Tintin Jac Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Thanks tintin jac. I'd be interested to know who you got your pup from and whether you specifically said you wanted a more cruisy, laid back temperament? And does he dig? And is he left at home much by himself. I'm nervous about getting a lagotto if we can't meet his attention/energy needs, although they do seem like great, fun dogs. Because I have had a poodle in the past (who was sweet and gentle and chills out too) I feel like I understand more what they are like. Tintin is a Deelee boy. Yes, we were pretty specific about the temperament we were after. At that time, there were quite a few breeders starting out with Lagotto's. I felt that some may have been jumping on a popularity bandwagon. One of the things that I liked about Deelee was that they were involved in importing dogs from OS, at great expense. To me, they were really investing in the future of the breed. We were also very particular about the early training he had. I made sure I found a puppy school that would help us to raise a confidant, stable tempered dog. He does dig sometimes but only rarely. He used to dig quite a bit in the kids sandpit but its not there anymore and he doesn't really seem to care. He does occasionally dig strange (very narrow and quite deep) holes in the lawn . He hasn't done that for a long time, though. When he's left alone by himself, I'm pretty sure he just rests. He (and Hector, the cocker) have access to the lounge room and back yard while we are out. He is never destructive and doesn't bark much while we are out. One time he did, the neighbours called me as they thought it was strange. We were being robbed. I hadn't heard of Lagotto's before I came onto this forum. We were looking to get a puppy and I came here asking about various breeds. We went to have a look at them at a show and just fell in love. The one we met at the show was very gentle and confidant with our children in a loud, unfamiliar environment. I have to say that Tintin has been the same. Not at all nervy or hyper like some others have experienced. I'm pretty sure Cali doesn't live in Australia so the dogs she's seen are not here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vbs Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 Thanks heaps tintin jac, that is such useful information. I've enquired about a deelee lagotto, she has two litters due in May. I also know someone else with a deelee dog who they also say is wonderful, so seems like the way to go. One more question- how much exercise does tintin get/need? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 He (and Hector, the cocker) have access to the lounge room and back yard while we are out. He is never destructive and doesn't bark much while we are out. and this is vitally important - he has a companion ..AND access to indoor/outdoor . he is not alone and outside . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dee lee Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 (edited) I think it sounds like you've decided on a Lagotto! :laugh: Just my 2 cents worth re exercise, if you can commit to about an hour every day plus daily training, most breeds would cope with that when they are young. Personally, I've regretted being put off certain breeds because people insisted they needed unreasonable amounts of exercise. In hindsight, I would have been fine with a higher energy dog. How the dog interacts with your family is more important, in my opinion. I believe that if you are a motivated & active, you just make it work, whatever it takes. If it means an extra walk when you get home, well I reckon we could all benefit from that, couldn't we? :laugh: I daily see elderly people walking Border Collies, Vizslas, Tollers etc. Somehow they manage, I reckon a committed young family would have no problem. :) Edited April 25, 2014 by dee lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 (edited) Deelee lagottos are quite successful in agility if you're interested in that. Although I think at least one of the deelee dogs competing is a bit reactive towards other dogs, but perhaps that's only when they are worked up at trials. Edited April 25, 2014 by aussielover Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dee lee Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Lol, this is getting to be a confusing thread for me. (Disclaimer- I have no connection with Lagotto breeders!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleo's Corgwyn Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 We have a couple of very nice Lagotti at our dog club, and they certainly love to train. I also meet the breeder of Credere Lagotti at a workshop, and was impressed with her dogs. I also know some lovely miniature Poodles. They're a nice size, and often have nice working temperaments. Both breeds can have temperament issues, but providing you choose a breeder carefully, and feel confident that they understand your needs, your should get a great dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Be sure to meet both parents and spend time with them if you go with a Lagotto. It's great that there are some good reviews for some lines, but you also need to observe the parents and the litter and go with your gut feeling. I've known two specifically, one was just extremely shy and anxious, but that made it hard for the owners to have visitors around, and the other refused puppy school but had a certain training franchise do in home training and after that no-one could get near it other than the family - needed to be sedated to even have it's ears examined. It would be very worth your while speaking with the vet behaviourist who breeds them also, just to see what socialisation she provides for her pups before they go to new homes, just to compare with other breeders. It would be horrible to spend all that money on a dog that was inherently shy when you will have friends of your kids visiting etc. For the record I second the Keeshond. They are lovely because they are not popular, so bred carefully and are quite smart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbie Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 I have followed this thread closely as I am also trying to research different breeds that would suit our family. I thought I had got my head around the breeds we were considering (mainly Lagotto or Wheaten) but I think it is hard to get an overall picture of a breed when they are not very common. Thanks for all the info guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfthewords Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Some Bichon lines breed bigger dogs, our first bitch was around 10kg. Lovely soft dogs, but definitely need to be indoors with their family! And I wouldn't recommend them for someone who wants a clean dog; they get filthy easily. The coat is a b*tch to maintain! I've met two Lagotti. Both were lovely and friendly (to humans), but obviously very high energy and one of them was reactive to other dogs walking by - to the point he was screaming as if in physical pain. Almost hysterical! But both were young, like 6-8 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 The Lagotto is a breed rescued from near extinction. My impression is that some breeders have been using anything they can get that looks like a Lagotto, and the working aspect of the breed has not been well preserved. From what I've read, they were used for truffle hunting, but modern truffle hunters generally use other breeds, commonly Labradors. It has been many decades since they were used as gun dogs, and the ones I've met might have been used to flush game, but otherwise were not calm enough for gun dog work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 the ones ive met have been pretty birdy.... someone earlier suggested a havanese? I met a few the other day- very nice dogs and cute as a button! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tintin Jac Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Thanks heaps tintin jac, that is such useful information. I've enquired about a deelee lagotto, she has two litters due in May. I also know someone else with a deelee dog who they also say is wonderful, so seems like the way to go. One more question- how much exercise does tintin get/need? He goes for a reasonable walk most days. At home, we play quite a bit. He loves to learn and use his brain. He is pretty easy to teach but always seems to weigh up his options. Unlike our cocker who is slower to pick things up but never questions, he just does. He (and Hector, the cocker) have access to the lounge room and back yard while we are out. He is never destructive and doesn't bark much while we are out. and this is vitally important - he has a companion ..AND access to indoor/outdoor . he is not alone and outside . Yes. He loves having a mate. They're always together. I think most lagottos are the same. Well, most dogs, really. Tintin is also very much an inside dog, although he loves being outside if we are or if the sun is shining on the right spot on the deck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascalmyshadow Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 (edited) Be very careful if you decide on a lagotto, the few I have dealt with (two i still groom) are biters. One the family has done everything possible, training, behaviourist, medication etc. she has become so bad she has to be muzzled out of the house and locked away when visitors come. The other I still groom is a little better but he is still young, he is destructive, stubborn and will bite if he doesn't like a situation. His owners work from home and have been taking him to a good training school since he was about 10 weeks old but it's made no difference to the above behaviours. I turned another away a couple of years ago when I moved my business to home because she was too risky to groom without sedating and having a vet on hand. Edited April 25, 2014 by Rascalmyshadow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 The Lagotto is a breed rescued from near extinction. My impression is that some breeders have been using anything they can get that looks like a Lagotto, and the working aspect of the breed has not been well preserved. From what I've read, they were used for truffle hunting, but modern truffle hunters generally use other breeds, commonly Labradors. It has been many decades since they were used as gun dogs, and the ones I've met might have been used to flush game, but otherwise were not calm enough for gun dog work. I have friends who successfully use their Lagotto as a working truffle hunter at their trufferie in Southern NSW. That is what they bought her for but they also gained her show Champion title as well. The biggest headache with her is the fact that her coat is like velcro and picks up every grass seed resulting in surgery to remove some that have burrowed through the coat into the skin. They have to clip her very short in summer and search her all over every day to remove the grass seeds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfch Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Bit surprised about some of the comments on poodles with children! I got my first toy poodle when I was five and the second when I was nine, they just died in the last year aged nearly 16 and 12 and a half (tragic and too young) but god, as a child I could not possibly have found more patient and amazing dogs! My older one in particular, I was an only child and would dress her up, have little friends over all the time, she had a 1st birthday party with like 10 six year old girls, she was always around kids and i'm pretty sure we weren't always gentle and she never once in her life so much as growled. The second toy was even more incredible, she was the most amazing and devoted dog and adored me from when I was nine. I currently have a miniature and a standard, the standard is only nine weeks old so he doesn't count, but the mini is nearly three and as I'm now an adult I don't know many kids, I was a bit worried how she would be around my little sister (who is nine) and kids belonging to friends. Obviously always supervised, she is the most gentle dog you can imagine. Poodles in my experience are tolerant, sweet and playful all the time but put them around kids and it just goes to another level, they are so, so gentle. One of the puppies from my standard's litter went to a home with three little kids and all the puppies were handled by the kids from four weeks ... you could tell they all had the aptitude to be terrific family dogs. That's poodles- if you're active, smart, fun and engaged then they are exactly the right dog for you Obviously I am biased, but I did grow up with them throughout my own childhood and I've introduced a lot of kids including kids who were scared of dogs, to my poodles over the years and I have always been thrilled with the results so I just had to respond to the idea that poodles, especially toys, were snappy with kids. I'm sure some are depending on the owner and the breeder but mine have never been. I wouldn't recommend a tiny toy perhaps but minis are great, great and underrated dogs and standards are positively heart melting (she types with a standard puppy sleeping with his head on her lap) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfch Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 You know what, reading your list, if you are interested in poodles i think I would go for a standard. I ADORE my mini but I think minis aren't quite what people think- the breed standard is 10-15 inches. My miniature is 14 inches and slightly over 6kg in perfect health. That is not a very big dog. She is also the most nervous and flighty of my dogs (she's a brown female so colour may or may not be part of this) she has been quite reactive but is now starting to settle down. On the plus side, she is hands down the sweetest dog I have ever known. Total sook who ADORES cuddles and kisses and 'her' people, if you're in Isla's list of favourite people she just wants to love you to death. Toys and standards imho tend to be a bit more robust in personality. Standards are also that bit bigger than the minis, but if you are careful with the breeder they don't have to be huge. My standard is from the creme de la creme of breeders in Aus, both parents are imported and the most incredible dogs and breeding and he won't be huge, maybe slightly over the 20kg mark, but just a good sized robust dog- at nine and a half weeks he's the same size as the mini. I certainly wouldn't write of standards, if you're careful with breeder it's not necessarily going to be much bigger than the lagotto and the temperament on the standard poodle is divine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vbs Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 Thanks mfch. My experience as a child with a poodle was similar- I got a mini male poodle for my 10th birthday- he was on the large side for a miniature (the breeder had originally intended to keep him to show but he grew too big). He was sweet and lovely, I can't remember him ever growling or getting impatient with our games- I used I carry him around on my hip like a baby! I think standard poodles are beautiful but our yard isn't huge and I was worried about the exercise needs of a standard compared to a mini? Ideally we would like a dog somewhere between the size of a miniature and a standard. Perhaps I should ring some breeders to discuss. Can you recommend a great breeder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfch Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 I like that height too and it's so hard to get- either a small standard or an outside breed standard miniature- the kleins moyenne would be amazing but we don't have those here I think a LOT of people would love to own that sized dog- between maybe 10-15kg, and so many standards are imho oversized because there is no upper height limit and you end up with lots of health problems ... That would be the problem with standards- I am on acreage with 1.8 acres fenced specifically for the dogs and they run and run and run. But that's not to say a standard wouldn't work. For minis, mine is from Darellsig Miniature Poodles, they are lovely people and really gorgeous dogs. Worth a look! I'd recommend my standard breeder in a heart beat because she's the best person I've ever dealt with and the dogs are phenomenal but she only breeds for herself and isn't planning another litter for a good four years or so! I think phoning and emailing breeders of poodles, lagottos and whatever else would be a good idea :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascalmyshadow Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 The people that are recommending poodles if you have only lived with two maybe three in your entire life then you may not have experienced what many of them can be like. I agree the standards usually have much better temperaments but they are very high energy, they can be rough especially if they are on the bigger side and they can be overly protective of their kids making it hard to have visitors or be social out in public. If they are bred with a very high prey drive some will be fine until kids start running around making noise. Not all of them are like this but many are its the reason we did so much rescue work, people buying them as puppies not realising what they are getting themselves into. They have become so popular that it seems many breeders are not being careful with temperament they just want to make their money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now