The Lowchen is a great dog that fulfills many purposes such as a family dog, companion dog, watchdog and a beautiful little show dog. If the dog is competing for conformation, there are specific guidelines that must be met concerning their appearance and demeanor. The Lowchen is also known as the "lion dog" because of their lion hair cut. This is a necessity in the show ring. The coat must be cut in the lion clip that the judges are accustomed to seeing along with a clipped tail with a plume on top. The coat should be long and wavy, but not curly.
They are a happy, lively dog that is very outgoing. They cannot show signs of either aggression or extreme shyness in the show ring or towards the judge.
The head and skull must be broad but short with the skull being flat. The head should be held high and proud on a long well arched neck. Their eyes should be big, round and dark in color with no broken pigmentation in the rims of the eye. The pigment also must be coordinated with the color of the coat. The ears are average in length as well as the ears, but the ears should have fringing on the ends. The jaws of the mouth are strong with a scissor bite and the upper teeth slightly overlapping the lower teeth.
The body should be short but strong and has to be well proportioned with the forelegs being fine and straight. The hind legs must be well muscled. When they are viewed from the rear, they should appear straight. The tail, which is medium in length, is clipped with a tuft of hair similar to the plume of a lion.
The gait of the Lowchen should be quick and free moving, with no indication of chopping. The size of this dog should not be less than 12 inches at the withers.
In addition to conformation, the Lowchen participates in other events such as obedience, agility and tracking. The Lowchen Club of America as well as the American Kennel Club offer competitive events in these categories.
The Lowchen, according to many owners, really seems to enjoy training for the obedience. Perhaps this is due to their intelligence and great problem solving ability. They are a dog that catches on very well to commands they are taught.
Agility is the competition that the Lowchen particularly seems to favor. They love the challenge, both mental and physical, that the many obstacles provide for them. Many titles have been awarded to the Lowchen dog for their performance in these events.
Tracking is yet another event the Lowchen does very well at, probably due to their great sense of smell. They are not only fast, but very adept at scenting out their prey and retrieving it.
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