About Dolce Vita
Thank you for visiting my page dedicated to my Lagotto Romagnolo dogs. My name is Sandy Mignogna and I live in Pennsylvania with my husband Mike. I became interested in the Lagotto back in 1997 and made a trip to Italy in 2002 where I met with Luciano Bernabei and my love for the breed was confirmed!
Our farm name is Dolce Vita Farm and it was established in 1997. For me, living amongst the animals we have here on our farm could not be called anything other than La Dolce Vita - "The Sweet Life"!
I have been involved with dogs, beyond owning "just" pets, since 1992. It was then that I acquired my first Dogo Canario and my love for competing with my dogs and breeding began. Then in 1997 I acquired my next breed, the Thai Ridgeback Dog. These two breeds have given me invaluable experience and a lifelong passion!
Our farm name is Dolce Vita Farm and it was established in 1997. For me, living amongst the animals we have here on our farm could not be called anything other than La Dolce Vita - "The Sweet Life"!
I have been involved with dogs, beyond owning "just" pets, since 1992. It was then that I acquired my first Dogo Canario and my love for competing with my dogs and breeding began. Then in 1997 I acquired my next breed, the Thai Ridgeback Dog. These two breeds have given me invaluable experience and a lifelong passion!
My visit with Luciano Bernabei :))
Here he is with Dex delle Farnie:
Here is Luciano with Diabolik delle Farnie:
Our Quest
Breeding dogs for me is a passion and a hobby. When I decide to get involved in a breed, it is to see what I can produce - how I can make the breed better than what I already have, create friendships with people that share my passion, talk to prospective puppy buyers and create a relationship with them, and also enjoy my dogs on a daily basis. When breeding dogs, my goal is to have other owners and breeders relate my name with a successful breeding program. For me, if I do the above, I am a successful breeder. People that are truly dedicated to a breed understand that you don’t do it for the money, but that it is a commitment to your passion.
My goal when breeding seems simple in theory, but requires a combination of three very important aspects when making the decision to breed a litter.
Conformation - Health - Temperament
I spent years researching and following this breed before I ever acquired my first one. In fact, I followed the Lagotto for over ten years before the timing was right for me to acquire my first one. During this time I studied many, many lines for the above three qualities. I place a heavy emphasis on temperament and believe it deserves equal attention with conformation and health. I understand the Lagotto was developed as a working dog, but I believe the majority of them end up living in a home environment as family pets, even if they are still working dogs. I have met a few lagotto that were very fearful and shy and have read about more. When choosing my dogs with hopes of having them contribute to the breed in the future, I insist that my dogs come from a breeder that shares my same beliefs. I would not use a dog in my breeding program that was not self-assured, inquisitive and outgoing. My puppies are always raised inside our home so from the day they are born they live with the sights and sounds of living indoors. Living on a farm, the puppies are also introduced to many different stimuli to help them become confident and well-adjusted dogs.
My goal when breeding seems simple in theory, but requires a combination of three very important aspects when making the decision to breed a litter.
Conformation - Health - Temperament
I spent years researching and following this breed before I ever acquired my first one. In fact, I followed the Lagotto for over ten years before the timing was right for me to acquire my first one. During this time I studied many, many lines for the above three qualities. I place a heavy emphasis on temperament and believe it deserves equal attention with conformation and health. I understand the Lagotto was developed as a working dog, but I believe the majority of them end up living in a home environment as family pets, even if they are still working dogs. I have met a few lagotto that were very fearful and shy and have read about more. When choosing my dogs with hopes of having them contribute to the breed in the future, I insist that my dogs come from a breeder that shares my same beliefs. I would not use a dog in my breeding program that was not self-assured, inquisitive and outgoing. My puppies are always raised inside our home so from the day they are born they live with the sights and sounds of living indoors. Living on a farm, the puppies are also introduced to many different stimuli to help them become confident and well-adjusted dogs.