you for watching this episode of Learn, Don't Return.
