GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: 25-33cm ( 10”-13”).
Colour: Any colour or combination of colours.
Coat: Being trimmed in a traditional lion clip, the fine coat is long and wavy.
Gait: Free flowing with plenty of drive and a proud head carriage.
This member of the toy group is well balanced and strongly built. The skull is relatively broad but overall the head is short. The pendant ears are long and well fringed, and the large dark eyes are round. A proudly carried arched neck runs into a short strong body and the gaily carried clipped tail carries a tuft of hair at its tip. The well angulated fore and hindquarters finish with small round feet.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
Intelligent, lively and affectionate, the Lowchen is also active and alert.
They make excellent companions for people of all ages and nothing makes them happier than running in the park. Often known as the Little Lion Dog, this breed is not in the habit of showing aggression. Regular grooming is necessary and a brush with bristles that reach through the unclipped coat is necesssary. The ears should be regularly inspected and the nails must not be permitted to get too long.
HISTORY
‘Lowchen’ in German means little lion dog - a name they earned from their clipped appearance. Irrespective of the origin of their name, the breed is more popular in France where it was originally known under the title of ‘Petit Chien Lion’. While the ancestry of this breed is not well documented, from appearances and characteristics, it is believed their origins are not dissimilar from those of the Bichon Frise, Bichon Bolognese and the Maltese, and therefore of Mediterranean heritage.