At the end of the eighties, during one of our annual visits to Italy, we saw the Lagotto Romagnolo for the first time and fell for it immediatly.
Because the breed was not yet acknowledged, right then we, as frequent exposants in the official cynology and active with another breed, couldn't take one home yet.
But from that moment on the Lagotto Romagnolo was followed and every publication was read and re-read.
When we were in Italy again we always tried to visit one or more breeders to get to know the breed better.
On Italian shows also, the breed, from 1991 on registered by the ENCI (=Italian Kennelclub), was followed attentively.

In 1997 it finally got so far and we could take one home with us ant this first registered Lagotto Romagnolo came to the Netherlands.
After our extended orientation of many years standing, the final choice was to acquire two dogs of totally different bloodlines.
One out of a real working line, wich is also shown and of wich the family had Lagotti at home for generations at a stretch.
From this breeder we gor a tremendous amount of information about the past en present history of the Lagotto Romagnolo.
The other one more out of a showing line, where working abilities absolutely not shunned.
And so the roan-coloured bith Dasy Delle Bonifiche and the brown dog Victor di Casa Cleo came to Holland.
In the meantime Victor has become the first Dutch Lagotto Champion, furthermore he fetched the titles Youthwinner 1998 and Winner 2000.
Dasy has also won some championships.

After having the breed in our house for a short time, we became more and more enthousiastic about its looks, character, ability to learn, in short: the whole being of the breed, so we decided to import another dog to Holland and he was the roan-coloured Royal Star Delle Bonifiche, who by now has earned his merits at shows: becoming Belgian Youthwinner and Dutch Champion.
There was, however, still a colour missing, the colour white and so a short time later the white bitch Greta di Casa Cleo followed, who does quite well at shows and in the meanwhile, after becoming Luxembourgs Youthchampion, became Dutch Champion. With this achieval she became the first Lagotto bitch with this title.

Our enthousiasm stirred some other people too and because of this, the first litter Lagotti was born in the summer of 1999 out of Dasy and Victor: tqo dog- and two bitch puppies.
These Dutch born Lagotti are also excelling at shows.
The bitch Romakome Aggrazziara Grazia, owner Suzanne van Dijk, is the first Dutch bred Lagotto Romagnolo who won a championship and furthermore she won the titles Belgian Youthwinster 2000, Youtwinster and Winster 2000.
Her sister Romakome Acetto dei Riccioluto got some championships too.
Meanwhile two Lagotti have earned their merits with obedience: there where certificated, on the field of agility they also score superb.
The next generation is also going strong, with for instance Romakome Caro Dario, owner Linda de Groot, as a perfect ambassador of the breed; he gained the titles Luxembourgs Youthchampion, Belgian Youthwinner 2001 and -the first dog in Holland with- the titles Youthwinner and Winner 2001. He is also the first Lagotti bred in Holland with the title Dutch Champion. His sister Romakome Caramia Mia, owner Ineke van Rappard-Mielekamp, also became Youthwinster and Winster 2001.
Also the last generation starts there carreers enormous, with Romakome Dulcinea Lea, owner Paula Bouma-van der Tholen, as Best puppy in Show, Romakome Duchessina Tina, owners Greet en Alex Los, being a Group Winner ends up at 5th Best in Show, and Romakome Donnina Nina winning her first Championship at the age of 9 month.

All in all we got into an adventure wich brought us a lot:
• A breed with a nice, natural radiation and a special coat.
• A breed with a golden character, wich is very good with other animals; so also with dogs. Trustworthy with children and-although sometimes a bit reserved with strangers- it fits in very good with a family.
• A breed that is very eager to learn and conseqeuntly suitable for various kinds of dogsports.

Last but not least, Marij has been asked to function as a representative for the Netherlands in the UMLAG (=Union Mondiale Lagotto) The UMLAG is esthablished by the Club Italiano Lagotto and is the organisation who looks after the interests of the breed worldwide and keeps the breed original; wich means a dog with a workman-like appearance.
Also Rob and Marij have started, with a number of other enthousiasts, the Lagotto Club Nederland (=Lagotto Club of the Netherlands), associated with and acknowledged by the Dutch Kennelclub (Raad van Beheer), to promote the interests of this still very young breed in the Netherlands, for now and in the future...