The Dogs Behind
the Program
Every dog in our program was selected for temperament, health, and adherence to the breed standard. Every one of them lives with us as family.
Every dog in our program was selected for temperament, health, and adherence to the breed standard. Every one of them lives with us as family.
Our Breeding Program
Our program was founded on dogs imported directly from Il Granaio Dei Malatesta — one of the most decorated Lagotto Romagnolo kennels in Italy. Every dog in our program carries lineage that traces directly to the reconstruction effort that saved this breed from extinction in the 1970s and 1980s. We do not breed for volume. We breed for the standard, and we stand behind every dog we place.
A note on health testing. All of our breeding adults carry DNA-clear or DNA-carrier status for BFJE and LSD — the two breed-specific genetic conditions that every responsible Lagotto breeder must test for. OFA hip evaluations have been completed on our breeding adults. Annual ophthalmology (ACVO/CERF) examinations are required for a current CHIC designation — our dogs’ eye exams are currently being scheduled and will be updated here as they are completed. We believe in complete transparency: if a test is pending, we say so. We share all documentation with families during the placement process.
Every breeding program has a foundation. Ours is Mocha.
IGDM Yelina Salas came to us directly from the kennel of Monica Benelli — Il Granaio Dei Malatesta — one of the most decorated Lagotto kennels in the world. She arrived after a debut on the European show circuit that, in five months of competition, produced one of the most complete records any Lagotto from the Pacific Northwest has ever compiled.
She opened her campaign in October 2018 at the Italian Specialty in Bastia Umbra — the most competitive domestic Lagotto event in the world. On day one she placed 5th from a field of 56 Lagotto, winning CAC and CACIB. She came back the following day and won Best of Sex from 34 of the finest Lagotto in Italy.
Two weeks later she crossed into Slovenia and won Best of Breed on two consecutive days — November 10th and 11th. Then, on November 16th, still early in her debut season, at an all-breed FCI international show in Italy broadcast on national television, she won Best of Breed and then went into the Group ring and placed Third in Group — beating the champions of every working breed at that show on that day.
In January 2019 she competed at the Lugo di Romagna Specialty — the breed's own heartland, the most historically significant show a Lagotto can enter. Under three different judges over three consecutive days, she placed 3rd from 37 Lagotto, then 2nd from 17, then 2nd again. Handled throughout by Artur Bullari, with Monica Benelli and Marco Damiani present, it was a performance that confirmed what the earlier results had already suggested.
She closed her European campaign in February 2019 at two international shows in Arezzo, Italy — winning 1 ECC, CAC, CACIB, and Best of Breed on both days, out of fields of 12 and 19. Then she came home.
Mocha is retired and lives with us still. She is the reason this program exists, and the standard by which everything we do is measured.
From the Ring
Third in Group, Genova — broadcast on Italian national television, November 2018
Cannella came to us from Il Granaio Dei Malatesta in early 2020, already a proven dam. Her Italian litters had produced puppies who went on to become Italian Champions. She was being actively shown in Italy by handler Artur Bullari — the same handler who guided Mocha — winning Best of Breed, Best of Sex, CAC and CACIB titles as she debuted on the circuit. She qualified for the World Dog Show. She went on to finish her Italian Championship.
She had been invited to both Crufts and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The timing of her season led us to prioritize her first Northwest Lagotto litter instead — a decision that was validated almost immediately.
That result told us exactly what we had built.
Calm, patient, and deeply affectionate. Ginger's steady temperament comes through clearly in the litters she produces, and her combination with Mousse has been one of the most consistent pairings in our program. She has recently whelped another litter — four girls and two boys, all thriving.
White with brown spots, confident, and gentle with everyone he meets. Mousse is the sire behind several of our most recent litters. His conformation and temperament are consistently impressive and we believe he has what it takes to perform at the breed level — a debut in the show ring is something we are actively considering.
Kiko with Ginger and Mocha in the truffiere at Northwest Lagotto
Imported in 2020 from Anna Peterson’s Regun Kennel in Sweden, Gillenias Fransesca — “Kiko” — is Mousse’s mother and the newest addition to our active breeding program. She is petite at 26 pounds, with a gorgeous brown coat of extremely tight curls, excellent movement, and a very nice structure.
At just two years of age, she has completed her health testing and has officially entered our breeding program. We anticipate her next season before year end and eagerly look forward to the puppies she will bring us.
She is a great example of the breed — easy going, friendly, adaptive, and intelligent. She readily accepts other dogs and quickly integrates into new routines and social orders. The kind of temperament that produces calm, confident puppies.
Our waitlist fills quickly, and every placement begins with a conversation. Tell us about your family — there is no obligation and no pressure.