• Non-Sporting Group
• Tapestry Kennels
• The Lowchen Club of America

Living with a Lowchen is a wonderful experience. However, many people who contact us about the Lowchen have never had the opportunity to meet one in person. Deciding to bring a dog into your family is a big decision. Deciding which breed is appropriate for your lifestyle is equally important. The Lowchen has a life span of 13-15 years, sometimes longer, so your pet is going to be a member of your family for many years. We at Dungloe encourage all to take their time researching breeds to find the best one to suit their family and lifestyle. We would love it if that breed was a Lowchen but realize that this is not the breed for everyone. We will take all the time needed to answer all questions you may have. We encourage at least one home visit and prefer more if possible. We will make every effort to be sure you meet both the sire and dam of any puppy and we will give you the opportunity to meet several more Lowchen.

The Lowchen's sole purpose in life is to be a companion dog. They give all the love they have and hope for yours in return. They are happy with a warm spot by your bed, but prefer to be in bed with you! They are energetic and love to go on long walks. Don't let the fluffy hair fool you, this a breed that you can even take on a long hike. But they are also self-exercisers that do very well in apartment settings. They have never met a stranger, they adore children, and they get along well with other animals. They have a zest for life shown with the sparkle in their eye and with their gaily carried tail. They love obedience and do very well in agility. They are very smart and love to be challenged. The Lowchen is non-shedding and hypoallergenic breed, and they are mostly free from major genetic diseases. The single coat is soft and relatively easy to care for. They should be brushed 2-3 times per week and this is a wonderful bonding time. They require a trip to a professional groomer about every 2 months. They look adorable in a puppy clip and like a majestic little lion in the show clip. They are very alert and will warn you about any suspicious noises so they should be trained as a puppy to not bark excessively. The Lowchen has been existence for centuries. We are able to trace their roots back to the 1400's through artwork due to their distinctive trim. They have traditionally been the dogs of royalty and thus have almost ceased to exist several times during major European conflicts. They have served as bed warmers, flea catchers, and hand and lap warmers. How lucky we are today that thru the efforts of a few dedicated breeders throughout the centuries that the Lowchen is with us today.

General Appearance
A small, bright, and lively dog that originated as a companion breed in Pre-Renaissance Europe where ladies of the court groomed it in the likeness of a little lion. Breed characteristics are a compact, balanced body; a relatively short, broad topskull and muzzle; and a proud, lively gait that accentuates the lion cut with a long flowing mane. These quintessential features, combined with an outgoing and positive attitude, result in a dog of great style.

Size, Proportion, Substance
Size - ideally, mature dogs and bitches are between 12 to 13 inches at the withers. Height may vary 1 inch above or below the this range clearly justifies it should greater latitude be taken. Absolute height at the withers should not take precedence over correct proportion and substance. Proportion: The body is just off square when properly balanced. The distance from the prosternum to the point of buttocks is slightly greater than the distance from the withers to the ground in an 11 to 10 ratio. The distance from the ground to the elbow is slightly greater than the distance from the elbow to the wither. The lowchen should never be low stationed. Substance: The mature lowchens is sturdily built strong bone and mascular hindquaters, but never coarse.

Head
The Head is a hallmark breed characteristic. The expression is bright, alert, and lively. The eyes are set well into the skull, round shape, large, set well apart, and forward looking. Eyes are dark brown in color; lighter colored dogs may have lighter brown eyes but darker are preferred. The ears are pendant, moderate in length, well fringed, and set on slightly above the level of the eye. The back skull is broad and relatively flat from ear to ear. The stop is moderately well defined. The length from nose to base of stop is two-thirds of the length from base stop to occiput. The muzzle is well filled and relatively broad with moderate depth of under jaw resulting in a slightly rounded finish to the muzzle. The jaw is wide enough to accommodate all incisors in a straight row. Coloration of pigment is in accordance with coat color. Nose and eye rims are completely pigmented. The lips are tight color the same as the nose. The bite is scissors and the teeth are rather large and well spaced with complete dentition.

Neck, Topline, Body
The neck is of good length, with a slight arch, fitting smoothly into the shoulders and topline. The head is carried high when the dog is moving. The topline is level from withers to tailset. The body is slightly off-square when properly balanced. The loin is short and strong. The ribs are well sprung. The brisket is moderate in width and extends approximately to the elbows. The underline has a slight tuck-up at the loin. The tail is set high and carried in a well-arched cup-handle fashion with the plume touching the topline when the dog is moving. A dropped tail while standing is not to be penalized.

Forequarters
The shoulders are strong and well laid back with smooth musculature. The upper arm is of equal length to the shoulder blade and the two meet in a near 90 degree angle. The elbows are held close to the body. Forearms are of good length and the distance from the ground to the elbow is slightly more than the distance from the elbow to the wither. From the front the legs are perfectly parallel from the elbow to the feet. The bone is more round than the oval and of medium size with only a slight decrease in size at the pasterns. The pasterns are short, parallel from the front and very slightly bent when viewed from the side.The forefeet point straight ahead and are tight and well arched with deep pads, and that the two center toes are slightly in advance of the two outer toes. Dewclawsmay be removed. the nails are relatively short.

Hindquarters
The pelvic bone projects beyond the set of the tail and is at an approximate 45 degree angle from a perfectly horizontal line. The upper and lower thighs are well muscled and of approximately equal length with medium bone. The stifles are well bent. The hocks are well let down and perpendicular to the ground from any angle. The rear dewclaws should be removed. The hindfeet are slightly smaller than the forefeet, and are well arched with deep pads.

Coat
The lowchen must be shown in the traditional lion clip. The unclipped areas of the coat are long, rather dense and moderately soft in texture. The unique Lowchen coat consists of hairs of varying diameters with a more noticeable collection of denser hair around the neck and withers. The coat may fall to eiher side but must never be artificially parted. It has a slightly to moderately wavy appearance. Wiry, woolly, curly, and flat coat textures are not correct and are to be penalized to the degree of severity. No scissoring or shaping of the unclipped coat is permitted. Puppies typically have a softer coat. Lion clip - the coat is clipped to about 1/8" on the following parts of the body: from the last rib back to and including the hindquarters; the hindquaters to the hock joints; the front legs from the elbows to a point on the legs which is equal to the same distance from the ground to the hock joints leaving cuffs of hair on all four legs; the tail from the base to approximately one-half way to the tip leaving a plume at the end of the tail; and the feet are entirely clipped. the unclipped areas must be completely natural and untrimmed. On no account should the unclipped areas be smoothed, shortened, shaped or otherwise tidied with anything other that a comb or brush. Any clip other than specified or any shaping or scissoring of the long coat are disqualifications.

Color
All colors and color combinations are acceptable, with no preference given to any.

Gait
Movement at a trot is effortless with good reach in front and full extension in the rear. From the front, the forelegs move in almost parallel lines, converging slightly as the speed increases. From the rear, the legs move in almost parallel lines and in the same line of motion as the forelegs, converging slightly as the speed increases. From the side, movement is efficient and ground covering. The forelegs reach well out in front in a long, relatively low stride, and the rear legs come well under the body and extend behind to maximize propulsion. The body remains nearly square in outline, and the topline is held firm and level, with the tail being carried curved over the back and the head is held above the level of the back.

Temperament
The Lowchen is alert, intelligent, and affectionate with the overall qualities of a loving companion dog. It has a lively, outgoing, and inquisitive personality.

Disqualifications
Any trim other than specified.
Shaping or scissoring of the long coat.