A Puppy for Mommy

Euphemism ahead: God decided that Mom had her sweet dog long enough (14 years) and decided to take him to dog heaven.

Reality: Mom’s old mutt had a stroke and she took him to the vet to have him put down. She was too upset to watch and called me in tears.

Okay. Moving on. So Mom needs a new dog. She is interested in a Portuguese Water Dog (PWD) for the following reasons: they don’t shed, they are a good size (about 40 pounds or 18 kilograms), are highly intelligent and high energy. They are usually black or chocolate with small patches of white acceptable on curly or wavy coats.

A Champion Portuguese Water Dog

So, like a good daughter, I did a Google search and low and behold, there is a breeder who lives really close to me. Who’d a thunk it? So I arrange a visit for my Mom.

So Sean and I go out to dinner at our favorite Italian place and it turns out that the owner imports and breeds Lagotto Romagnolos. The Lagotto was bred from the PWD, but to search for truffles. So it is a smaller dog, only about 30 pounds or 15 kilograms and has a milder temperament. The coats are curly, and more colors are acceptable, but the dog should not be black.

She came up for her visit to look at dogs and we spent the entire afternoon looking at them. The PWD breeder had a two litters of puppies that were spoken for. The litter pictured below is a different one than the ones we saw but gives you an idea of what they look like and how puppies look as they mature.

Then we looked at the restaurant owner's two Lagottos with brown markings (see below). The brown was the male and the brown head with the white body was the pregnant bitch. She was so sweet, I just wanted to sweep her off her feet and take her home.

Here are photos of other Lagottos that live in the US and Italy:

So, in the end, Mom decided that she wants a PWD and has arranged with a breeder near her to get a puppy from a large litter that is expected soon out of this bitch.

If it were me, I would get a Lagotto because they are so sweet and way cuter. But it is not me. Good luck Mom!