1. What health testing is done prior to breeding?  May I see the results?

2. Are you a member of the Lagotto Club of America?  If not, why?

3. How long have you been a breeder?  Do you have a mentor?

4. How many litters to you have a year and how do you decide on the particular breeding?

5. Will a puppy be chosen for me?  If so, how do you make that decision?

6. Do you have a contract and does it offer a health guarantee?  Can I see your terms before I commit to a puppy?

7. Do you require a deposit to be placed on a waitlist?  If so, is the deposit refundable?

8. Will I be provided with AKC registration upon the receipt of my puppy?  Is there a spay/neuter clause?

9. Do your puppies have a health check by a veterinarian, vaccinations, microchip, and worming? Will I be provided with documentation?

10. What are your practices for raising puppies to provide socialization and enrichment?

11. Will you be providing me with written instructions on feeding, care, training and grooming?

Raising a litter of puppies with proper socialization and enrichment is essential for their development. Ideally, puppies should be kept in a busy, active area of the home—not isolated in barns or garages. They require continuous mental, physical, environmental, and social stimulation during their early stages of growth. Breeders should expose puppies from a young age to various noises, sights, people, textures, surfaces, and environments. Without this crucial early enrichment and socialization, a puppy may struggle to grow into a confident, well-adjusted adult, as the critical developmental period is brief and cannot be revisited.

When planning to purchase a puppy, it’s crucial to choose a breeder who conducts proper health testing on both the dam and the stud. While no breeder can guarantee a puppy will never face health issues, many diagnostic tests are available for common and breed-specific conditions. The Lagotto Romagnolo Club of America (LRCA) has established a baseline set of health tests that breeders are required to perform and offers a certification program to ensure compliance.

Once all testing results for a dog are submitted, the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) assigns the dog a CHIC number. However, it’s important to note that a CHIC number does not indicate that the dog passed all required tests—only that the testing was completed and registered. This distinction can be a bit confusing but underscores the importance of thoroughly reviewing the test results when selecting a puppy.

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Visit OFA.ORG for health testing results for my Premier Truffle dogs or any other dogs you'd like to check health testing results.