“I LOVED THE LOOK of that Italian dog that won Crufts, but it’s not really a gundog, is it?” That was the comment from a friend who had watched the final of Crufts and was surprised to find that the lagotto Romagnolo that won the coveted title of Best in Show was classified as a gundog. In 2014, the lagotto was placed by the Kennel Club (KC) in the spaniel sub-group of gundogs, so for tests and trials it has to compete with the minority spaniels. It had previously been a member of the utility gundog group, along with the Dutch kooikerhondje and the Spanish water dog, but that was such a curious grouping that it was quietly dropped.
I have to admit that the lagotto is the only KC-recognised) ensured that I soon learned all I could.
