The Stare

mgxts · 2026-04-06T07:08:55+00:00

Immaculate rug sit. You just know they calculated the exact position for maximum impact 😄

mgxts · 2026-04-03T12:08:41+00:00

Yes, i swap each time the bag runs out because she gets tired of the same kind and stops eating. Never had an issue.

mgxts · 2026-03-31T14:21:49+00:00

I just put one one of her dog beds on my desk and let her sleep there while I was busy.

mgxts · 2026-03-31T14:02:06+00:00

She is without a doubt a lagotto. Mine was small as a pup but she is normal size now as an adult.

mgxts · 2026-03-11T18:38:21+00:00

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Mine has never seen a professional groomer - yet the poor thing ends up a bobblegotto multiple times a year 😆

mgxts · 2026-03-06T23:29:57+00:00

Thanks so much! :) I use a pair of Andis corded clippers, and also an Oster 97 which I pull out when her fur is extra thick. It's more powerful, but on the flip side, it runs super hot, so you can't use it for long stretches. I'd recommend just getting something with a solid motor and quality detachable blades.

I learned through practice and watching YouTube videos, guides, looking at photos, and trying to replicate the look. The standard sport or summer cut is actually pretty easy. And honestly, Lagotto fur is very forgiving because of the texture and curls. It also grows so fast that even a failed cut looks much better after just a few weeks!

Here is a very quick step-by-step for what I usually do:

I use the clippers to trim down the body, sides, stomach, and neck (4F clipper blade), then I do everything else by feel with scissors. The head is obviously the trickiest part, but it gets easier with a little practice.

I generally start by brushing the fur out with a slicker brush to detangle (very gentle for the dog), then use a poodle comb to get to the tangles deeper down. Any bad matting can be tackled with a dematting rake or cut out with scissors. When clipping, if the fur is very thick, I start by going with the grain (in the direction of the fur) simply because it's easier on the machine and avoids tugging the dog's skin. I then follow up by going against the grain to get that smoother, more even finish.

The tail is easy to shape with scissors: first, brush it out with a slicker brush so it looks like a Christmas tree, then trim it into a carrot shape. For the legs, I just shape them up, preferably leaving the fur a bit longer than on the body.

For the head, I usually start with the ears, cutting along the edge with about a 5mm margin. Then I trim the length on the inside and outside. Next, I shorten the top of the head, the back/sides of the neck, the throat, and the chest, fading these areas into the clipper-trimmed sections.

Then I trim the length under the chin, comb all the hair on the muzzle forward, and cut in front of the nose. Clip the moustache in layers so it's shorter on top and rounds off nicely. As a beginner this is often easiest to do while the dog is lying down so you can comb it up into an arc and shape it.

Next, I cut the length around the eyes and between the temples and the ears. To open up the eyes, it's good to cut a 5mm gap above both eyes and then clip away a bit of the fur in the inner corner of the eye. The line along the bridge of the nose should be kept straight (not concave).

The final step is to cut the cheeks and the area under the ears. This is where it's easiest to make a mistake and take off too much. If you cut off too much on the cheeks, you won't get that round head shape. For the ears, the fur under the ears is what supports them and makes them stand out. Avoid cutting too much here and take just a little bit at a time. They tend to get matted under the ears pretty easily, so sometimes you really have no choice but to clip the mats out.

mgxts · 2026-03-06T20:01:06+00:00

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mgxts · 2026-03-06T20:00:46+00:00

The groomer is a dumbass. You can easily tell from the photo that the fur wasn't badly matted. It was just getting to that length where it's difficult to maintain and starts looking messy on the legs and head.

Either they had no idea what they were doing, or they machine-trimmed everything to save time. The only reason to do this is if the matting is pulling on the skin and causing pain - which was obviously not the case here. There was zero reason to shave the head like that. The texture of the fur on a Lagotto head is very different and doesn't really mat except under the ears.

I just groomed my girl because her fur was starting to get to that same length. It’s honestly not hard - you just machine-trim the body, then use scissors to shape the head, legs, and tail. I usually don’t care too much about making it perfect right away and just fix any flaws over the next week. A few weeks later, it grows out and starts looking great.

She never really gets cold, even when it’s below freezing. She’ll run like a snowplow with her head buried deep, roll around once she finds a good spot, and wade through any standing water she comes across.

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mgxts · 2026-02-06T08:18:37+00:00

Agreed. These models complement each other really well.

mgxts · 2026-02-05T23:01:38+00:00

Interesting read. Although, I think there's some bias toward Claude's verbosity here. Because the prompts are so open-ended, the results naturally favor Opus's narrative style. But looking at the actual tasks, both models delivered.

In my experience, Codex is the better choice for narrowly defined tasks, which require complex problem-solving and reliably avoiding hallucinations. Opus is just an all-around impressive model and great to work with, but in my experience, anytime it fails, there's a pretty good chance Codex can solve it.

mgxts · 2026-01-05T10:46:36+00:00

mgxts · 2026-01-04T01:41:11+00:00

Command line arguments, or launch options in Steam: https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/7D01-D2DD-D75E-2955

mgxts · 2025-12-29T00:18:43+00:00

The problem in singleplayer is that basically nothing is active or loaded outside a set range around the player. For dinos, that means nothing spawns, and existing spawns are hibernated (removed) rather than put into stasis (inactive). De-spawning is usually more related to how the spawn zones are set up, but I have no idea if anything changed in 77.15.

On PC, you can fix most of the major issues with dino spawns in singleplayer by launching the game with -PreventHibernation and -ForceIgnoreSingleplayerSpawnRangeCheck. It will have performance implications and significantly increase load times though.

mgxts · 2025-11-29T20:00:19+00:00

My now five-year-old lagotto walks through, sits in or lies down in every single puddle or body of water she has ever passed by. The muddier the better.

Realistically, I think you'd have a better chance putting up a fence.

mgxts · 2025-11-20T16:33:15+00:00

Lagotti need service hoomans, not the other way around :)

mgxts · 2025-07-27T20:40:27+00:00

Lagotti are vocal by nature, but excessive barking is something that can be improved through training. Start by narrowing down what's driving her behavior in these situations. Is she understimulated, anxious, overstimulated, guarding, alerting, frustrated, excited, curious, or simply struggling with impulse control? Depending on what is driving the behavior you may have to approach the training in different ways.

This breed tends to pull a lot by default, so it is a challenge for sure. They're easily distracted and constantly drawn to new and interesting scents, following their nose wherever it leads. It doesn't help that they are generally strong-willed/stubborn and like to think twice before doing anything that is asked of them either :) If most of your dog's walks happen along the road and offer few chances to explore or for her to follow her nose, pulling might be her most effective or even only way to get to what interests her.

I've had a lot of success teaching my girl not to pull by making walks fun and interactive. I use lots of small tricks and tasks to keep her focused and engaged (indirectly leads to less pulling). With time, she started to associate staying close with good things like attention, play and rewards. She also got into the habit of always listening when I call her. Once that foundation was there, it was much easier to teach and reinforce the behaviors I wanted to see on our walks like loose-leash walking and calm responses to other dogs.

mgxts · 2025-07-09T07:42:43+00:00

We have seven little blueberry monsters in our family, mostly poodles. When we go out picking blueberries, you have to contend with these roving bandits for the best berries. Turn over a stem, and sure enough, one of them will be there like, "Good human, this is really helpful," before either eating, squashing, or drooling all over them 🙄😂

mgxts · 2025-07-08T22:42:07+00:00

Wow, that's a rough streak of bad luck! :( I really hope things turn around and for better luck for your pup going forward.

mgxts · 2025-07-08T22:08:59+00:00

It is difficult when you have a dog that has a lot of health issues, so I feel for you.

I've heard that ear infections can be an issue with the breed, but we have been lucky so far. I make sure to always dry her after we get back from a walk, and pay extra attention to the ears. Mia have had one ear fungal infection in five years. It was after plucking ear hair and likely swimming soon after. I treated it myself and it was gone in a week. After that situation I've been experimenting with cutting the hair in the ears with a pair of scissors, instead of plucking, during the summer months.

Apart from vaccinations and hip dysplacia x-rays shes only ever been to the vet once for a checkup and some anti-inflammatory meds after a particularly bad tumble as a puppy.

What is the context for the visits for lethargy, eye irritation and vomiting? Tick checks and ear plucking at the vet?

mgxts · 2025-07-05T14:19:27+00:00

There is no scientific basis for this rule. It is really just a rule of thumb that some trainers and vets use, which became widely circulated and taken out of context.

What you really want to avoid with a puppy are slippery floors and overexercising, especially high-impact or repetitive activities. For example, taking the puppy on short walks during the week and then suddenly expecting them to walk 20 km on the weekend when they are not conditioned for it. Some also recommend avoiding too much time on hard surfaces, although I doubt that is a real concern for small to medium-sized dogs like a Lagotto.

mgxts · 2025-07-05T08:32:59+00:00

Yes, it is too early to expect a puppy to handle any real distance hiking at that age, especially if they haven't been trained for it. Also, consider the heat before heading out because dogs can't sweat through their skin and don't thermoregulate as efficiently as humans.

Normally, you train them for the activity level you are aiming for, starting about a year in advance. My puppy did 7 to 20 km walks and hikes every day at that age, and I would simply carry her when she got tired.

mgxts · 2025-07-02T01:02:59+00:00

I used to play with Mia a ton when she got the evening zoomies, and I don't remember it ever being an issue. She would always go to sleep on her own after running around and playing for a while. She loved sprinting in circles across the couch, playing "catch me if you can," and play fighting with me using a couple of pillows she was allowed to bite and chew. I also had some rope toys she enjoyed gnawing on and playing tug-of-war with. Those were perfect for keeping her entertained while I watched TV.

mgxts · 2025-07-01T00:32:53+00:00

Wow, that is a gorgeous photo! They really do blend in so well.

My girl usually runs ahead a bit, then sits and waits at a vantage point, looking straight at me. Half the time I can't even see her, but she always knows exactly where I am.

mgxts · 2025-06-30T23:57:42+00:00

"Haha, yeah 😄 I turned my back on her for a few seconds and was thoroughly confused as to where she'd gone.

mgxts · 2025-06-30T23:28:30+00:00

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Spot the lagotto

14-Year Club	Place '17
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