Lowchen

The Lowchen is a truly dashing little dog. Fun and loving, these are lapdogs with a personality. Plus, they’re not as fragile as many small breeds. With limited exercise needs and the option of a low-maintenance puppy cut, this breed can easily fit in to many different families. Read on to learn more about the Lowchen.

Description of the Lowchen

These dogs wear pure silk. Their humans often trim them so that their rump is visible, giving them the appearance of a lion. All that hair masks surprisingly stout bodies. Despite their size and temperament, the Lowchen is not as fragile as you’d imagine.

The Lowchen is a small dog in the vein of the Bichon or the Havanese. This particular breed is at least 500 years old and has long been popular with European royalty

The Lowchen is known for a lux coat. They can come in a variety of colors. Options include black, black and silver, blue, cream, red, and many more.

Life Expectancy and Size

This breed has a healthy lifespan, often living between 13 and 15 years.

The Lowchen stands just 12 to 14 inches tall: quite substantial compared to many of their cousins. They weigh around 15 pounds. They’re sturdy little things!

Protective Ability

This breed is friendly, funny, and small. These aren’t exactly the best adjectives for a guard dog. However, the Lowchen has been known to bark at birds and butterflies that enter his domain. He will likely alert you to new activity on the premise. Some go a bit too far, and their constant barking can be a pain.

Training

The Lowchen is a happy little dog who easily puts his can-do attitude toward training sessions. These dogs are very capable learners and they are not too difficult to train.

These dogs are sensitive to harsh words. They easily become sad, which is no fun for anyone. A sad pup will not be able to perform up to his full potential. Get creative with rewards, so that these dogs have consistent positive reinforcement.

Some people report that they can be slow to housebreak.

Energy Level

These are alert little lapdogs. Although they do not need a great deal of exercise, they are always up for a game. They are mostly concerned with socializing, though. Overall, they’re quite adaptable.

The Lowchen loves to be with his people. Otherwise, they quickly become sad and even destructive. These social animals feed off of the people around them. This means they are happy to go from cuddling one minute to games the next.

What Living with a Lowchen is Like

Fun loving and yet easy to exercise, these dogs can fit in to many different environments. Small amounts of exercise, and large amounts of social time, will go a long way.

These dogs tend to bond strongly with their family. Unfortunately, this can mean that they become distressed when left alone. Separation anxiety is a real problem for this breed.

If you want the Lowchen to live up to their name (little lion), their coats can be difficult to maintain.

Care of the Lowchen

Perhaps the grooming regime is the most challenging aspect of living with the Lowchen. Otherwise, they make sublime companions.

Environmental Needs

As small dogs, Lowchen may find extreme temperatures difficult to handle. Always monitor their behavior and provide clean water and shade.

Exercise Needs

Daily walks are usually all it takes to keep the Lowchen in good condition. These can be short and sweet. Lowchen also always appreciate a game with his loved ones. Some individuals even enjoy doggie sports like agility or obedience!

Shedding and Grooming

With long hair, these dogs require daily grooming to remain shiny and clean. Daily brushing and weekly baths will be a must.

Thankfully, there is another option. Many owners keep their dogs in a cute puppy cut. This will require regular clipping every couple months. However, it keeps daily care quite minimal.

This is a low shed breed. They are better than most breeds for people with allergies.

Ideal Home Environment

This breed is perfect for apartment dwellers and older owners. Children will need to be calm and gentle, as the Lowchen is still a small breed and quite vulnerable. Most of these dogs are happy to live with other family pets.

For the most part, they can fit into any home that desires a loving companion. Of course, they are not well suited to athletic owners that want partners in crime.

The Lowchen does best in a home where he has near-constant companionship. Owners should not be at work all day.

Health Concerns

Like with most dogs, Lowchen can develop joint and eye problems as they age. Otherwise, they are relatively healthy and long lived.

Behavior Problems

This breed is notoriously difficult to housebreak. Some of this has to do with their small bladder size. Remember that they simply can’t hold it for too long.

The other major problem that arises with many Lowchen is separation anxiety. If left alone for too long, they often become bored and sad. Make sure to spend ample time with this sensitive breed.