He explained that above all the breed is “natural”. By that he means that it comes directly from dogs owned by the people living in the countryside, it is not a modern manufactured breed. Originally, as we all know, Lagotto were used by Italian hunters shooting water fowl. However, over the centuries the water areas gradually disappeared and the dogs were used for other things and developed an ability for finding truffles. Prof Morsiani explained that the “rescuers” tried to get back to the original “breed standard” by introducing other breeds . Over the years breeds, such as Brittany Spaniels, Pointers, Setters and other dogs were cross bred with Lagotto to which were all of similar type to try and bring back the original looking Lagotto.
Difficult to imagine that Lagotto were, in essence, mongrels centuries ago, but explains a lot about some of the traits we experience now!
The rescue involved mating similar types and this often resulted in very “close” or inbred dogs. By continuing this process with the median type of dog, over time, this resulted in the homogeneous dog we know today, square shaped and big headed. Prof Morsiani explained that they were very conscious that the breed should not, during this process, lose its working aptitude.
Prof Morsiani went into great detail to explain the breed standard in detail, all of which can be researched in various books, including his own. Of particular interest was the fact that Lagotto could be black in bygone days, but this was bred out as it was a recessive gene which had come through from the other breeds and associated with other undesirable attributes. And it was mentioned that, sometimes as a result, undesirable coat colours can re-appear – a type of sable.
The most interesting point, which Prof Morsiani took great lengths to explain, was relating to the variation of bite found in Lagotto. As we know, Lagotto have lower teeth all in a straight line with both upper and lower mandible (lower jaw) of equal length. The breed standard outlines a head to muzzle proportion of 55:45. Bite is relative to the morphology of the skull and the fact that the mandible is large. He confirms that a reverse scissor bite does not provide any particular advantage to the working dog whether truffling or retrieving water fowl. A video clip of this part of the talk can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCztKIHDZAQ
The most exciting news is that Prof Morsiani’s revered book "Il Lagotto Romagnolo, Storie di cani e tartufai" is in the process of being rewritten, not just revised, and will be published in 5 languages including English early in 2015, prior to the World Show in Milan, where he is judging Lagotto. Can’t wait!!
Difficult to imagine that Lagotto were, in essence, mongrels centuries ago, but explains a lot about some of the traits we experience now!
The rescue involved mating similar types and this often resulted in very “close” or inbred dogs. By continuing this process with the median type of dog, over time, this resulted in the homogeneous dog we know today, square shaped and big headed. Prof Morsiani explained that they were very conscious that the breed should not, during this process, lose its working aptitude.
Prof Morsiani went into great detail to explain the breed standard in detail, all of which can be researched in various books, including his own. Of particular interest was the fact that Lagotto could be black in bygone days, but this was bred out as it was a recessive gene which had come through from the other breeds and associated with other undesirable attributes. And it was mentioned that, sometimes as a result, undesirable coat colours can re-appear – a type of sable.
The most interesting point, which Prof Morsiani took great lengths to explain, was relating to the variation of bite found in Lagotto. As we know, Lagotto have lower teeth all in a straight line with both upper and lower mandible (lower jaw) of equal length. The breed standard outlines a head to muzzle proportion of 55:45. Bite is relative to the morphology of the skull and the fact that the mandible is large. He confirms that a reverse scissor bite does not provide any particular advantage to the working dog whether truffling or retrieving water fowl. A video clip of this part of the talk can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCztKIHDZAQ
The most exciting news is that Prof Morsiani’s revered book "Il Lagotto Romagnolo, Storie di cani e tartufai" is in the process of being rewritten, not just revised, and will be published in 5 languages including English early in 2015, prior to the World Show in Milan, where he is judging Lagotto. Can’t wait!!