Löwchen
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
From the AKC Standards Register - akc.org
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DeSusa
Kennels
Smithton, MO
660-827-4210
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