Italianspiration: Lagotto Romagnolo

 

As if there weren't enough reasons to love Italy lately, we found another one at Central Park yesterday. His name was Walter, and he's a Lagotto Romagnolo, aka an Italian Water Dog. J and I have been obsessing over various breeds of dogs for the last couple years, just waiting until we finally attain that perfect combination of income, free time and square footage to own one.

After chatting with Walter's owner and playing with him for a little while, we were hooked. Friendly, fun, adorable, apartment-sized and good with families. Fluffy soft coat and happy face. What's not to love?

Reasons to love Lagottos:

1. They’re hypoallergenic—how could you resist that soft, curly, allergy-free coat?
2. The incredible cuteness factor (i.e. see images below).
3. They’re intelligent, hard-working, good-natured dogs.
4. At 25-35lbs, the size is big enough to run around and play with, yet small enough for an apartment.
5. They’re extremely loyal to their families.
6. They are often used to hunt truffles, and almost all menus need more truffles.

The bottom line is that the breed has become our frontrunner, before Labradoodles, Wheaten Terriers and even Portugese Water Dogs. That's the good news. The bad news is that they are rare in the U.S. and pretty expensive. So, while we spend our time researching and daydreaming, do you have any other suggestions for good dog breeds?

(Above photos by Mark Allen)

(Photos by Steve Rousseau)