The Lagotto Romagnolo is an Italian dog breed that has been around for at least a thousand years – they are also known as Italian Water Dogs or Romagna Water Dogs, and they’re a pretty rare sight to see.
At first glance, some inexperienced dog enthusiasts might confuse the Lagotto Romagnolo with the standard Poodle due to its beautiful curly coat that gives it a teddy-bear-like appearance – however, they are certainly not the same breed.
They originated in the Romagna region of Northeastern Italy, where the first Lagotto Romagnolo dogs were used for waterfowl hunting by the locals of the region – in fact, when translated from Italian, the name Lagotto Romagnolo literally means water dog.
They were the perfect dogs for waterfowl hunting due to their endurance, agility, size, obedience, and water-resistant coat.
Today, the Lagotto Romagnolo dog breed is valued for its useful ability to sniff out an expensive and delicious delicacy that we humans prize – truffles.
Apart from their olfactory prowess, they are generally very intelligent, affectionate, and energetic dogs that usually need some kind of job or activity in order to stay happy and healthy both physically and mentally.
That said, Lagotti dogs are also a good fit both for families with small children and people with allergies due to their lovey-dovey personality and hypoallergenic coat.
So, if you’re on the hunt for the best Lagotto Romagnolo breeders in the U.S. (pun intended), you’ve definitely come to the right place.
Lagotto Romagnolo Puppies For Sale In The U.S.
Whether or not you’ve ever tried to find a good breeder to purchase a new puppy from, you should know that it’s easier said than done.
Considering the fact that dogs are man’s best friend and the fact that there’s good money to be made in the business of dog breeding, there are tons of questionable, self-proclaimed breeders out there who are trying to make a quick buck.
In order to buy a healthy Lagotto puppy that you know is going to stay healthy in the long run, it’s important to source your new family companion from a reliable and reputable breeder who knows what they’re doing.
Sure, it’s easy to find a cheap Lagotto Romagnolo listed for sale on online classifieds websites, but the fact remains that you can never truly be sure of the individual puppy’s health background or the breeder’s expertise.
That’s why you should always opt for an experienced, licensed, and registered Lagotto Romagnolo breeder, even if they’re a bit harder to find.
That said, there’s no need for you to wrack your brain in order to find a good breeder – because we’re here to help!
So, without further ado, let’s check out who the six best Lagotto Romagnolo breeders in the U.S. are.
1. Two By Two Lagotto – Georgia
Our first pick of the litter is Two By Two Lagotto, a breeding outfit that’s located on a ten-acre ranch in Northern Georgia.
Two by Two Lagotto is a small, family-owned and operated breeding outfit, and they’re members in good standing with the AKC. They produce purebred show Lagotto Romagnolo dogs of championship-winner bloodlines.
Their breeding program focuses on meticulous health testing of their parent dogs for breed-specific genetic health issues in order to responsibly produce healthy puppies of perfect conformation, excellent health, and sound temperament that are true to the AKC breed standard.
The puppies are born inside their home in a loving family environment and raised with a hands-on approach with plenty of love, care, and early neurological stimulation in order to ensure the proper development of their pups.
That’s why they properly deworm, vaccinate, microchip, and socialize each and every puppy, in addition to making sure they are all health tested.
However, they only sell puppies that will be used as companions, show dogs, working dogs, or truffle-hunting dogs, so their Lagotti puppies are sold on a strict non-breeding contract.
In addition to offering Lagotto Romagnolo puppies for sale, the breeders offer a custom training guide and an online training course geared toward helping new owners raise their new Lagotto puppy into a good representation of this beautiful breed.
If you’re interested in one of Two By Two Lagotto’s pups, make sure to visit their website and fill out the puppy questionnaire in order to start the process of buying your new best friend.
Two By Two Lagotto details
Location: Northern Georgia
Website: Two By Two Lagotto
Facebook: Two By Two Lagotto
YouTube: Two By Two Lagotto
Contact: +1 770-608-1119
Email: [email protected]
2. Lagotto Lady Kennels – Minnesota
Our next spot on the list of the best Lagotto Romagnolo breeders in the U.S. goes to Lagotto Lady Kennels, located on a twenty-five-acre plot of land in Lindstrom, Minnesota.
It is owned and helmed by Kathy Haglof; a breeder with over fifteen years of experience in breeding, raising, and training high-quality purebred Lagotto Romagnolo puppies that adhere to the breed standard set by the AKC.
The breeding team at Lagotto Lady Kennels always keeps the comfort, freedom, and health of their dogs in mind, striving to maintain and improve the breed standard with each new litter produced.
They believe that the key to raising happy, well-rounded puppies that will live a long and fulfilled life is a holistic approach and adequate nutrition.
That’s why they choose not to vaccinate their dogs, and to avoid any chemicals unless necessary, which is what makes these breeders stand out from the bunch.
However, they do properly deworm and microchip their puppies, in addition to providing them with plenty of early neurological stimulation and socialization.
All of their Lagotti breeding dogs and puppies are health tested for genetic health problems, and their puppies are sold with an AKC registration and a health guarantee, as well as a lifetime of support from the breeders.
Lagotto Lady Kennels has an upcoming litter of puppies due sometime in the summer of 2022, so if you’re interested in buying a puppy, make sure to visit their website for more information and get in touch with the breeders via phone or email.
Lagotto Lady Kennels’ details
Location: 28768 Olympic Trail, Lindstrom Minnesota 55045
Website: Lagotto Lady Kennels
Contact: +1 612-839-1137
Email: [email protected]
3. Fino Lagotto – New Mexico
Our next spot goes to Fino Lagotto, a breeding outfit whose facility is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Owned and helmed by Robin Morehouse, Fino Lagotto is a breeding outfit that specializes in producing high-quality, healthy, and happy Lagotto Romagnolo puppies that are prime examples of the breed.
The breeding team at Fino Lagotto has over forty years’ worth of experience in breeding and training Lagotti of exceptional temperament, health, and longevity – all the while striving to maintain and improve upon the workability, trainability, and overall characteristics of the breed.
They rear their puppies on a natural, raw, unsupplemented diet (bones, raw meat, eggs, milk, etc.) because of their extensive experience in successfully producing healthy puppies with this kind of approach.
They make sure that each parent dog and puppy is health tested for breed-specific genetic health conditions that Lagotti are prone to in order to ensure that their puppies have the best possible start in life.
However, these breeders have a conservative view when it comes to vaccinations, chemical flea preventatives, and antibiotic treatments – so they focus on as much of a holistic and natural approach as possible to raise their puppies.
With every purebred puppy purchased, Fino Lagotto offers a contract of sale, an AKC registration, a five-year genetic health guarantee, a written pedigree certificate, and a lifetime of support.
If you want to buy a healthy Lagotto Romagnolo puppy from Fino Lagotto, visit the breeder’s website for more information on available puppies and upcoming litters.
Fino Lagotto details
Location: 2906 San Ysidro Ct, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507
Website: Fino Lagotto
Instagram: Fino Lagotto
Contact: +1 505-660-6666
Email: [email protected]
4. Michigan Lagottos – Michigan
Our next pick is Michigan Lagottos – a breeding outfit that’s based in Lake City, Michigan.
Michigan Lagottos is owned and operated by Shannon and Kacy Vanduinen; a mother-daughter team that strives to produce litter after litter of top-notch purebred Lagotto Romagnolo puppies of sound conformation, health, and temperament.
Their respective breeding programs aim to use only parent dogs that are OFA-cleared for breed-specific genetic health issues such as PRA, hip and elbow dysplasia, Lagotto storage disease, et cetera.
They raise their puppies with lots of care, love, and attention to detail by using the Puppy Culture Program which focuses on early exposure to various surfaces, sounds, textures, play props, and problem-solving tasks.
The breeders make sure that each puppy is given its first shots (with all subsequent vaccinations being the new owner’s responsibility) and a deworming protocol, but they do not microchip their puppies because they believe that new owners should have their vet administer their preferred microchip.
Their puppies are sold on a non-breeding contract, along with an AKC registration and a two-year genetic health guarantee against eye diseases and hip and elbow dysplasia.
Michigan Lagottos currently has three puppies available for sale and an upcoming litter of puppies due in the summer of 2022, so if you want to buy one of their Lagotto Romagnolo puppies, get in touch with the breeders in order to start the process.
Michigan Lagottos’ details
Location: Lake City, Michigan 49651
Website: Michigan Lagottos
Instagram: Michigan Lagottos
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
5. Dolce Vita Lagotto Romagnolo – Pennsylvania
Our next spot on the list of the best Lagotto Romagnolo breeders in the U.S. goes to Dolce Vita Lagotto Romagnolo, located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Owned by Mike and Sandy Mignogna, Dolce Vita Lagotto Romagnolo is a trustworthy and ethical breeding outfit that specializes in producing purebred, top-quality Italian truffle dogs.
They are members of the LRCA ( the Lagotto Romagnolo Club Of America, which is the parent club of the Lagotto Romagnolo for the AKC), and they raise their puppies in their own home instead of in outside kennels.
The breeders enjoy working with their dogs on a daily basis whether out in the field doing scent work, in AKC conformation shows, or simply snuggling on the couch.
Their breeding program focuses on producing puppies from health-tested parents that are of sound conformation, excellent health, and sweet temperament that are true to this Italian breed.
Of course, all of their puppies are vet checked, vaccinated, dewormed, and microchipped before they are ready to leave their premises and go to their new families at around eight weeks of age.
Dolce Vita Lagotto Romagnolo offers AKC registration papers and a genetic health guarantee with every puppy purchased, as well as a lifetime of support from the breeders themselves.
If you’re interested in what they have in store for you, make sure to check out their website and then get in touch with the breeders in order to start the process of buying a puppy.
Dolce Vita Lagotto Romagnolo details
Location: Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Website: Dolce Vita Lagotto Romagnolo
Email: [email protected]
6. Montagna Del Mare – Washington
Our sixth and final spot on the list goes to Montagna Del Mare, located in Bellingham, Washington.
Montagna Del Mare is owned by Dan and Therese Williams – a married couple with decades of extensive knowledge and experience in breeding and raising high-quality Lagotto Romagnolo puppies that conform to the breed standard.
Their puppies are raised using the Puppy Culture method in order to produce mentally stable, well-rounded young pups that will easily fit into their new loving families.
All of their puppies are also vet checked and microchipped, as well as given their first set of shots, and are fully dewormed at the four- and eight-week marks.
Puppies are sold on a non-breeding contract, with a one-year health guarantee against any genetic defect, an AKC registration, a puppy starter kit, and a three-generation written pedigree.
If you’re interested in owning one of their Lagotto Romagnolo puppies, make sure to check out their website and fill out the puppy application form in order to start the process of adoption.
Montagna Del Mare currently has an available litter of puppies and is expecting more litters due soon in 2022.
Montagna Del Mare details
Location: 5400 Northwest Dr, Bellingham, Washington 98226
Website: Montagna Del Mare
Contact: +1 360-384-3753
Email: [email protected]
How Much Is A Lagotto Romagnolo Puppy In The U.S.?
Since they are rare and very sought-after, the average pet-quality Lagotto Romagnolo puppy in the U.S. costs anywhere between $2000 and $3000.
The price of a Lagotto Romagnolo puppy can vary exponentially depending on its heritage, coat color, and the breeder you’re purchasing from.
Show-quality and working-quality Lagotto Romagnolos can fetch anywhere between $3000 and $5000.
Of course, you should always be ready for additional maintenance costs since buying a new puppy is just the start of your new life together.
Basic necessities such as food, brushes, toys, a bed, and grooming need to be considered when preparing for a new Lagotto Romagnolo puppy.
Then, there are additional expenses such as vet bills, vaccinations, training programs, et cetera.
All in all, even though they are a bit more on the expensive side, Lagotto Romagnolo dogs are a wonderful addition to any loving family.
The average life expectancy of a healthy Lagotto Romagnolo dog is between twelve and fourteen years of age, so if you’re sure it’s the right dog for you, get ready for lots of joy and happiness for years and years to come.
In Conclusion
In general, the Lagotto Romagnolo is a very active, medium-sized dog breed that is loyal, obedient, and affectionate toward its loved ones.
Although they can sometimes be a handful due to their energetic nature (if not trained properly), they get along well with other pets and small children.
They are known to have a non-shedding coat and are therefore a good choice for people with allergies since they are hypoallergenic.
Lagotti Romagnoli come in a variety of colors ranging from roan, apricot, and gray, to brown, white, and brown and white.
Although they might be a bit difficult to handle for first-time owners, their undying loyalty to their loved ones coupled with their high intelligence quotient and affectionate disposition make them the perfect family companion.
Now that you know which Lagotto Romagnolo breeders in the U.S. are reputable and reliable, all that’s left is for you to pick the right breeder for you and stick with them until you eventually have your new Lagotto puppy in your arms.
It’s also worth noting that Lagotto Romagnolo puppies are notoriously hard to find and are very quickly sold out as soon as a new litter appears, so make sure to get in touch with the breeders as soon as possible.
That said, we wish you luck in your effort to find your perfect new furry friend!
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