BREED STANDARD

 

Breed Standard Of The Lowchen (Little Lion Dog)

 

GENERAL APPEARANCE

Coat clipped in a traditional lion clip, tail also clipped. Topped with a plume, giving

Appearance of a little lion. Strongly built, active, well balanced and alert.

CHARACTERISTICS

Gay, happy, lively little dog.

TEMPERAMENT

Intelligent, affectionate showing no signs of aggression.

HEAD AND SKULL

Broad,skull relatively flat between the ears. A ratio of one third muzzle/two thirds skull. Strong muzzle with good width allowing for correct dentition.

Head carried proud and high, well defined stop: Nose dark: black or brown according to coat colour.

EYES

Round, dark, relatively large and intelligent with good width between eyes. Unbroken pigmentation of eye rims, pigment to be in accordance with coat colour

EARS

Set on level with eye. Pendant, of moderate length and well fringed.

MOUTH

Jaws strong, with perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Dark pigmentation of lips.

NECK

Good length, proudly arched.

FOREQUARTERS

Shoulders well laid, Forelegs straight with round bone, not too fine.

Good width of ore chest. Elbows held close to chest.

BODY

Short, strong and well proportioned. Level topline. Ribs well sprung and carried well back. Chest well let down to elbows. Strong short loin

with moderate tuck up.

HINDQUARTERS

Hind legs well muscled. Good turn of stifle without exaggeration.

Straight when viewed from rear.

FEET

Small and round.

TAIL

Medium length, set slightly below the level of the topline,

clipped with tuft of hair to resemble a plume.

Elegantly arched over the back, only the plume should touch the back

when standing or moving.

GAIT/MOVEMENT

Free parallel movement fore and aft, no hackneyed action.

COAT

Fairly long, wavy, never curly. Single coat of silky texture.

Coat to be shown in it's natural state without scissoring or sculpting

apart from the traditional lion clip i.e. clipped to the last rib.

COLOUR

Any colour or combinations of colours permissible

SIZE

Height at withers 25 to 33 cms ( 10 to 13 inches )

FAULTS

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in the exact proportion to its degree and its affect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

NOTE

Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles descended.

THE KENNEL CLUB 21st MARCH 2021