Information on AKC Löwchen Puppies
Löwchen Breed Standard
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
Ideally 12" to 14" at the withers. Dogs or bitches above or below these
measurements should be faulted to the degree of the variance. 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 Löwchen is strong and sturdy in bone, 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,
large, dark and round in shape, set well apart and forward looking. Brown
and Champagne coated dogs may have slightly lighter eyes. Full pigmentation
is required on the eye rims. The ears are pendant, moderate in length, well
fringed, and set on slightly above the level of the eye. Skull
- The backskull is broad with a moderate stop. The muzzle is equal
in length or slightly shorter than the backskull and is relatively broad
with moderate depth of underjaw resulting in a slightly rounded finish to
the muzzle. The nose is dark in color. Complete pigmentation is
required. Coloration of pigment is black or brown, dependent on the coat
color. The lips are tight, with 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 cup-handle fashion over the back 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 withers to
the elbow is slightly less than the distance from the elbow to the ground.
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 dewclaws
on the forelegs should be removed. The forefeet point straight
ahead, and are well arched with deep pads and the two center toes are slightly
in advance of the two outer toes. The nails are relatively short. A tight
foot is preferred, and a splayed foot is to be penalized.
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 untrimmed coat is long, rather dense and moderately soft in texture.
It has a slight to moderate 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 untrimmed coat is permitted. Puppies
typically have a softer coat. Trim – Trimmed in the Lion Trim,
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, leaving a ruff
or mane which just covers the last rib. The hindquarters are clipped to
the hock joint. The front legs are clipped from the elbow to a point above
the knee, which is equal to the same distance as from the ground to the
hock joint leaving cuffs of hair on all four legs. The tail is clipped from
the base to approximately one-half way to the tip leaving a plume at the
end of the tail. The feet are clipped to the point where the dewclaws were
removed. 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 than a comb or brush. Any trim
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
should remain 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.
Approved: June 1995
Effective: April 1, 1996
