Lagotto Club of America: A wolf in sheeps clothes
These are my tips when choosing a Lagotto Romagnolo breeder:
DO NOT RUSH These dogs are a big investment and you will have them for many years. If you are breeding your decision is that much more important since your dog will be the foundation stock in the USA. It should take months for you to find the right puppy. It is a learning curve.
Be wary of larger American Breeders.in my research, I have concluded that they have, in general, inferior breeding stock to what is available overseas and are smooth talkers. The reasons for their so-so stock could be: 1) rushing when they were new and taking whatever they could get someone to export 2) Not investing in good dogs to pinch pennies. They get the same price anyway for a puppy due to the shortage in America and impulsiveness of the US buyer!
Do not believe a breeder who says they do not care about the money. The breeder who has 4-5 bitches is selling 20 puppies a year and netting $50,000 minimum. Then there is the ego factor with certain breeders here. If you talk to them enough, you may find, as I did, that that think because you are new to the breed you are an inferior human being, one who they want to see part with their money. I found them to think we are gullible.
Everyone talks and they all know each other! As you are interviewing breeders (many are very happy to share their knowledge and it is worthwhile to call them) you should know you can be marked as their customer, and breeders will confront other breeders for possibly stealing your business. Also, everything posted on the Lagotto Board (which is highly censored by the breeder/businessman who runs it) is seen by all breeders as well. Often information is shared around the globe in hours.
Do not contribute to American inbreeding. There are about 4 breeder businesses here that I am aware of. Often there is 1 male servicing 4 females. If we keep breeding the same dogs (especially the males in this case) they will all be related. This is a reason to import.
Reasons to Import if you plan to breed:
1. To improve the breed here in America. These foundation dogs are very important. We dont want the USA to be known as the country with the ugly Lagotto!
2. For a better quality of dog that meets the prized Lagotto standard in terms of appearance, wonderful temperament, and health.
3. To add fresh blood to the American Bloodlines.
4. To increase the value and demand of your puppies. This way you can choose the best homes for them.
5. To stop rewarding certain American Breeders who are controlling ALL of the information here to benefit themselves, so they do not have to buy breed quality dogs or spend the time and money testing their health, or proving their stock in shows. 6. The price, including shipping, is the same or possible less, than a USA puppy. (Supply and demand) (Info on importing below)
There is at least one breeder in the USA and one in Canada who is not being cheap, or controlling all of the information in the USA, but is importing great quality stock from arguably the finest breeder in Italy. A good stud dog costs $15,000. He would already have his championships from around the world. (Championships in US are meaningless since rarely would another Lagotto show up to compete since there are only about 80 here. The one shows up wins!
A $15,000 stud imported after he is finished (Champion) and has his health clearances is the equivalent stud dog to what the Italians, or Swedes, and others are using. But these dogs originated from Italy so there is more selection there and the shows are most competitive.
These are the breeders I have found who I would be happy to work with and who will ship dogs overseas (many wont):
USA: Judith Martin
Canada: Bridget Flynn
Italy (best selection of pups): Monica Benelli and Marcello Petricciuolo. These two breeders are trustworthy and I know them and will be a good starting point. They can refer you to others and you can trust the referral. Monica breeds only show quality dogs, with good hips, and her Gastone is probably the most awarded Champion in the World at this time. He has 11 championships. Monica is very responsive, kind, and helpful.
Both Bridget Flynn and Judith Martin above have Monicas dogs here in the USA. Bridget has Augusto, a beautiful finished male. This is all I have found that I recommend so far.
Trust is important since money gets wired. There are many puppy scams right now.
These 4 breeders are all on Facebook.
Disclaimer: I am the owner of a high quality Italian imported puppy. I found some breeders who did not know how to treat people and some who were good to excellent. Once I left the USA in my search everything went smooth and was straightforward.
Importing a puppy from Italy:
A show/breed quality puppy from Champion parents starts at $1,700 (Marcello is newer to breeding and has good prices)
Shipping costs $700 The language barrier and time difference is a little bit challenging but workable with email.
A US puppy costs $2,500 to $2,900. And most likely will still need to be shipped unless you live near the breeder.
Why pay more for a pet quality dog? Why breed a pet quality dog?
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