The Lagotto Romagnolo – meaning Water Dog in the Romagnol dialect, is an ancient Italian breed, which has become famous for its aptitude as a truffle hunting dog. This medium sized dog with its curly, water-repellent coat was originally used for centuries as a water game-retrieving dog by the men who accompanied the waterfowl hunters in the marshlands of Comacchio and Romagna. These men were called the Lagotti or Valloroli – the modern day equivalent would be the beaters who accompany the guns in a shooting party.

After the draining of these marshlands in the 1800s and the increasing popularity of black truffles and white truffles in Italian cuisine, the Vallaroli focused their skills on hunting truffles in the hills. With its hyper-sensitive sense of smell, clever aptitude for searching and retrieving and innate love of digging – the Lagotto Romagnolo was a natural truffle hunting dog!