A Lagotto Romagnolo without its tight curls is still a Lagotto Romagnolo, or course, but would you recognize the dog below as the same breed as the dog at the left?

The Lagotto is to be shown as a natural, rustic looking dog with no blowing, fluffing or brushing out of the tight curls that are the  breed’s signature look. At the end of the day, the Lagotto is a working dog, and it should have the non-nonsense appearance of one. A breed is more than its coat, however, and there are aspects to these dogs that make them Lagottos.

Many people mistake the Lagotto for some of the other water breeds from western Europe, say, the Portuguese Water Dog, but the Lagotto is much smaller than the PWD, and smaller than the Spanish Water Dog and Barbet, other breeds with which it is sometimes confused.

The Lagotto head also trapezoid shaped and moderately broad with eyes that are large and round. The muzzle is broad, its length a little shorter than the skull, and wedge shaped. Its silhouette could be considered to be a wedge over a square.

Photo by Annika Ahlén