ORIGIN : Poland.
UTILIZATION : Easy to handle, he works like a sheepdog and guard dog. Moved to urban city life, he is a very good companion dog. His well groomed coat gives him an attractive and interesting appearance.
FCI-CLASSIFICATION : Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs)
Section 1 Sheepdogs
Without working trial.
GENERAL APPEARANCE AND CHARACTERISTIC BEHAVIOUR : The Polish Lowland sheepdog is a dog of medium size, compact, strong, muscular, with a thick long coat, of a lively but tempered disposition, vigilant, agile, intelligent, perceptive and gifted with a good memory. Resistant to unfavourable climatic conditions.
HEIGHT AT THE WITHERS :
Males : 45 - 50 cm
Females : 42 - 47 cm
Proportion height : body length = 9 :10
TYPE : The dog must retain the type of a working dog, consequently his size must not go down below the standard; he must neither be too weak nor delicate.
HEAD :
General appearance : Medium dimension, proportional, not too heavy. The thick fur on the forehead, the cheeks and the chin give the head a look of being heavier than it really is.
Ratio skull : muzzle = 1 : 1, or the muzzle a little shorter.
Skull : Not excessively broad, slightly rounded. Frontal furrow and occipital protuberance noticeable.
Stop : Well accentuated.
Nose : Strong, blunt, with large nostrils, as darks as possible in relation to the colour of the coat.
Muzzle : Nasal bridge straight; strong jaws.
Lips : Fitting well; their edges are of the same colour as the nose.
Teeth : Strong, with scissors or pincer bite.
Eyes : Medium size, oval, not protruding, hazel colour, with lively and piercing look.
The rims of the eyelids are dark.
Ears : Hanging, set rather high, of medium size, heart-shaped, wide at base; the fore edge is close against the cheeks; very mobile.
NECK : Of medium length, strong, muscled, without dewlap, carried rather horizontally.
BODY :
Outline : Rather rectangular than square.
Withers : Well accentuated.
Back : Flat, well muscled.
Loin : Broad, well fused.
Rump : Short, slightly truncated.
Thoracic cage : Deep, of medium width; ribs quite well sprung, neither flat nor barrel-shaped.
Belly : Outlining an elegant curve towards the hindquarters part.
TAIL : Short by nature, shortened or docked. In those countries where the law bans docking, a long tail is not considered as a fault.
FOREQUARTERS :
Seen in profile and from the front : Vertical and straight. Stance well balanced due to a strong skeleton (bone structure).
Shoulders : Broad, of medium length, oblique, clean cut, very muscular.
Pastern : Slightly slanting in relation to the forearm.
Feet : Oval, tight toes, slightly arched, pads really hard. Nails short, as dark as possible.
HINDQUARTERS :
Seen from behind : Vertical, well angulated.
Thighs : Broad, well muscled.
Hocks : Well developed.
Feet : Compact, oval shape.
MOVEMENT / GAIT : Easy and ground covering. Walk or trot smooth (without much vertical displacement). The dog often ambles when he walks slowly.
SKIN : Tight fitting, without any folds.
COAT : The whole body covered with coarse hair, dense, thick, and profuse; soft undercoat. Straight or slightly wavy hair is acceptable. The hairs falling from the forehead cover the eyes in a characteristic manner.
COLOUR : All colours and patches are acceptable.
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 exact proportion to its degree.
N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.