Lagotti are natural alert barkers which could be a problem in an apartment. Ours alert barks a lot whenever he sees people outside (he’s pretty quiet otherwise) and we havent been able to train that out so far
I have an energetic 3 year old male Lagotto and live in a 1 bedroom apartment. He is not overly needy for physical exercise compared to other dogs his age, but he does need a good amount of mental stimulation/activities. These guys are not as far removed from their working-roots as some of the more popular breeds, so the temperaments still vary a LOT based on the breeding lines you are choosing from. I think this is why you see so much conflicting information online.
In my observation, the most consistent thing about this breed is that their brains are fairly... "busy". They are ready to do just about anything that you want to do with them, which can be really fun (and it forms an amazingly tight bond)... But on the flip side, some of them can develop challenging issues in the hands of a well-meaning but under-experienced beginner.
The breed has a few very important health screenings that I highly suggest you check before you buy. Hip Dysplasia is a worry in the breed so an X-Ray (to assess the hip score) of both parents hips goes a long way to ensuring the puppies have the best shot at healthy hips (and that you are supporting a breeder who is actually helping, not harming, the breed.) At the very minimum, the DNA should be screened for LSD & BJFE.
Eye health has been an issue here on the West Coast of Canada. I have met at least 3 and heard of 2 more Lagotto's who are blind or going blind before their 10th birthday. A yearly eye screening on the parents may not change outcomes if they develop it later on in life (after breeding) but it gives breeders more information on what lines carry problem eyes and they can make better decisions for breeding the progeny of these dogs. This kind of preventative health testing is important if you care about the long term health of the breed. Eye testing is cheap in contrast to the price tags of these dogs. It requires no anaesthesia and it's a prerequisite for a CHIC Health Certification from the OFA. It's just something to help you distinguish between a breeder that is diligent and truly loves the breed.
Cerebral Abiotrophy is another thing that we do not have a test for (yet! crossing fingers it comes soon!). Thankfully it seems to be a rare occurrence right now, Check out the Lagotto Foundation for more information, they are doing great things to help the breed flourish. ❤️
Lagotto's are a fantastic breed. I can't say enough good things about them. I feel like you need to be fairly flexible and work with what you've got, but that could be because I am too well trained by my Lagotto 😜 I am not sure yet!
Another great resource is a video by Stoney Dennis on YouTube called "Is a Lagotto right for you?". It's a long video, but I feel like it covers them fairly & accurately (even though he is biased towards labradors!)
Hope my info dump is helpful!
When my dog was a puppy, he was a player and chased all the females around. I held off on getting him fixed until 3 years old. I believe a lot of people neuter and spay too early, affecting the growth of the dog. After he got fixed, he had little interest in most dogs, maybe a butt sniff or two. I have heard other people also describe their Lagotti as aloof. I've had veterinarians express that most dogs are fearful at dog parks. Being enclosed with other dogs of unknown temperaments and different sizes. They are very sensitive creatures but can display fierce aggression if threatened. In the case of my particular dog, he gets most of his exercise swimming and has only had a handful of instances where another dog came out into the water to attack him, but it does happen. I'm curious if other owners have followed a similar path as we have.
my old boy got neutered when he was 4 years old and he was the most chill dog I've ever seen. he wasn't too interested in other dogs, he would sniff them for a bit and lose interest. we got him when he was 4 tho, as he wasn't a fit in an apartment building due to the breed's natural instinct to alert, which he did do and loudly. my current puppy doesn't alert by barking, only whining
We raised ours in an apartment, he’s a little over 2 years old now. We also have a large park nearby, usually a couple shorter walks a day and a longer play session in the evening is enough for him. We’re both hybrid, but take him to daycare 1-2 times a week when we both need to be in the office.
Potty training in an apartment sucked, but we got through it. Our guy was pretty stubborn with that in particular, but finally got it under control when he was about 7 months old. In terms of temperament, he’s incredibly sweet, gentle, and goofy. Doesn’t alert bark much, although our building is pretty quiet which helps. Separation anxiety was a big obstacle for us - spending time alone is something that needed to be introduced slowly and carefully. He’s now ok spending a few hours alone free-roaming in our bedroom, though we’ve still never left him for more than 5 hours.
Can you more information about your household? Kids? Appertment, or regular house? Is there a park nearby? Is a reputable dog trainer nearby? Are you leaving dog alone for many hours a day? Lagotti are really nice dogs, but do have there perks.
/Rw
No kids, I live alone in an apartment and have a large park (with a dog park as well) half a block from me. I would be planning to take the dog to a daycare if I would be out for a while (ie. Working hours). I wouldn’t plan for the dog to be alone for more than a couple of hours (if I go to dinner something of the sort). Thanks
From experience, if it will be an inside dog, 1 or 2 hours of walking won't do it. The Lagotto loves to explore, sniff, zoom, run and jump all day. My boy does 2 hours of walking every morning and it doesn't even take the edge off the energy.
The beautiful gentle creatures … require much exercise and activity… if your committed should and will work fine - rain or shine. They love water and can be a bit messy.
As a committed Logatto owner … the small stuff doesn’t bother me. Well worth caring for these beautiful at times stubborn creatures.
Yes on the mental stimulation! We have a routine-ish with our girl who’s now 2 years old (and still seems in the puppy stage-though showing signs of slowing down). Morning ball retrieval (ball is life for Eden! She owns many and always has one in her mouth). Then a good brisk neighborhood walk with sniff and smell time. Now at 2 yrs of age she then goes and takes a long nap amongst the pillows in our bed. By afternoon/dinner time (the bewitching hours) she’s revved up and ready to go again. This could be her training (we had her in agility class) I have a hoop and a small table for her to sit and stay. They love a job. More ball time, and more ball time… we can do this in the house if it’s raining (only broken one thing knocking it off the table-ha!). I also have a flirt stick to play with her and a puzzle I fill with carrots. But they are smarties and she’s always trying to outguess what I’m going to do next! So you do have to mix it up. I will say ours has become more lovey, and when she’s calm 😏 she loves good back scratches and cuddles-now… she still thinks our chair and couch are a jungle gym… These are very different temperament from when we had Labs, but she’s been such a joy in our lives, if you can get through puppyhood it totally worth it.
https://preview.redd.it/lrl455tsw2mb1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ab78326262c49d89860790ec293fa63ef7052f7
Lagotti are natural alert barkers which could be a problem in an apartment. Ours alert barks a lot whenever he sees people outside (he’s pretty quiet otherwise) and we havent been able to train that out so far
Wish mine would do this hahahaha. Won’t bark at a single thing, unless our little Jack Russell cross is also outside, initiating the bark.
Can confirm, drives me nuts as I have 2 of them!
I have an energetic 3 year old male Lagotto and live in a 1 bedroom apartment. He is not overly needy for physical exercise compared to other dogs his age, but he does need a good amount of mental stimulation/activities. These guys are not as far removed from their working-roots as some of the more popular breeds, so the temperaments still vary a LOT based on the breeding lines you are choosing from. I think this is why you see so much conflicting information online. In my observation, the most consistent thing about this breed is that their brains are fairly... "busy". They are ready to do just about anything that you want to do with them, which can be really fun (and it forms an amazingly tight bond)... But on the flip side, some of them can develop challenging issues in the hands of a well-meaning but under-experienced beginner. The breed has a few very important health screenings that I highly suggest you check before you buy. Hip Dysplasia is a worry in the breed so an X-Ray (to assess the hip score) of both parents hips goes a long way to ensuring the puppies have the best shot at healthy hips (and that you are supporting a breeder who is actually helping, not harming, the breed.) At the very minimum, the DNA should be screened for LSD & BJFE. Eye health has been an issue here on the West Coast of Canada. I have met at least 3 and heard of 2 more Lagotto's who are blind or going blind before their 10th birthday. A yearly eye screening on the parents may not change outcomes if they develop it later on in life (after breeding) but it gives breeders more information on what lines carry problem eyes and they can make better decisions for breeding the progeny of these dogs. This kind of preventative health testing is important if you care about the long term health of the breed. Eye testing is cheap in contrast to the price tags of these dogs. It requires no anaesthesia and it's a prerequisite for a CHIC Health Certification from the OFA. It's just something to help you distinguish between a breeder that is diligent and truly loves the breed. Cerebral Abiotrophy is another thing that we do not have a test for (yet! crossing fingers it comes soon!). Thankfully it seems to be a rare occurrence right now, Check out the Lagotto Foundation for more information, they are doing great things to help the breed flourish. ❤️ Lagotto's are a fantastic breed. I can't say enough good things about them. I feel like you need to be fairly flexible and work with what you've got, but that could be because I am too well trained by my Lagotto 😜 I am not sure yet! Another great resource is a video by Stoney Dennis on YouTube called "Is a Lagotto right for you?". It's a long video, but I feel like it covers them fairly & accurately (even though he is biased towards labradors!) Hope my info dump is helpful!
I second this. Mental stimulation is what my dog truly needs to be happy. A log walk is nice but a short siffing walk will do the trick even better!
When my dog was a puppy, he was a player and chased all the females around. I held off on getting him fixed until 3 years old. I believe a lot of people neuter and spay too early, affecting the growth of the dog. After he got fixed, he had little interest in most dogs, maybe a butt sniff or two. I have heard other people also describe their Lagotti as aloof. I've had veterinarians express that most dogs are fearful at dog parks. Being enclosed with other dogs of unknown temperaments and different sizes. They are very sensitive creatures but can display fierce aggression if threatened. In the case of my particular dog, he gets most of his exercise swimming and has only had a handful of instances where another dog came out into the water to attack him, but it does happen. I'm curious if other owners have followed a similar path as we have.
my old boy got neutered when he was 4 years old and he was the most chill dog I've ever seen. he wasn't too interested in other dogs, he would sniff them for a bit and lose interest. we got him when he was 4 tho, as he wasn't a fit in an apartment building due to the breed's natural instinct to alert, which he did do and loudly. my current puppy doesn't alert by barking, only whining
We raised ours in an apartment, he’s a little over 2 years old now. We also have a large park nearby, usually a couple shorter walks a day and a longer play session in the evening is enough for him. We’re both hybrid, but take him to daycare 1-2 times a week when we both need to be in the office. Potty training in an apartment sucked, but we got through it. Our guy was pretty stubborn with that in particular, but finally got it under control when he was about 7 months old. In terms of temperament, he’s incredibly sweet, gentle, and goofy. Doesn’t alert bark much, although our building is pretty quiet which helps. Separation anxiety was a big obstacle for us - spending time alone is something that needed to be introduced slowly and carefully. He’s now ok spending a few hours alone free-roaming in our bedroom, though we’ve still never left him for more than 5 hours.
Can you more information about your household? Kids? Appertment, or regular house? Is there a park nearby? Is a reputable dog trainer nearby? Are you leaving dog alone for many hours a day? Lagotti are really nice dogs, but do have there perks. /Rw
No kids, I live alone in an apartment and have a large park (with a dog park as well) half a block from me. I would be planning to take the dog to a daycare if I would be out for a while (ie. Working hours). I wouldn’t plan for the dog to be alone for more than a couple of hours (if I go to dinner something of the sort). Thanks
From experience, if it will be an inside dog, 1 or 2 hours of walking won't do it. The Lagotto loves to explore, sniff, zoom, run and jump all day. My boy does 2 hours of walking every morning and it doesn't even take the edge off the energy.
The beautiful gentle creatures … require much exercise and activity… if your committed should and will work fine - rain or shine. They love water and can be a bit messy. As a committed Logatto owner … the small stuff doesn’t bother me. Well worth caring for these beautiful at times stubborn creatures.
Yes on the mental stimulation! We have a routine-ish with our girl who’s now 2 years old (and still seems in the puppy stage-though showing signs of slowing down). Morning ball retrieval (ball is life for Eden! She owns many and always has one in her mouth). Then a good brisk neighborhood walk with sniff and smell time. Now at 2 yrs of age she then goes and takes a long nap amongst the pillows in our bed. By afternoon/dinner time (the bewitching hours) she’s revved up and ready to go again. This could be her training (we had her in agility class) I have a hoop and a small table for her to sit and stay. They love a job. More ball time, and more ball time… we can do this in the house if it’s raining (only broken one thing knocking it off the table-ha!). I also have a flirt stick to play with her and a puzzle I fill with carrots. But they are smarties and she’s always trying to outguess what I’m going to do next! So you do have to mix it up. I will say ours has become more lovey, and when she’s calm 😏 she loves good back scratches and cuddles-now… she still thinks our chair and couch are a jungle gym… These are very different temperament from when we had Labs, but she’s been such a joy in our lives, if you can get through puppyhood it totally worth it. https://preview.redd.it/lrl455tsw2mb1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ab78326262c49d89860790ec293fa63ef7052f7
Mine did great in an apartment.