lowchen
GENERAL APPEARANCE : A small, bright, lively dog that originated as a companion breed in pre-Renaissance Europe, where court ladies groomed it in the likeness of a small lion.
Personality: Affectionate, friendly and companion.
Energy Level : Active and agile, they like to exercise.
Good with children: Yes.
Good with other dogs: With supervision.
Grooming: Weekly.
Life expectancy : 12-14 years.
Bark Level: Bark when needed.
HISTORICAL SUMMARY
Meaning "little lion" in German, the Lwchen is a small, bright and lively dog. The breed was appreciated by the ladies of the Burgundian court. It was especially in the 17th century that the breed was often represented in the works of painters. The breed is possibly from Germany, although for many years it was believed to have its origin in the Mediterranean, regardless of origin, we know that the Löwchen has been a distinct breed for over 400 years.
Country of Origin: France.
BEHAVIOR AND TEMPERAMENT: The Lowchen is alert, intelligent and affectionate with the main qualities of a loving companion dog. He has a lively, outgoing and curious personality.
HEAD:
CRANIAL REGION
Skull : Broad and relatively flat from ear to ear .
Stop : Moderately set.
FACIAL REGION
Snout: The length from the nose to the base of the stop is two-thirds of the length from the base of the stop to the occiput. The muzzle is well filled and relatively broad with moderate depth.
Nose: Fully pigmented.
Jaws and Teeth: The jaw is wide enough to accommodate all the incisors in a straight line. The bite is scissors and the teeth are quite large and well spaced with full dentition.
Lips: The lips are tight, the same color as the nose.
Expression: The expression is bright, alert and lively.
Eyes: The eyes are well placed in the skull, round in shape, large and well set apart. They are dark brown in color; Lighter dogs may have lighter brown eyes, but darker eyes are preferred.
Ears : The ears are pendulous, of moderate length, well feathered and set slightly above eye level.
NECK : The neck is of good length with a slight arch, fitting smoothly into the shoulders and topline.
TRUNK
Top Line: The topline is from the level of the throat to the beginning of the tail.
Back: Strong back, slightly arched topline.
TAIL: The tail is high and carried and well arched, touching the back when the dog is moving. A dropped tail while standing should not be a penalty.
MEMBERS
PREVIOUS
Arms: The arm is of equal length to the shoulder and the two meet at an angle close to 90 degrees.
Elbows: Are held close to the body.
Feet: Deep padded, and the two central toes are slightly advanced from the two outer toes. Relatively small nails.
HINDQUARTERS : The angulation at the rear should be between light to moderate, creating balance and typical gait.
Hocks: Well offset and perpendicular to the ground from any angle.
Legs: Well muscled and of approximately equal length to the medium bone.
Feet : With deep pads, and the two central toes are slightly in front of the two outer toes. Relatively small nails.
GAIT/MOVEMENT: Movement at the trot is light, with good reach in front and full extension at the rear. From the front, the front legs travel in nearly parallel lines, converging slightly as speed increases. From the back, the legs move in nearly parallel lines and in the same line of motion as the front legs, converging slightly as speed increases. The body remains almost square and the topline is held steady and level, with the carried tail curved over the back and the head held above the level of the back.
COAT
Hair : Consists of soft hairs of varying diameters with dense hairs most notably around the neck and withers. The hair may fall out on either side, but it should never be artificially divided. It has a light to moderately wavy appearance.
COLOR: All colors and color combinations are acceptable without any preference given.
SIZE: 26 to 32 cm.
FAULTS
Any deviation from this standard should be considered a fault and penalized in exact proportion to its severity and its effects on the health and well-being of the dog.
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS
• Aggressiveness or excessive shyness.
• Any dog that shows any sign of physical or behavioral anomaly must be disqualified.
• Total or partial depigmentation of the nose, lips and eyelids, or a color other than black, or dark brown for dogs with brown coats or derivatives.
• Upturned nose.
• Absence of one or more incisors or canines.
• Overshot or undershot.
• Eyes: Small, almond shaped, protruding, very pale or porcelain. • Entropion; ectropion. • Ears: Insufficiently long or without fringes.
• Ring-curled tail.
• Coat: Curly, very short, lacking waves.
• Severe anatomical malformation.
GRADES
• Males must have both testicles, of normal appearance, well let down and accommodated in the scrotum.
• Only clinically and functionally healthy dogs with typical breed conformation should be used for breeding.