Grooming this breed on a regular basis is a must in the first two years of his life. The coat of the Lagotto Romagnolo is its most important feature. Every part of this dog is covered with a thick, woolly-textured, double coat that forms tight, ring-shaped curls and is highly water resistant. The coat on the head forms looser, more open curls.The color is off-white and solid; white with brown or orange markings; brown roan, brown (in different shades) with or without white; orange with or without white. Some dogs have a brown or dark brown mask. Tan coat markings (in different shades) are allowed.

Coat Care

Given that the coat is non-shedding, it will, in time, felt and thus the coat must be clipped off at least once a year. The companion or working Lagotto is usually clipped two or three times a year depending on the rate of hair growth. Show dogs are usually clipped 10 to 12 weeks before a major show and scissored between shows to maintain the outline.

Heads are not clipped, as the coat on the head is much slower-growing. Scissoring to maintain head shape is preferable.

When prepared for the show ring, the length of the coat should be about 1.5 inches (4 cm) springing back to about 3/4 inch (2 cm), and must evenly follow the line of the dog. It can be longer on the head, but must not obscure the eyes. It is permitted to remove hair in the genital/anal area.

A dog presented like a Poodle or Bichon Frise, clipped, sculptured or in any way glamorized, is highly undesirable. The correct coat presentation is functional and helps to maintain and enhance the rustic look that is typical of the breed.

The Lagotto is normally clipped using an Oster No. 10. If a midwinter clip is necessary, No. 8.5 is more suitable. The Lagotto also requires regular bathing, particularly its beard, and must always be allowed to dry naturally. Remember, the coat must never be brushed or combed while it is wet.

Lagotto Puppy Coat

From 7 weeks of age, the puppy should be groomed every few days, using a medium-toothed steel comb. Between 10 and 12 weeks, the coat on the head and body should be scissored to about 3/4 inch (2cm) in length. The hair on the tail is trimmed to 1/2 inch (1cm).

At 5 months of age, a Lagotto is ready for its first clipping, which is undertaken with an Oster No. 10 or No. 8.5, depending on the time of year. The development of the desirable curls can be greatly increased by frequent clipping in the first two years of a dog’s life.

Grooming Procedure

Equipment needed:  Good-quality medium-toothed steel comb. Plastic or composite combs are not strong enough. A steel de-matter, good-quality slicker, and wide-blade grooming scissors are also required.

Breed tip:  When grooming — whether for a show, working or companion dog — it is important that the finished dog presents a thoroughly functional, appearance. Although of small size, the Lagotto is a working dog, not a large toy dog.

Three days before the show, comb and demat the coat, bathe and dry naturally. Two days before, scissor over any loose curls to maintain the outline. The morning of the show, spray the coat lightly with water to encourage it to curl.

• Before bathing, demat the coat. If the coat is very felted, it may be necessary to first reduce the length with scissors. Lagotto coats are very water-resistant, and dogs with coats longer than 2 inches (5 cm) will be very difficult to wet to the skin. Use a natural shampoo and rinse well. Follow with a conditioner if the dog is to be clipped.
• Before attempting to dry with towels, allow the dog time to shake. A couple of vigorous shakes will leave most Lagotto virtually dry. If in a hurry, super absorbent towels can remove most of the remaining moisture from the topcoat, but the dog is best left in warm place for 10 minutes or so to finish drying naturally. Cage-dryers are not recommended, as they tend to cause the coat to open and fluff and give a Bichon-like appearance to the dog.
• When dry, the coat should be a mass of curls. Scissor any loose curls on the body and legs to maintain the outline. For show dogs, the head coat should be lightly trimmed to enhance the width of the skull, but must never be sculptured like a Bichon. Eyebrows and beards should be trimmed to a functional length and very profuse ear hair shortened to show the shape of the ear. Companion and working dogs may have the coat on the skull and muzzle uniformly shortened.
• Many Lagotto have profuse hair inside the ear (to prevent water entering when diving after ducks). Unless the dog is to be used for duck hunting, the hair inside the ears should be regularly removed with finger and thumb. Grooming powder will help removal of this hair.
• Check the dog’s nails and teeth.
• Check under the feet for excess hair and remove with scissors to prevent mats from forming.
• After clipping, grooming is a mere matter of combing the head hair and regularly removing seeds and burrs which lodge in the undercoat. A slicker is useful until the coat is about 3/4 inch (2cm) and then a steel comb should be used instead.
• When it becomes too difficult to pass a comb through the coat, a steel de-matter should be used to periodically remove felted hairs and knots. Eventually, the entire coat starts to felt and it becomes difficult to pass even a de-matter through the undercoat. This indicates that the coat should once again be clipped off.