The Löwchen

This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, April 2015 issue.

The Löwchen

Breeding and judging some of the rarer breeds confidently sometimes seems impossible. How can judges and people new to a breed determine the finer points that distinguish one breed from another? In the case of the Löwchen, those uneducated in the breed liken it to a Benji dog with a fancy haircut, claiming the cut makes the breed. They’re unaware Löwchen are more than a haircut. Those who have studied the breed are privy to the traits that define it. Being such a rare breed, few are aware of the fascinating story of the Löwchen, which dates back to the early Renaissance. Through hundreds of years, the Löwchen developed traits that now make up its breed type. Keeping these traits intact is crucial to preserving the breed. Remarkably, today’s Löwchen still resemble their ancestors from over 500 years ago. Those who love the breed want to keep it that way! Once breeders and judges understand what these traits are and their importance, they are on their way to mastering and preserving the breed.

What to look for? Foremost, the Löwchen should be a moderate dog with no exaggerations of any kind. This is an important point to note, as this breed could easily become a caricature of itself through exaggeration of traits, but for the diligence of breeders and judges. Löwchen are not a head breed; for it to be one, the head would have to stand out over all other features. Their pleasing head with large round eyes and a pretty face should blend into their overall look, which resembles that of a small lion. Their neck is moderate—neither too long to be an exaggeration nor too short that the head appears stuck directly onto the body. Height ideally is 12-13 inches at the withers. Löwchen are compact, well-muscled, sturdy, yet elegant. They sport a teacup-handle tail, which wags with enthusiasm. Their coat lends itself to easy grooming if of the correct texture and comes in any color imaginable. For the show ring, they are clipped to resemble a lion. Lastly, they must have a happy, outgoing temperament.

Understanding the head is key. Heads have markedly improved from the early days of the breed in the US. This can be credited to the 2010 standard revision as well as increased cooperation between breeders internationally over the last fifteen years. One of the most important American standard changes was the elimination of two head types. The previous standard allowed for a muzzle equal in length to the back skull as well as a muzzle shorter than the back skull. Now, the standard calls for a muzzle to be 2/3 the length of the back skull. Crowned with a large nose, the muzzle also has width thanks to large teeth. The ideal Löwchen head is proportionate to the body with substance and bone. The stop is described as moderately defined. Löwchen skulls are broad, relatively flat, and appear squarish if the hair is flattened down. Long narrow or broad and shallow back skulls can ruin the appearance of the dog, but they are easily hidden by coat, so it’s important that Löwchen be closely inspected by hand.

A mandatory trait is round eyes, preferably large and dark. The historic rule of thumb in this breed is: if confronted with two equal dogs—one with dark almond eyes and the other with round light eyes—the correct choice is the round lighter eye. This is contrary to what most judges and breeders are trained to choose in other breeds, but emphasizes that in the Löwchen, the round eye is considered one of the most important breed characteristics. It’s far harder to preserve the correct round eye than to keep eye color. Lighter-colored Löwchen have lighter eyes and pigment, commensurate with their coloring. Pigmentation on the nose and around the eye should be dark and complete. Löwchen normally don’t have halos like Bichon Frise, but if one does, that’s acceptable.

Level top-lines are a must and should end at the point where the tail rises off the back. This high tail set supports the teacup-handle tail, which is another mandatory trait. It should curve over the back with coat hanging on one side or the other when gaiting but can be dropped in a relaxed manner when standing still. Tails held tight to the back or curling tightly, while not desirable, are a better choice than flag tails. Loose or flagging tails are extremely incorrect. If one had to choose between a flag tail or tight tail, tight is preferred. This is because the pariah dog tendency of tails is to loosen through generations rather than tighten. The teacup-handle tail can eventually be lost if multiple generations have increasingly loose tails. Additionally, ruining this look is a tail set too low, which affects rear movement by creating a wide gait that doesn’t converge easily as the dog increases speed. Teacup-handle tails are a classic breed trait.

The Löwchen has substance no matter which sex, so when picking one up, one might gasp at the weight of the dog. They usually look lighter than they actually are. This is a compact, nicely muscled breed with well-sprung ribs of an athlete, a moderate brisket, slight tuck-up, and a short strong loin. Compact is the key word here. Löwchen can move easily with little effort. Years ago, it was noted for exceptional movement by many top judges of the day. Their front movement should not prance, hackney, swing, or cross. Sadly, the breed has developed movement issues. Correct movement can be brought back if judges and breeders would put more emphasis on it than they currently do. Flashy dogs often win over correctly moving dogs, who might be less exciting to look at. This is an area the breed needs help with.

Löwchen are better groomed than ever before and present a lovely, elegant appearance in the show ring. The lion cut is mandatory and described in the Breed Standard quite nicely. The only disqualification is for shaping or scissoring the coat. This was put into the standard before AKC recognition in hopes of preventing excessive grooming and shaping. It’s proving now that a better choice would have been to make this a fault instead. Many judges will not disqualify since they feel they cannot prove a coat is shaped or trimmed. They are unwilling to acknowledge their concerns to the exhibitor, as questions could arise about why the dog was not disqualified and why the judge didn’t follow the standard. So the end result is that trimming and shaping is increasingly ignored but still disparaged ringside by exhibitors who claim not to trim. Many today would not recognize that Löwchen should have ears that blend seamlessly into the mane, instead of having nicely shaped and rounded fringe. Löwchen should not have an even coat that appears shaped, unless they are a puppy with first-growth coat. Adult coats don’t grow that way naturally. Instead, there should be vastly differing lengths of hair in a sample grasped in hand. The ends are uneven, somewhat wispy in the last inch of coat, even in the best-maintained Löwchen.

Texture is equally important. A correct coat has shine and some wave to it. It’s never limp, straight, harsh, broken, or frizzy. A beautiful coat flows when moving. This coat is interesting in that it is equally composed of very fine hairs and thick hairs. Too many fine hairs and the coat becomes difficult to maintain—even cottony to the touch, whereas too many thick hairs result in a coat that might droop limply. The thick hairs provide strength to the coat, while the thin ones lift and add volume. When examining a Löwchen coat, lift a strand off the withers and spread it across a finger or two to see if it has the ideal ratio of 50/50.

One of the most important traits is the amazing temperament of the breed. They are extremely intelligent, happy, and bold dogs. Think of them as “bomb-proof”! Anything less is undesirable since this breed was created to be a companion dog. This is its purpose—it’s that simple.

Mastering this breed confidently means knowing its hallmark traits. One trait is not more important than another. The head, with its prescribed proportions, pigmentations, and must-have round eye, is first. Teacup-handle tails correctly set are second. Elegant, compact bodies with substance, capable of good movement, make a highly desired third trait. The fourth trait is a moderately wavy coat with the unique ratio of “50/50” fine to thick hairs creating the proper texture. This coat must be clipped to resemble a lion and not shaped or trimmed in any way. The fifth desirable trait is that Löwchen should be “bomb-proof”! Above all else, moderation is key. Exaggeration of any kind should be faulted. Understanding these traits preserves the Löwchen as it was hundreds of years ago—the eternal Renaissance dog.