Perhaps you have already met a Lagotto in person. Maybe there is even one living near you. Or perhaps you have only discovered the breed through the internet or television.

Unless you are lucky enough to find a breeder through personal contacts, your search for a suitable breeder will probably begin online.



When searching, make sure that the breeder is a member of a breed club affiliated with the German Kennel Club, the VDH. This gives you greater assurance that the breeder follows established breeding regulations and that the health and genetic background of the parent dogs are carefully monitored. The breeding regulations and inspections carried out by recognised breed clubs are intended to prevent uncontrolled breeding at the expense of the dogs’ health and welfare.

The websites of the Lagotto breed clubs LRWD and LRZ are very helpful. The VDH website is another useful resource, where you can narrow your search by breed and postcode area.

Please be careful when looking for a puppy. We strongly advise against buying puppies through eBay Classifieds or similar online platforms.

Call your chosen dog breeder and make sure you click. A dedicated breeder won't just talk about their dogs, but will also ask detailed questions about your lifestyle, your experience with dogs, and what you're looking for in a dog.

Conversely, you should ask him just as many questions. If both the breeder and the mother dog have successfully raised puppies before, their experience will benefit the puppies. However, breeding bitches should not be treated as mere breeding machines. Reputable dog breeders only care for one litter of puppies at a time, and if you are told on the phone that puppies are available at any time, that is not a good sign.

Before contacting you by phone, we would like you to send us an email with the questionnaire provided on this website. We will then contact you.

Please understand that some breeders receive a very high volume of inquiries and may not always respond immediately.

Are there already puppies? Ask:

• How did the pregnancy and birth go? Were there any problems?
• Are all the puppies healthy and gaining weight well? Have any puppies died?
  It is not uncommon for puppies to die at birth or shortly thereafter. The breeder should be able to explain the cause of death. This includes having a veterinarian determine the cause of death to rule out deformities or infectious diseases.
• Does the mother dog have enough milk for all the puppies? Is she taking care of her offspring?
  If more puppies are born than there are teats—that is, more than eight—the breeder may have to supplement their feeding with a bottle to ensure they are all satisfied. Raising puppies entirely on a bottle is a very demanding task.

First Impression at breeders Home

Nothing replaces a visit to the breeder. A reputable breeder will be just as interested in getting to know you as you are in them.

If you can, visit your chosen breeder before the puppies arrive.

We would like to have a lively exchange well in advance, because for us it is important to integrate the future puppy families even before the bitch is bred and thus establish a closer contact with the breeder.

If there are already puppies present:

Vicinity:

• Is the environment in which the puppies are growing up clean and tidy? Puppies make a mess, and this needs to be removed several times a day so that the little ones don't have to walk through their excrement and the risk of infection, e.g., from worms, doesn't become too high.
• Do the mother and puppies have much contact with the breeder's family? This is important for the puppies' socialization (see below). A kennel with an outdoor run for the dog family can be wonderful, because the puppies, for example, have plenty of space and learn early on to relieve themselves only on grass and not on tiles. However, the puppies also need to be able to experience life in the house and interact with people of all ages.

Mother dog:

• How does the mother dog react to your visit? Does she remain calm, become agitated, or aggressively defend her puppies? It's perfectly normal for a mother dog to want to protect her puppies. However, she should allow herself to be calmed by her owner and, if you keep a certain distance from the little ones, she should greet you in a friendly manner. Respect her maternal instincts and don't rush towards the adorable offspring without asking first.
• What is the physical condition of the female dog? Nursing puppies is extremely taxing on a female dog. A breeder must therefore be very careful that his female dog does not become emaciated.

Puppies:

• Are the puppies lively and curious? Healthy puppies will run up to you and want to play. Unless, of course, you have the misfortune of arriving at bedtime. In that case, please try not to wake them.
• Do the puppies have clean, shiny fur and equally clean, shiny eyes? Sticky eyes, nasal discharge, coughing, or diarrhea are warning signs and must be treated.

Which questions are important

When are the puppies ready to leave for their new homes?
The correct answer is no earlier than eight weeks of age. However, it should not be much later either, as an important part of the socialisation period takes place during the first twelve weeks of a puppy’s life.

What activities do you do with the puppies?
The puppies’ socialisation phase begins at around four weeks of age. The more experiences they are introduced to in a positive and safe environment, ideally together with their mother, the more confidently they will be able to deal with these situations later in life. A breeder should therefore introduce the puppies to everyday experiences such as travelling by car, water, different surfaces, children and, where possible, other animals.

What do the puppies and their mother eat?
Both should receive high quality, nutritious food that provides the mother with sufficient energy while nursing and supports the puppies during their growth and development.

Have the mother and puppies been dewormed?
Some parasites can be transmitted to puppies before birth or while nursing. The breeder should therefore follow an appropriate parasite prevention and treatment programme for both the mother and her puppies. The puppies should be handed over with clear information about any treatments they have received.

Are the puppies vaccinated and microchipped before leaving the breeder?
Both are essential. When collecting your puppy, you should receive an EU Pet Passport as well as all necessary documents and information required to register your dog with TASSO or another recognised pet database.

Which puppy would you recommend for us?
A responsible breeder will carefully consider whether the personality and temperament of a puppy are a good match for its future family and their lifestyle. For example, a first time dog owner would not usually be matched with the most confident and demanding puppy in the litter.