Judging the Lowchen By Gini Denninger

The Lowchen’s colorful history dates to the European middle ages. Abounding in Renaissance paintings and illustrations, they look remarkably like today’s dogs! AKC recognized in 1996, they are shown in the Non-sporting group. Judging this breed is not as simple as one might think. Only with intense study are breed subtleties understood. To the casual observer, an untrimmed Lowchen looks like a mongrel. It is breed type that defines them. A Lowchen with poor type, yet moderate in every way, well moving and groomed is still a poor representative of the breed. General Appearance Lowchen should possess no extremes, their movement id efficient and ground covering. They should be slightly off-square with moderate angulation. While small and elegant they are Cobby and athletic at the same time. Lowchen are very hardy dogs whose weight more than one would expect, when picking them up. They must be trimmed in the Lion clip to be shown. Size, Proportion, Substance Currently the breed is 12-14 “at the shoulders. This is larger than FCI and English Kennel Club standards. They state size must be between 9.9 - 12.6" at the shoulder, as did all the early breeders. American breeders believe larger Lowchen compete better in the Non-Sporting group. Die-hard purists prefer the breed standard return to the size favored world-wide. Lowchen should be slightly longer in length to height. Knowledgeable breeders measure proportions from the withers to the tail, then from withers to ground. The correct proportion is 11 parts long to 10 parts tall. The 11/10 proportion doesn't work if measured from the brisket to tail and withers to ground, as called for in the American standard, since the dog would be shorter than tall, especially if the dog has a prominent brisket. The American standard should call for 13 - 14 parts long to 10 parts tall. There is an elegance to the breed, but this does not mean the dogs are fragile. They should be muscular, sturdy and yet moderately boned. Coarse Lowchen are not elegant, while refined Lowchen can look elegant but be incorrect, due to lacking the right amount of bone and muscle.

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Ideally, if dropped, there should be no fear of injury. A well-built, athletic Lowchen will not be harmed but probably insulted!

Head The head is important in identifying the breed. It should be sturdy and proportionate to the body, not too large ot too small. Sometimes this is hard to detect under the coat, thus hands-on examination is important. The back skull should be broad, never long and narrow. According to Frau Ostertag, of the famous pioneering Livland Kennel, it should be squarish in appearance when viewed from the top, with the widest portion between the ears and from occiput to stop. Past the ears, the head rounds slightly in a half circle. From the eyes to the muzzle the head begins to gently taper. If cradling the head between both hands, you could trace a rough likeness of a teardrop. The top of the skull is never rounded muchl like a Chihuahua. There should be a slight stop. Often, when the stop slopes too gently, the head is too long.

Eye: The ideal eye is large, round and dark in color. It must be round. This is crucial, round eyes are a hallmark of the breed world-wide. A light round eye is preferred to a dark almond eye, giving an idea of how important the shape of the eye is. While large, they should not protrude. The eye must be rimmed with unbroken pigment. The breed standard does not call for a halo of pigment as seen in other breeds, but a Lowchen possessing this trait is not penalized, since this trait indicates strong pigment. Ears: are set slightly above the level of the eye. Profuse coat can hide this fault, so one must find where the ears are placed. If lacated too high, the expression is softer and pleasing but wrong, while a low ear set can give the illusion of surliness, also wrong. The degree of incorrect placement determines the degree of fault. If not too intruding on the dogs overall appearance, then consider this to be one of the lesser faults. All Lowchen standards call for pendant ears, hanging close and well fringed. There are two head types according to the American standard. The difference being in the length of muzzle; All breed standards world-wide, ask for a muzzle shorter than the back skull. In addition, the American standard allows for a muzzle of equal length to back skull. The muzzle should never be longer than the back skull. Ideal proportion is 2/3 of muzzle to the whole of the back skull. The muzzle must have depth and width, with a nose that appears slightly larger than the one would expect for the dogs size. The skin over the muzzle is tight, with no dewlaps or loose skin extending to the neck.

Teeth: Lowchen teeth are large, in a scissors bite with complete dentition. It is common to find missing teeth. One or two seem to be accepted, more are frowned on. Wry bites are also found, but not tolerated. Crooked teeth generally occur when baby teeth are not pulled. Lowchen are prone to retaining baby teeth long after the adult tooth has come in, creating this problem. Penalize accordingly. A well groomed coat will emphasize and frame the Lowchen face. The coat softens the angles and planes, giving the dog a pleasing appearance. There should be enough coat to create the illusion of a mane around the head. Some Lowchen have an interesting genetic trait that can Judging The Lowchen - 2 - express to varying degrees. They have what are known as open-faces. The coat on the face itself is less profuse, blending gradually into the surrounding more abundant coat. The face really pops out, especially eyes and nose. Sometimes it appears that a dog was trimmed this way. But if the coat is genuinely uneven, it is likely this is natural. The debate being; should these dogs be penalized? This may be genetically connected to smooth coats. This trait is becoming more rare, especially now, with the emphasis on coat.

Neck, Topline and Body: Because of the Lowchens profuse coat, the right length of neck is crucial! Too short, the head sits right on the chest, too long and the dog becomes a caricature of itself, Balance is key. It is more common to find Lowchen with too short a neck than too long. When too short, the illusion is created of too long a back, when in actuality, the dog may be just right. If the dog has too long a neck, the back can appear too short in contrast. The neck should be strong and muscled, fitting smoothly into the shoulders and top line. The Lowchen top line should be level, no exceptions. A level ruler should be able to sit from withers to tail. Any deviation is incorrect. A variety of faults can be found, such as low tail sets, low shoulders and roached top lines. Physical examination is necessary since coat can hide or even create a bad top line! A common problem occurs when the coat is thin around the shoulders and bushy in the midsection, making the dog look roached when in actuality it isn't. Lowchen bodies are muscular and sturdy. Reedy Lowchen are not uncommon, but should not be rewarded. Compact is the key word here. Ribs are well sprung and large enough to hold lungs of an athlete. Barrel chests or slab-sided Lowchen are to be greatly faulted! Signs of these traits are easily revealed by the dog’s movement. Barrel chested dogs are often out at the elbows, whereas slab-sided Lowchen have loose fronts, or cross over when moving. The Lowchen should have a moderate tuck-up. The line from the chest to the loin is gradual, not pronounced or extreme. They should appear a little thick wasted. The early Lowchen had barely pronounced tuck-ups. Exaggerated tuck-ups may make the dog look more elegant, but are wrong and could become a problem if allowed by judges and breeders. A Lowchen with greyhound tuck-ups is very incorrect!

Tail-sets: are crucial in this breed as well as the shape of the tail. The correct tail is another hallmark of the breed . It should come off the back with no break in the level line until the point where the tail lifts off. There should not be any rolls or indentations at the point of joining. A correctly set tail with the right amount of curve resembles a teacup handle. The tail should curve over the back with coat hanging on one side or the other. A tight-to-the-back tail is as incorrect as a straight or flag tail. Flag tails are common in the breed. Since the natural tedency is toward ever looser tails as generations pass, it is important that breeders and judges select for correct tails, preferably erring on the side of too tight a tail, even a piglet style curl but never straighter or flag tail. To pick straight or flag tails ensures the eventual loss of the teacup handle tail. Another issue seen less commonly are too short or kinky tails. Penalize these faults to the degree of severity. The Lowchen tail is carried happily over the back when gaiting. But, dropped tails should not be penalized when the dog is not gaiting. A serious, frequently seen fault is a low tail set, which can cause the Lowchen to move wide or stiffly in the rear. Another sign of a too low tail set is if there is a roll of flesh over the base of the tail. When found on an otherwise fit dog, the tail is

Judging The Lowchen - 3 - usually set too low. If the dog is flabby and out of shape, pat pads can developed by the tail, creating the roll. Wither way, this is a very undesirable trait and tales away from the clean outline of the dog. The tail when properly set and carried helps create the unique breed profile.

Forequarters: The American Kennel Club breed standard provides an in-depth description of the shoulders. It calls for a moderately long and well-layered back shoulder. The brisket extends to the elbow. Upper arms are equal length to the shoulder blade, meeting at a 90 degree angle. The front legs are parallel and well muscled. Forearms should have good length, with the distance from the ground to the elbow slightly greater than the distance from the elbow to the stop of the withers. The bone is described as more round than oval with a slight decrease in size at the pasterns. Pasterns are short and slightly bent. Dogs with faulty pasterns often do not have the correct ground beneath them. They need uneven terrain to allow the pastern to retain strength and flexibility. Feet should be tight and well arched, but not as extreme as a Poodle foot is. Splayed feet should be penalized. The standard also calls for dewclaws to be removed. This is a problem since only the AKC standard calls for dewclaw removal. This is rarely, if ever, done in other countries and strictly enforcing this could eliminate foreign- bred dogs from the show ring. Fortunately judges seem to recognize this dilemma and have never seemed to penalize a Lowchen for having dewclaws. Hindquarters: This breed has always been noted for its strong rear. It should be well muscled and slightly rounded. Due to the roundness when viewed from the rear it appears wider rather than narrow. Not desirable is the rear described as a "horse-shoe" rear. This type of assembly is too broad and causes the dog to move widely and less efficiently. The original breeders in all their descriptions of the breed never called for this type of rear. This seems to be a phenomenon coming from the early 1980's. The legs should be parallel and not hock in or out . The bracelets or pompoms can give impression of hock issues, if too full or wispy. Judges or breeders must be able to see through coat to determine correct movement. Lowchen should have moderate rear angulation. The early dogs were moderately angled. As years have gone by, angulation in the breed changed and is more pronounced, to the point in some cases, of extreme angulation. A Lowchen should not stand out for being well-angulated. Recognizing correct angulation seems to be a problem for some breeders and judges alike, probably since a well-angulated dog is flashier in the show ring, standing and moving. A more than moderately angulated Lowchen goes against historic breed type. Coat: Watching a Lowchen with correct coat parade around the show ring or in the back yard can be breath-taking. A correct coat is actually relatively low maintenance, despite being long. Since the days of Madam Bennert, who saved the Lowchen from extinction, breeders were instructed that the coat should be wavy, and long. All four breed standards around the world reflect her words. The American standard is very descriptive. Lowchen coats should be healthy and shiny in appearance. Dry, brittle, broken-off, hard, Terrier- like, harsh or Poodley coats should be severely penalized. Too soft, frizzy, curly or limp coats are also incorrect and to be penalized. A correct coat will flow when moving. Proper coat has two types of hairs equally distributed; thin, very fine and larger-in-circumference hairs. When Judging The Lowchen - 4 - examining a Lowchen lift a strand off the back at the withers and spread it out across one or two fingers, the distribution of both types of hairs should be 50/50. If there is an imbalance in the equation, then the coat will be too hard or too soft. The thick hairs provide strength, the thin ones, and volume. Because of this mix, the Lowchen coat is voluminous, not limp or straight. It is easy to maintain. It does not mat quickly or easily. A once-a-week thorough brushing and bath will maintain a show coat, as long as the dog is not exposed to harsh elements. Currently a serious issue is presentation of the coat. Many changes have occurred since the breed was first introduced to this country. The early dogs were not as well-coated as today’s dogs. Much of this is attributed to improved grooming techniques on the part of the exhibitor. One thing that has not changed is the pattern of cut. The American standard goes into this in detail. The most serious problem, that is getting worse, pertains to the only breed disqualification; "Any trim other than specified, shaping or scissoring of the long coat" . Most manage to clip where appropriate. The problem seen increasingly, is shaping of the long coat by various means. Lowchen do not have an even, tidy appearance. Their coat does not have a scissor straight edge, it falls in varying lengths, long in some parts, shorter in others. The strands are not even at the tips, but a real mis-mash of lengths, off by up to 3/4 of an inch. They do not resemble Bechons or Poodles in any way. There should be no rounding of coat on the head or pompoms. No scissoring or trimming around the eyes. Some exhibitors have become very skilled in their trimming procedures, even using a pumice stone to sculpt coats while disingenuously proclaiming that they did not "scissor" the coat and so are adhering to the standard. Dogs appearing trimmed in the show ring are explained away with excuses such as: "The dog chewed the coat","...... was kept on concrete" which resulted in the wearing of the coat away in strategic spots, and "the bitch was in season" which for some reason allowed her to drop coat to the point that it was perfectly sculpted. Such luck! Some owners or handlers go so far to explain the perfectly even or sculpted coat as having been the result of being meticulously kept up. In even the most meticulously kept coat, the coat will not appear even or trimmed, since there is always hair loss. New hairs replace dropped hairs throughout the coat, resulting in many lengths up to the longest tip, producing the uneven ends found only on an untrimmed dog. A perfectly sculpted outline is contrary to the breed. Puppies under a year will appear to be scissored, but are not. Their coats grow out at the same length since all hairs are new. Once they become adults and begin dropping and breaking coat, unevenness will be unavoidable. Normally, Lowchen coats rarely grow long enough to reach the floor. To achieve this, exhibitors wrap coats or keep their Lowchen in pens-never touching the ground or in crates for endless hours. Correct coat breaks off where stress points naturally occur, creating the lion-like outline of the breed. Coats to the ground take away from this outline and are incorrect. Another extreme, also incorrect, is the naturally short coated Lowchen. No matter what, their coats do not grow beyond a certain point. Also rare is the smooth-coated Lowchen. Smooths come in many variations from dogs with very thin, almost see-through, longer coats, and running the gamut to the extreme of spaniel or Spitz type coats. Besides trimming and shaping coats, another technique becoming an issue is straighten of coats, either with a blow dryer or hair iron. The coat must have some wave to it. Perfectly or nearly straight coats are incorrect. Straight coats look more polished and so have caught on in the show ring. The problem is that it can be impossible to determine if coat texture is correct when altered in this manner.

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Lastly, exhibitors must let the coat part naturally. Running a comb or knitting needle through to get the perfect part is unnecessary. The coat will fall into a natural part on its own. Parting hair on the head is definitely not encouraged. A Lowchen with a parted headpiece will resemble a Tibetan terrier, especially if their muzzle is equal in length to the back skull.

Color: All colors are allowed, as well as all patterns of color. What is increasingly rare and should be rewarded are clear or pure colors-those that do not fade. These colors are consistent throughout each strand, perfectly same color, with no lighter, white or gray strands mingled in. There is a dominant fade-factor gene in the breed, leading to loss of pure colors. When finding a pure colored dog, bonus points should be given for their color clarity, assuming they otherwise adhere to the standard. Some claim that coat texture is color related. This is incorrect. Correct coat texture is found in all colors. Color should not be an excuse for incorrectness.

Gait: The AKC breed standard describes movement thoroughly. The description calls for efficient, ground covering strides. Top lines must hold firm, with tails up over the back. The head should be held above the shoulders. Lowchen possess stamina and elegance of movement when put together correctly, covering ground with little effort. They surprise those unfamiliar with the breed, with their speed when running with the big dogs!

Temperament: The Lowchen main purpose in life is to be a companion dog. They are highly intelligent and blessed with playfulness and boldness, making them the perfect tomboys of the dog world. They are naturally confident dogs who like to be the center of attention. Many enjoy being in the show ring and when retired, still beg to go to shows when the loading of crates begins. Timid Lowchen must be discouraged. In the show ring a Lowchen that refuses to stand for examination or move due to shyness should be penalized severely. There is no excuse for a poor temperament, none. Judging and breeding the Lowchen can be complicated, due to all the nuances. Because there are so few Lowchen in breeding programs, the ones being used must be of top quality. It is the job of both breeders and judges to carefully weed out the lesser quality dogs, or both will contribute to the decline of this breed and the loss of its unusual qualities, intact for hundreds of years. "Faddy" show styles should not be allowed to alter this breed! All must be vigilant and select only the true best!

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