I've been mooning over Lagotto for years. The major reason they weren't my first dog was the price - because getting quality dogs so often means importing them, and because there's so few shows in the states where they can be finished, the price tag is often around 2k for a pet quality dog. I absolutely could've saved up, but when we found Sam on Craigslist for a small rehoming fee instead, well, that was 2k we could put into our emergency budget instead.
I have had the pleasure of meeting several in person. It was in a show environment, not a one-on-one, but they all were lovely! The ones present seemed very level-headed, and responsive and affectionate with their owners. Athletic, too. I bet these guys could do any dog sport you asked of them, though they probably wouldn't be as drivey as the top performing breeds. Not big on soliciting attention from strangers, though. And one spent most of the meet-the-breed trying to dig his way out of the tent, haha! Big diggers, those guys.
I also had a lovely long phone conversation with a breeder in CT. She'd switched to Lagotto from mpoos, and said that on average they were lower maintenance and less high strung than the poodles. Very perspective and keyed into their owners, though. She told me a story about one of her buyers coming home after a bad day and finding dog toys strewn all over, and when she sat down all upset and overwhelmed, the pup decided to start putting all their toys away, apparently without being asked or trained to! Can't vouch for how true that story really is, but clearly the people involved in the breed have a strong bond with the dogs.
For health, definitely hips and BFJE tests are a must. I'd like to see yearly eye tests myself, but as far as I know there's not many genetic disorders in the breed. In the states, finding breeders with dogs titled in conformation in the ring can be tricky. I'm pretty sure they're in the AKC now, but, like with many rare breeds, it can be hard to find a show where there's more than one or two Lagotto entered.
I'm still really hoping for one as my second dog. Things just need to settle down for me, first!