Lagotto Romagnolo Care: Grooming, Scent Work and Health Tests

By Dr Duncan Houston

The Lagotto Romagnolo is famous for finding truffles, but a pet Lagotto still needs something useful to do with its nose. Its dense curls also need a realistic maintenance plan, rather than an assumption that low shedding means easy care.

Quick Answer

Lagotti need regular coat care, daily movement, scent-based enrichment and patient training. Ask about joint assessments and DNA testing for benign familial juvenile epilepsy and Lagotto storage disease. Tremors, seizures or progressive clumsiness require veterinary investigation, even when someone suggests the puppy will “grow out of it”.

What makes a Lagotto distinctive?

This Italian breed has a water-retrieving background and is associated with truffle searching. Many enjoy investigating ground scents and digging. You do not need a truffle orchard, but you do need to make room for exploration and structured games.

Hide food in safe, accessible locations, teach a search cue and provide a designated digging area if useful. Supervise access to gardens and prevent scavenging of mushrooms, compost and other hazards. A good nose does not tell a dog which substances are safe to eat.

Sensitivity, sociability and confidence vary. Meet adult dogs and ask about handling, visitors and time alone. Gradual positive experiences are more useful than overwhelming a cautious puppy with constant contact.

How should the curly coat be maintained?

Work with a groomer familiar with the breed to choose a manageable coat length. Check through the coat regularly for tangles, particularly behind ears, under legs and beneath equipment. Maintenance needs vary with length, coat texture and outdoor activity.

The AKC breed profile explains the woolly coat and care needs. Do not let a preference for natural curls become a reason to leave painful mats. Keep the beard clean and dry where possible, and inspect skin after wet or muddy outings.

Do not routinely pluck ear hair solely to prevent infection. Ask your vet about the individual ear; redness, odour, pain or discharge needs assessment. Low shedding also does not guarantee that a person with dog allergies will tolerate a Lagotto.

Which neurological tests matter?

Two inherited conditions require clear distinction:

• Benign familial juvenile epilepsy: a breed-associated seizure syndrome affecting young puppies. Research links it to the LGI2 gene, and seizures often remit during puppyhood.
• Lagotto storage disease: an inherited progressive neurological disorder associated with ATG4D. It is not the same condition and should not be dismissed as a temporary puppy phase.

The original studies on juvenile epilepsy and Lagotto storage disease establish the distinction. A DNA test for one does not exclude the other, and neither excludes all causes of abnormal movement.

Ask for the parents' actual results and discuss their interpretation. Also review hip, elbow and eye assessments as appropriate; a DNA panel cannot replace these examinations.

When should you be concerned?

During a seizure, keep the surroundings safe and time the episode. Do not put hands or objects in the mouth. A first seizure in a young puppy deserves immediate veterinary advice because toxins, low blood glucose and other serious illnesses can look similar.

Your practical care plan

1. Combine comfortable walks with searching games and short reward-based lessons.
2. Teach a reliable recall and practise safely around interesting scents.
3. Provide quiet rest and build manageable absences gradually.
4. Feed a complete life-stage diet and monitor weight rather than assuming an active breed cannot become overweight.
5. Maintain dental care, parasite prevention and vaccination suitable for local risks.
6. Schedule grooming before tangles become uncomfortable.

Common mistakes

• Calling every seizure benign juvenile epilepsy.
• Buying on a “hypoallergenic” guarantee.
• Allowing unsupervised scavenging during scent games.
• Using more exercise to solve fear or persistent distress alone.

Frequently asked questions

Does a Lagotto need to hunt truffles?

No. Safe scent games and suitable training can meet the desire to investigate.

Will all puppy seizures disappear?

No. The cause must be established; several dangerous conditions can produce seizures or tremors.

Can Lagotti live in apartments?

Some do well when activity, toileting, company and rest are provided. Consider the individual dog's noise sensitivity and barking.

Does a clear storage disease test mean no neurological risk?

No. It addresses the tested variant, not every neurological disease.

A Lagotto needs both a working mind and a comfortable body. Give its nose useful work while taking coat discomfort and neurological changes seriously.

ASK A VET™ can help you prepare questions about your Lagotto's routine or screening records. Seizures and sudden weakness need direct veterinary assessment.