BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : Ancient breed of retrieving water dogs in the lowlands of Comacchio and marshlands of Ravenna.  During the centuries, the great marshlands were drained and turned into arable land.  Subsequently the Lagotto changed from being a water dog to an excellent dog for searching truffles in the flat open country and in the hills of Romagna.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Small to medium-sized dog, well proportioned, powerfully built, of a rustic appearance, with a dense, curly coat of woolly texture.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : The length of the head is 4/10 of the height at the withers.  The dog is nearly as high as long (square).
The length of the skull should be slightly more than 50 % of the total length of the head.
The length of the muzzle is 2/10 less than that of the skull (44 % to  56 %). 
The depth of the chest is less than 50 % (about 44 %) of the height at the withers.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : A natural gift for searching and its very good nose has made the breed very efficient in truffle searching. 
The former hunting instinct has been eliminated, hence his work is not distracted by the scent of game.  The Lagotto is tractable, undemanding, keen, affectionate, very attached to his owner and easy to train.  He is also a very good companion and an excellent watch-dog.

HEAD : Viewed fom above trapezoidal in shape and moderately broad; the upper longitudinal axes of the skull and the muzzle diverge slightly.

CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : Wide at the level of the zygomatic arches, and as long as wide.  Viewed from the side, from occiput to stop, the skull should be longer than the muzzle.  It is slightly convex and tends to flatten out at the back skull.  Frontal sinuses well developed, superciliary arches marked, medio-frontal furrow pronounced, occipital crest short and not very developed, supraorbital fossae slightly marked.
Stop : Not too pronounced.

FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Large with wide open and mobile nostrils.  Naso-labial line strongly pronounced.  Viewed in profile, the nose continues on the same level as the muzzle and protrudes very slightly from the front edge of the lips.  The colour ranges from light to dark brown, depending on the colour of the coat.
Muzzle : Fairly broad, a little shorter than the skull (ratio : skull 56 %, muzzle 44 %), its depth being only slightly less than the length.  It is slightly wedge shaped, with a moderately flat front face.  The nasal bridge has a straight profile.
Lips : The lips are not too thick, they are rather tight, so that the lower profile of the muzzle is determined by the mandible.  They are covered with a long and rather bristly moustache.  Viewed from the front, the lips form a wide semi-circle.  The colour of the edges ranges
from light to dark brown.
Jaws/Teeth : Jaws strong with almost straight branches and a relatively large mandibular body.  Complete scissor or pincer bite with white and well developed teeth.  Slightly undershot mouth acceptable.
Cheeks : Flat.
Eyes : Fairly large, rounded, filling the socket, set fairly apart.  The colour of the iris ranges from ochre to hazel and dark brown depending on the colour of the coat.  Close fitting eyelids; the colour of the eye-rims ranges from light to dark brown.  Eyelashes very well developed.  Look alert, expression keen and lively.
Ears : Medium-sized in proportion to the head, triangular with rounded tips; their base is rather wide; they are set just above the zygomatic arches. 
Hanging at rest or slightly raised when the dog is attentive.  If pulled towards the nose they should reach the muzzle at 1/4 of its length.  On the ears, the hair tends to show looser curls, but remains very wavy.  No short hair on the ears.  The inner part of the auricle is also covered with hair.

NECK : Strong, muscular, lean, of oval cross section; well set off from the nape and absolutely free from dewlap.  Topline slightly arched.  In males the perimeter of the neck can reach the double of its length.  The length of the neck is a little less than the total length of the head.

BODY : Compact and strong; as long as the height at the withers.
Topline : Straight from the withers to the croup.
Withers : They rise above the level of the croup; the highest points of the shoulder blades are not too close, but quite high set and wel laid back.
Back : Straight, very muscular.
Loin : Short coupled, very strong, in profile slightly arched.  Width is equal or exceeds their length.
Croup : Long, wide, muscular, slightly sloping (coxal inclination ranges from 25° to 30°).
Chest : Well developed, reaching down to the elbows.  Although fairly narrow in front, from the sixth rib the chest widens backwards.
Underline and belly : Long sternal section in form of a straight line; the following tuck-up is only slight.

TAIL : Set on neither too high nor too low; tapering towards the end.  When hanging, it should barely reach the hocks.  At rest carried scimitar like; when attentive decidedly raised.  When working or excited can be carried over the back, but never curled.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS :
Generally : Vertical, seen from the front and in profile.

Shoulder : Shoulder blades long (30 % of the height at withers), well laid back (52-55°), muscular, strong and closely attached to the chest,
but moving freely.  The scapulo-humeral angle ranges from 110° to 115°.
Upper arm : Muscular, of thin bone structure, as long as the shoulder blade; its inclination to the horizontal ranges from 58-60°.
Elbows : Well attached to the chest wall, but not too tightly; covered with thin skin; parallel to the median sagittal plane of the body as are the upper arms.  The point of the elbow is located on a vertical line lowered from the back end of the scapula to the ground.
Forearm : Perfectly vertical, long (36 % of the height at withers), with compact, strong bone of oval cross-section).
Carpus : Viewed from the front in a vertical line with the forearm; fine, robust and mobile; pisiform bone markedly protruding.
Pastern : Rather less thick and of finer bone compared with the forearm, mobile; seen in profile, it forms an angle of 75° to 80° with the ground.
Forefeet : Slightly rounded, compact, with arched and tight toes.  Nails strong and curved.  Pads well pigmented.  Interdigital membranes very well developed.

HINDQUARTERS :
Generally : Vertical and parallel, powerful, well proportioned to the size of the dog.
Upper thigh : Long (35 % of the height at withers), with clearly separated and visible muscles.  The axis of the femur has a distinct inclination of 80° to the horizontal line.  The coxo-femoral angle ranges from 105° to 110°.  The thigh is paralell to the median plane of the body. 
Stifle : The angle of the stifle joint ranges from 130° to 150°.
Lower thigh : Slightly longer than the upper thigh (36 % of the height at withers), well boned and muscled, with marked muscular groove.  Its inclination to the horizontal ranges from 50° to 55°.
Hock joint : Wide, thick, lean, with clear-cut bone; parallel to the medium plane of the body; the tibio-metatarsal angle is ca. 140°.
Metatarsal : Thin, cylindrical, perpendicular to the ground.
Hindfeet : Slightly more oval-shaped than forefeet and toes slightly less arched.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : Walk regular, trot energetic and brisk, gallop for short periods.

SKIN : Close fitting all over the body, without wrinkles, thin, with sparse subcutaneous tissue.  Pigmentation of mucous membranes and of pads ranges from light to dark and very dark brown.

COAT

HAIR : Of woolly texture, somewhat rough in surface, forming tightly curled, ring shaped curls with the undercoat shining through.  Curls must be evenly distributed all over the body, except on the head, where the curls are less tight, forming well-furnished eyebrows, whiskers and beard.  Even the cheeks are covered with dense hair.  The topcoat and specially the undercoat are water-proof.  If not clipped, the hair tends to become felted; therefore a complete clipping must be performed at least once a year.  Felted topcoat and undercoat must be removed periodically.

COLOUR : Off-white solid colour, white with brown or orange patches, brown roan, brown solid colour (in different shades), or orange solid colour.  A brown to dark brown mask acceptable.

SIZE AND WEIGHT  :
Height at the withers :
Males      :  from 43 to 48 cm (ideal height : 46 cm),
females   :  from 41 to 46 cm (ideal height : 43 cm).
Tolerance of 1 cm more or less.
Weight :
Males     :  13 to 16 kg,
females   :  11 to 14 kg.
 
FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

• Axes of the skull and the muzzle converging.
• Partially depigmented nose.
• Dish-faced.
• Pronounced undershot mouth.
• Strabismus.
• Docked tail.
• Dewclaws.
• Coat not curled or clipped short.
• Black coat or black patches.
• Oversize or undersize.

ELIMINATING FAULTS :

• Aggresive or overly shy.
• Totally depigmented nose.
• Overshot mouth.
• Wall-eye.
• Corded coat.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Automatic Translate from inseparabile.com

Dog from bringing back, above all in water, present since XVI the century in goes them Ferraresi and in lagoons of Ravenna, then diffusosi from the end of XIX the century in plains and hills inhabitants of Romagna, with the specific function of the search of the tartufo on whichever type of land, job that carries out with passion and efficiency, taking advantage of its innata attitude to tries and lottimo olfatto; having cancelled listinto venatorio, in its job in which pu to consider lunico true specialist it does not come distracted from the wild one. Optimal also like announcer and, for its dowries of character, from company. Of medium-small size, of peasant aspect, saldamente constructed, collected and a lot very proporzionato, from the driven in hair and ricciuto of lanosa webbing, it possesses mesomorfa general conformation leggermente, it is worth to say that the log is in the square, harmonic regarding the format (eterometria) and disarmonico regarding the profiles (alloidismo).

Official standard ENCI

Short historical signals:

Ancient race from bringing back in water of plains of Comacchio and the swampy zones of Ravenna. In the course of the centuries the immense swampy zones were made to flow down and came transformed in arable earth. Consequently lagotto the changes and from water dog divenne an excellent dog from tartufo in the opened flat campaign and on hills of the Romagna.

1. General aspect of the dog

   Dog of medium-small ransom very proporzionato, squared. of peasant aspect, strong and sturdy, with a driven in curly mantle to lanosa webbing.

2. Important proportions

   The length of the head catches up the 4/10 of the Height. The height of the dog corresponds nearly to its Length.

3. Behavior and character

   The natural attitude to tries and the nose much bond has made of this race a efficient worker in the search of the tartufo. The ancient venatorio instinct be eliminated and for this its job does not come distracted from the trace of the wild one. The sobrio, acute Lagotto. affectionate, a lot attacked to its landladies and easy to train. an optimal dog from company and also an excellent dog announcer.

4. head

   Sight from the high of trapezial shape, massiccia and moderately large; of profile the advanced longitudinal aces of the skull and the snout would have leggermente to be divergent.

5. Skull

   The wide skull to the zigomatica arched one, where its equal length wing its width. Side approval, from the occipite ones to the stop, the skull would have to be devout along of the snout. Convex Leggermente, stretches to flatten itself towards the region occipita them. Frontal breasts very develop to you, arched sopracciliari marked, furrow pronounced medium-frontate, short crest occipita them and not developed maxim, was sopraorbita them light marked.

   Stop

   Stop the obvious but not much marked one

6. Region makes them

   Tartufo

   Voluminoso with wide narici, opened and you furnish. Strongly pronounced median rabbet. Approval of profile the tartufo continues leggermente on the same level of the snout and sporge from the front face of the labbra. The color clearly goes from the brown liver to the brown dark liver, according to the color of the mantle.

   snout

   Enough wide, decidedly devout short of the skull (relationship: skull 56%, snout 44%), the profondit leggermente inferior to the length. Light cuneiform with a moderately flat front face. The nasal cane has a rectilinear profile.

   Labbra

   The labbra as soon as developed are covered from long hair and rather ispido that form of the moustaches, in such way that the inferior profile of the snout comes determined from the jaw. Sights of forehead, the labbra form a wide semicircle. The color of the labiali edges clearly goes from the brown liver to the brown dark liver.

   Cheeks

   Flat.

   Mascella/Denti

   Strong jaws with rather rectilinear branches and a body to mandibolare relatively wide. Closing to scissor or tenaglia. Acceptable inferior Prognatismo.

   Eyes

   Enough wide, tondeggianti, to the same level of the skin, leggermente in evidence. The color of the iride goes from ocher to the nocciola and the dark brown according to the color of the mantle. Adherent eyelids; the color of the perimeter of the eye clearly goes from the brown liver to the brown dark liver. Wide awake, acute expression and lively look.

   Orecchie

   Of proporzionata medium ransom to the head, of triangular shape with the tips rounded off, rather wide junction just above the zigomatica arched one. Leggermente up pendants R-retired and when the careful dog. If pulled towards the nose would hurt to catch up the snout to 1/4 of its length. On the orecchie the hair stretches to show open devout riccioli, but it remains moved very. Not there short hair on the orecchie. The inner part of the covered auricular pavilion of hairs.

7. Neck

   , muscoloso, strongly dry, to section oval; very detached from the nape and absolutely lacking in giogaia. Light arch advanced line. In the males the perimeter of the neck pu to catch up the double quantity of its length.

8. Log

   Compact and strong, along nearly how much the Height.

   Garrese

   It exceeds the level of the rump: not tightened but rather up and extended to GO BACK TO LIST.

   Back

   Rectilinear, much muscoloso.

   Lombo

   Short, joined, strongly, of profile, leggermente arch. Equal or advanced width to the length.

   Rump

   Long, wide, muscolosa, leggermente tilted (the coxale inclination it oscillates from 25 to 30).

   Cost

   Very developed, one extends until the elbows. Bench tightened enough of forehead, is increased GO BACK TO LIST to leaving from the sixth rib.

   Inferior line and ventre

   Long section of the sterno, continuation from one short section of the shape of one straight line and from a part to semicircle shape that rimonta light towards the abdomen; the abdomen not too much retratto.

   Tail

   Attacked some too much up of too much low, it is streamlined towards the tip. Extended it would have to touch the garretti light. C$r-retired capacity to scimitarra; when the careful dog, it decidedly raised. When the dog works or excited pu to be capacity above the back, but never goffered.

9. Front limbs

   General aspect

   Perpendicular if seen of source or profile

   shoulders

   Long bachelor (30% of the Height), very spread to GO BACK TO LIST (the 52-55), closely up muscolose, free forts and to the chest but in the movement. The bachelor-humeral angle oscillates from 110 to 115.

   Arm

   Muscoloso, light skeleton, along how much the bachelor; its inclination regarding the horizontal line oscillates from 58 to 60

   Elbows

   Tightened but not too much adherent to the cost one; covered from thin skin: parallels to the sagittale plan of the log like the arms. The tip of the elbow mails on one lowered vertical line from the tail angle of the bachelor to the ground.

   Forearm

   Perfectly straight, along (36% of the Height, with compact and strong boneses to cross-sectional section oval.

   Carpo

   Approval strongly of vertical line with the thin, sturdy and mobile forearm; in a marked manner sporgente pisiforme bone.

   Metacarpo

   Regarding the rather small forearm and it has a thin skeleton: elastic, with little woven subcutaneous; profile approval forms with the ground an angle of 75/80.

   Front feet

   Light it rounds off to you, compact, with tight and arch fingers, strong nails and curves. Bearings very pigment to you. Membranes interdigita them a lot very developed.

10. Posterior limbs

    General aspect

    Perpendicular, short posterior limbs, very proporziona you to the ransom of the dog.

    Thigh

    Long (35% of the Height), with clearly visible muscles and separate to you. The axis of the femore low has one marked inclination from the high and GO BACK TO LIST in ahead of 80 on the horizontal line. The coxofemorale angle oscillates from 105 to 110. The thigh parallel to the median plan of the log.

    Ginocchio

    The angle of the joint of the ginocchio oscillates from 130 to 150.

    Leg

    Long Leggermente devout of thigh (36% of the Height), muscolosa and of strong skeleton, with marked muscular rabbet. Its inclination on the horizontal line oscillates from 50 to 55.

    Garretto

    Wide, often. dry ground, with clean bony escrescenze; parallels to the medium plan of the log; the tibiometatarsico angle of approximately 140.

    Metatarso

    Cylindrical, perpendicular dry ground to the ground. The faces of the garretto must be very wide. The height from the tip of the garretto to earth does not have to be inferior to 25% of the h. to the garrese. The angle of the tibio-tarsica articulation oscillates between the 140 and the 145.

    Posterior feet

    Of shape leggermente devout ovaleggiante (of the front feet); arch fingers cos like for the front feet.

11. Sailing point/movement

    Regular step, determined and lively trot, gallop in short periods.

    Skin

    Supporter in all the body, without wrinkles, dry, with insufficient woven Subcutaneous. The pigmentazione of membranes mucosae and the plantari, carpali bearings and digita them clearly goes from the brown to the dark brown much dark one.

12. MANTLE

    Hair

    To lanosa webbing, po' rough in surface, a shape riccioli much thick to ring shape with obvious sottopelo. The curly must homogeneously be distributed on all the body, unless the head where devout they are opened and they form abundant sopracciglia, moustaches and beard. Also the cheeks are covered from hair folto. Hair and sottopelo is idrorepellenti. If it does not come cut, the hair stretches to lack, therefore complete tosatura to the year must at least once be carried out one. The infeltrito hair and the sottopelo must be removed periodically.

    Color

    Off-white or unicolore white man, white man with spots brown liver or orange; roano-brown liver, unicolore brown liver (in several tonalit), unicolore orange. Some dogs have one mask brown or dark brown.

13. Height and weight

    Height

    Males from 43 cm to 49 cm. (h ideal: 46 cm.) Females from 41 cm. to 36 cm. (h ideal: 43 cm.). Tolerance of approximately 1 cm. in devout or less.

    Weight

    Males approximately 13/16 kg. females approximately 11/14 kg.

14. DEFECTS

    Every shunting line the previous points would have to be considered a defect, whose seriet it must be proporziona them to its degree. Convergent aces of the skull and the snout, pronounced prognatismo and disturbing, partial depigmentation, bilateral strabismus, mantle goffered or not sheared to zero, black mantle or black spots, spurs, taqliata tail, outside ransom for excess or defect.

15. DEFECTS ELIMINATORI

    Advanced Prognatismo, depigmentation of the nose, divergent strabismus, cordato cape.

16. Indicative measures

    The length of the head catches up the 4/10 of the Height, the length of the skull would have leggermente to be advanced to 50%. of the total length delta head, the length of the smaller snout of 2/10 of that one of skull (44% to 56%). The profondit of the snout it would have to be 8,5/10 of the length of the snout (approximately 40% of the total length of the head), the width of the snout would have to be smaller of 3,5/1O of the length of the snout approximately 29% of the total length of the head), the neck would have to be 8,5/10 of the total length of the head, the length of the back would have to be approximately it 33% of the Height. The length of the lombo would have to be approximately 1/6 of the Height, the length of the rump would have to be approximately 32% of the Height, the profondit of the cost one less of 10% of the Height (approximately 44%), the forearms would have to be 56% of the height total to the garrese.
    N.B. - the males must completely have two testicoli of normal aspect reductions in the scroto