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Animal register · DogComing soon to the app

Lagotto Romagnolo

Lagotto, Lagotti, Romagna Water Dog, truffle dog

The Lagotto Romagnolo is a small to medium-sized curly-coated water dog from Italy, known as the truffle dog; the FCI lists it among the water dogs. Its standard gives a height of 43–48 cm and a weight of 13–16 kg for males, and 41–46 cm and 11–14 kg for females; a dog of this size is fully grown at about 12–15 months (PetMD).

The Royal Kennel Club calls it an excellent and alert family companion, recommends more than two hours of exercise a day and grooming more than once a week, says it does not shed and gives a lifespan of over 12 years; PetMD says Lagotti can live to 15–17. PetMD notes that it needs constant mental and physical stimulation and extensive socialisation, as it can be shy; Woodgreen says it can struggle when left alone too often and recommends professional grooming every six to eight weeks.

Built and tested; it arrives with a coming app release.

Updated:

Lagotto Romagnolo — photo (AI)
AI-generated photo

At a glance

Size
small to medium — The Royal Kennel Club S632
Adult weight
males 13–16 kg, females 11–14 kg — FCI S631
Daily exercise
more than 2 hours a day — The Royal Kennel Club S632
Brushing
more than once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S632
Shedding
does not shed (not the same as hypoallergenic) — The Royal Kennel Club S632
Lifespan
more than 12 years — The Royal Kennel Club S632; 15–17 years — PetMD S635

Key facts from the sources at the bottom of the page. Where sources differ, each value is listed.

Who it suits

Good for:

Keep in mind:

  • needs lots of exercise every dayS632S636
  • needs mental challengesS635
  • loves company — best with someone home most of the dayS636
  • needs brushing several times a weekS632S636

The same tags as in the app. Each tag is backed by the sources listed at the bottom of the page.

What it needs

From breed standards, kennel clubs, veterinary charities and studies. Where sources differ, each one is shown.

Exercise

  • Daily exercise: more than 2 hours a day — The Royal Kennel Club S632

Coat and grooming

  • Coat: medium length — The Royal Kennel Club S632
  • Brushing: more than once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S632
  • Shedding: does not shed (not the same as hypoallergenic) — The Royal Kennel Club S632

Meals

General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):

  • 8–12 weeks: 4 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • 3–6 months: 3 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • 6–12 months: 2 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • Adult: at least 2 meals a day — VCA Animal Hospitals S19
  • Senior: 2–3 meals a day, smaller portions — Dogs Trust S14

Lifespan

  • Lifespan: more than 12 years — The Royal Kennel Club S632
  • Lifespan: 15–17 years — PetMD S635

Life stages

  • Reaches adult size at: about 12–15 months (guidance for its size class) — PetMD S10

General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):

  • Puppy: until about 6–9 months — AAHA S11
  • Young adult: until 3–4 years — AAHA S11
  • Senior: the last 25 % of the expected lifespan — AAHA S11

Size and weight

  • Size: small to medium — The Royal Kennel Club S632
  • Height at the withers: males 43–48 cm, females 41–46 cm — FCI S631
  • Adult weight: males 13–16 kg, females 11–14 kg — FCI S631

Training

  • FCI standard no. 298, group 8 (retrievers, flushing dogs and water dogs); origin: Italy. — FCI S630

Questions and answers

Answered only from the sourced facts on this page; every answer names its sources.

How much exercise does a Lagotto Romagnolo need?

According to our sources, the Lagotto Romagnolo needs this much exercise: more than 2 hours a day — The Royal Kennel Club S632.

How long does a Lagotto Romagnolo live?

According to our sources, the lifespan of the Lagotto Romagnolo is: more than 12 years — The Royal Kennel Club S632; 15–17 years — PetMD S635. The sources give different values, so each one is listed.

How big does a Lagotto Romagnolo get and how much does it weigh?

Size and adult weight of the Lagotto Romagnolo, according to our sources: Size: small to medium — The Royal Kennel Club S632; Adult weight: males 13–16 kg, females 11–14 kg — FCI S631.

How much grooming does a Lagotto Romagnolo need?

Coat and grooming of the Lagotto Romagnolo, according to our sources: Brushing: more than once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S632; Shedding: does not shed (not the same as hypoallergenic) — The Royal Kennel Club S632; Coat: medium length — The Royal Kennel Club S632.

Who is the Lagotto Romagnolo a good fit for?

Our sources describe the Lagotto Romagnolo as a good fit for: family life — The Royal Kennel Club, PetMD S633S635; homes that prefer less shedding — The Royal Kennel Club S632. Keep in mind: needs lots of exercise every day — The Royal Kennel Club, Woodgreen Pets Charity S632S636; needs mental challenges — PetMD S635; loves company — best with someone home most of the day — Woodgreen Pets Charity S636; needs brushing several times a week — The Royal Kennel Club, Woodgreen Pets Charity S632S636.

Game rules, not veterinary advice

How PetPrep simulates it

In PetPrep one real week is one month of the pet's life. These are the rules the game uses for this breed. PetPrep chose them from the sources on this page; they are not care instructions for a real animal.

Life stageStartsMeals a dayDaily step goal
Puppyarrives at 2 months4; from month 3: 3; from month 6: 21,000 steps per month of age (2,000 on arrival), up to 12,000 from month 12
Young dogmonth 929,000 → 12,000 steps
Adultmonth 36 (3 years)212,000 steps
Seniormonth 108 (9 years)29,000 steps
  • Step goal = minutes of daily exercise × 100 steps: an adult gets 2 hours, so 12,000 steps a day.
  • Learns commands as fast as the mixed breed of the free plan.
  • Becomes a senior in month 108 (9 years) — the last quarter of the breed's expected lifespan.
  • Walks count real steps from Apple Health or Health Connect (with permission, read-only) and the phone's motion sensor — no GPS.
  • Combing twice a week.
  • Care: a visit to the groomer every 6 weeks — a reminder for the parent.
  • Care: a bath every 4 weeks — a reminder for the parent.

Each game number is a PetPrep decision recorded with its sources. — PetMD, AAHA, Dogs Trust, ASPCA, VCA Animal Hospitals, The Royal Kennel Club, Purdue University Canine Welfare Science, Wikipedia, British Journal of Sports Medicine, Woodgreen Pets Charity S10S11S14S18S19S21S24S35S45S632S635S636

Health

For information only, not vet-reviewed. Ask your vet about your own animal.

  • Epilepsy, a brain disorder that can cause seizures, occurs in the breed. — PetMD S635
  • An inherited storage disease of the nervous system can affect young dogs of the breed; a DNA test of the parents lets breeders avoid it. — PetMD S635
  • Can be prone to hip and elbow dysplasia; breeders are advised to have the parents' hips and elbows tested before breeding. — The Royal Kennel Club S632

Before you buy: what to check with the breeder

Questions to settle before you take a puppy home. The points are advice from vets, welfare charities and kennel clubs; each cites its source.

For every breed

  • See the puppy with its mother, where it was born. — PDSA, RSPCA K1K2
  • The puppy should not leave its mother before 8 weeks of age. — PDSA K1
  • Ask for the pedigree. Under FCI rules a pedigree may be issued for correct parentage only. — FCI K7
  • Ask to see the health-test results of both parents. Which tests matter depends on the breed. — PDSA, British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K1K9K10
  • National kennel clubs can set breeding rules that go beyond the FCI's — ask the breed club which tests the parents need. — FCI K7
  • Ask for a written sale contract that records the puppy's background and health. — British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K9K10

Laws on the minimum age, microchipping and vaccination differ by country — check the rules where you live.

Health tests of the parents for this breed

Tests the Royal Kennel Club recommends as a minimum

  • DNA test for juvenile epilepsy (JE) — The Royal Kennel Club S632
  • DNA test for lysosomal storage disease (LSD) — The Royal Kennel Club S632

Further tests for best practice

  • Elbow X-ray screening for elbow dysplasia (UK: BVA/KC scheme) — The Royal Kennel Club S632
  • Eye examination by a veterinary eye specialist (UK: BVA/KC/ISDS scheme; for some breeds with gonioscopy) — The Royal Kennel Club S632
  • Hip X-ray screening for hip dysplasia (UK: BVA/KC scheme) — The Royal Kennel Club S632

These lists come from the UK's Royal Kennel Club and are an orientation; national kennel clubs can set their own, stricter rules. Ask the breed club and the breeder which tests the parents have done.

Similar breeds

Other dogs in the register with similar needs — each with sourced facts.

Sources

Every fact on this page cites one of these sources.

  1. S10PetMD — S. C. Mitchell, DVM, DABVP, 2025-05-20 — When Do Dogs Stop Growing?https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/when-do-dogs-stop-growing
  2. S11AAHA — 2019 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines — Canine life stage definitionshttps://www.aaha.org/resources/life-stage-canine-2019/canine-life-stage-definitions/
  3. S14Dogs Trust (UK) — Caring for an older doghttps://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/life-with-your-dog/at-home/looking-after-an-older-dog
  4. S18ASPCA — General Dog Carehttps://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/general-dog-care
  5. S19VCA Animal Hospitals (2025-02-21) — Feeding Times and Frequency for Your Doghttps://vcahospitals.com/pets-first/know-your-pet/feeding-times-and-frequency-for-your-dog
  6. S21The Royal Kennel Club (UK) — Puppy feeding tipshttps://www.royalkennelclub.com/health-and-dog-care/health-dog-care/health/health-and-care/a-z-of-health-and-care-issues/puppy-feeding-tips
  7. S24Purdue University Canine Welfare Science (content: Pet Leadership Council 2019, bedogsmart.com) — Dog Fitness and Exercise (PDF)https://caninewelfare.centers.purdue.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Dog-Fitness-and-Exercise.pdf
  8. S35Wikipedia — The Intelligence of Dogshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs
  9. S45British Journal of Sports Medicine (2018) — Tudor-Locke C. et al. How fast is fast enough? Walking cadence (steps/min) as a practical estimate of intensity in adults. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097628https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6029645
  10. S630FCI — FCI breeds nomenclature — Lagotto Romagnolo (298)https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/LAGOTTO-ROMAGNOLO-298.html
  11. S631FCI — FCI-Standard N° 298 Lagotto Romagnolo, English (PDF)https://fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/298g08-en.pdf
  12. S632The Royal Kennel Club — Lagotto Romagnolo (Breeds A to Z)https://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/gundog/lagotto-romagnolo/
  13. S633The Royal Kennel Club — Lagotto Romagnolo breed standard (last updated 1 November 2025)https://www.royalkennelclub.com/breed-standards/gundog/lagotto-romagnolo/
  14. S635PetMD — Zack Newman, reviewed by Barri J. Morrison, DVM (updated Jul. 24, 2023) — Lagotto Romagnolo — dog breed health and carehttps://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/lagotto-romagnolo
  15. S636Woodgreen Pets Charity — Pet Explorer — Lagotto Romagnolohttps://ask.woodgreen.org.uk/pet-explorer/results/lagotto-romagnolo
  16. K1PDSA — Getting a puppyhttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/getting-a-puppy
  17. K2RSPCA — Buying a puppyhttps://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy
  18. K7FCI (copy hosted by Norsk Kennel Klub) — International Breeding Rules of the FCIhttps://nkk2023.stage22.coretrek.no/getfile.php/131987377-1520848467/Dokumenter/Registrering/FCIs%20avlsregler%202013.pdf
  19. K9British Veterinary Association — What should you consider when buying a puppy?https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/blog-article/what-should-you-consider-when-buying-a-puppy/
  20. K10FOUR PAWS UK — Questions to ask when buying a puppyhttps://www.four-paws.org.uk/our-stories/publications-guides/questions-to-ask-when-buying-a-puppy

PetPrep is a simulation for families. This page is not veterinary advice — for a real animal, ask a vet or the breed club.

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