There’s a new furry royal stealing hearts at the palace. While we know the royals are dog lovers through and through, King Charles is especially “besotted” with the latest member of the royal family—a Lagotto Romagnolo dog named Snuff. The puppy was a gift to the King, and he’s already making himself at home. Keep reading to learn more about the breed and what Snuff’s got in store as the King’s cuddly companion.
King Charles’ new pup Snuff: All the doggy details
About a month ago, Charles became the proud pet parent of a Lagotto Romagnolo dog, Snuff. According to The Sun, the spaniel was a gift.
“Charles is besotted with his puppy. He hasn’t had one since Tigga,” an insider told the outlet at the end of February. Tigga was the King’s cherished Jack Russell Terrier, who died at 18 in 2002, making Snuff Charles’ first personal pet in over two decades.
“The breed is a truffle-hunter. Charles enjoys mushroom foraging, so they have a lot in common,” the source continued, connecting the history of Snuff’s breed to the King’s hobby.
He also enjoys mushroom foraging with his grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and Snuff will likely participate in this activity now, too.
Even though Lagotto Romagnolos are an Italian breed, Snuff will not be accompanying Charles and Queen Camila on their next state visit to Italy in April. The dog is not linked to excursions and will remain at the palace while the King travels.
All about the Lagotto Romagnolo breed
The American Kennel Club (AKC) describes the Lagotto Romagnolo breed as Italy’s adorable truffle dog. They tend to sport a curly coat and lavish facial features.
While they look like cuddly toys, this breed is known for its nose and knack for sniffing truffles. Typically, males weigh between 28 and 35 lbs, while females weigh between 24 and 31 lbs. This breed also has a life expectancy of up to 17 years. Standard colors include off-white, brown roan, brown, orange, white, sable and orange roan.
Per the AKC, the breed is relatively easy to train; they don’t bark often, need a mix of mental stimulation and lounge time and are high-energy.
King Charles isn’t the only Royal with a new dog
While Snuff is winning the affections of everyone at the palace, especially Charles, he’s not the only new royal pupper in attendance. Queen Camilla recently revealed, “I’ve just got a new puppy,” while meeting a guide dog at the Beaney House of Art & Knowledge in Canterbury on February 25.
Camilla also shared that the rescue dog was about eight weeks old and described its breed as “a bit of everything.” Her dog also boasts a unique name.
Royals reporter Rebecca English shared the news of the Queen’s new dog on X with the caption, “NEW 🐶Following the recent death of her beloved @Battersea_ dog Beth, Queen Camilla reveals she has just taken on a new eight-week-old rescue puppy, Moley. It’s a boy, ‘a bit of everything’ and looks ‘like a mole’. That’s all we know so far. Lucky pup!”
According to Buckingham Palace, Moley was born on December 26, also known as Boxing Day in the U.K. They later found out Moley was a girl. Her mother is half Jack Russell Terrier, and her father is unknown.
This isn’t the first time the King and Queen have gotten a rescue pup from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in South London, as Camilla’s dog Beth and the pair’s current dog Bluebell were also from there.
The royals decided shortly after Beth’s death in November that they would definitely be adding another dog to their family, and now they have two additional pups!
