A fine Italian import

David Tomlinson investigates the unusual Crufts-winning gundog breed that is now better known for truffle hunting in its own country

- David Tomlinson

“I LOVED THE LOOK of that Italian dog that won Crufts, but it’s not really a gundog, is it?” That was the comment from a friend who had watched the final of Crufts and was surprised to find that the lagotto Romagnolo that won the coveted title of Best in Show was classified as a gundog. In 2014, the lagotto was placed by the Kennel Club (KC) in the spaniel sub-group of gundogs, so for tests and trials it has to compete with the minority spaniels. It had previously been a member of the utility gundog group, along with the Dutch kooikerhondje and the Spanish water dog, but that was such a curious grouping that it was quietly dropped.

I have to admit that the lagotto is the only KC-recognised gundog that I have never seen working, though over the years I have met quite a few. My first introduction to the breed was nearly 25 years ago, when I was involved in giving commentaries in the working dog ring at the CLA Game Fair. Until then, I knew little about this Italian breed (excusable, as it was only recognised by the KC in 2000), but having to talk about the breed for at least a minute without hesitation or repetition (a bit like Just a Minute) ensured that I soon learned all I could.

In this I was helped by the charming lagotto handlers who had brought their dogs to the fair. The first thing I was taught was how to pronounce the name correctly, which wasn’t difficult, even for a non-Italian speaker like me. Next,

I discovered that the name ‘lagotto Romagnolo’ means ‘water retriever from Romagna’. Romagna is a region in north-east Italy that includes the Po Delta, where the lagotto was originally bred as a duck dog.