Next month, seven breeds make their Westminster debut: The Bergamasco, Berger Picard, Boerboel, Cirneco dell’Etna, Lagotto Romagnolo, Miniature American Shepherd, and Spanish Water Dog. We’ll be talking about each of these breeds in the coming weeks.
In the Italian marshlands between Ravenna and Ferrara lived people who bred and used dogs to protect their belongings (such as their boats), and to retrieve game birds. These people were called Vallaroli – also known as Lagotti. The dog they used was called the “Lagotto,” a name that in the local dialect of the Romagna, “Càn Lagòt,” was synonymous with “water dog,” “lake dog,” or “wetland hunting dog with crimped, curly coat.”
Lagotto Romagnolo by LA Shepard/thedoglover