The Polish Lowland Sheepdog Club of Wales and the West of England
Polish Lowland Sheepdogs
The Polish Lowland Sheepdog is a middle-sized, strong and sound dog, covered with long, dense hair. It moves freely and economically; it is a working dog, psychologically and physically.
It is known to be a good companion dog in town or city conditions. It is a lively but moderate; alert, well adjusted, smart and intelligent dog and has a good memory.
The PON was originally used as a sheepdog in the Polish lowlands and being an alert and agile dog, it was very suitable for such use. Therefore, it is also very suitable for obedience and agility. The breed is good natured and gentle with children. But children must be trained too.
"The dense coat is one of PON's most typical characteristics."
All colours and colour combinations are accepted, the most common colour is white with various dark or grey patches. There are also a few chocolate-pigmented PON's and solid colours such as all black, or all cream.
The proportions for the PON are height to length 9 - 10. The height at the withers for a bitch is 42-47 cms. (16½ - 18½ ins) and for a dog is 45-50 cms. (17.95 ins - 19.75 ins.) which means that PON is somewhere in between the Tibetan Terrier and Bearded Collie in size.
The temperament of the PON is peaceful, balanced, alert, active, intelligent and lively. It has an excellent memory, and according to the breed standard it is easily trained. The PON is often somewhat reserved when it comes to strange people, but this is typical for a sheepdog. It does not mean that the dog is afraid or insecure, because he will still look straight at you even if he is backing away. At the same time as being reserved, he is also interested and curious. The PON still has a strong herding instinct.
As a working breed, they needs regular exercise. They do not do well in situations where they are left alone for long periods of time and like nothing better than to be close to their family. They are a very greedy breed and care must be taken to ensure that the PON does not become overweight; obesity is a common problem. They are a fairly hardy breed and do not seem to suffer from a lot of illness.
The PON is a breed which is very loyal, faithful and great fun, as they love to play, but demand a firm but gentle owner. PON's can exhibit much stubbornness and often a wilful streak; these are clever dogs; early training and socialization is important.
One thing is for sure - life is never dull when PON's are around.
01 Head
The PONs head is middle-sized and not too heavy. He has thick hair on the forehead, the cheeks and the chin, which makes the head look larger than it actually is. While standing and moving, the PON carries his head rather horizontally, almost in line with his top line. Its nose is large and as dark as possible, considering the dog's colour.
Its eyes are middle-sized, oval-shaped and hazel to brown. The expression is penetrating, lively and curious. The heart-shaped ears have a lot of movement and exhibit the dog's mood very well.
02 Body
ThePON's forequarters and hindquarters are parallel and very muscular. It moves freely and soundly, with long steps, covering the ground very well. This is only achieved if it is correctly angulated. The tail is either natural bobtail (puppies born tail less) or was traditionally docked. Undocked dogs with full tails carry them high and over their backs when alert or moving, hanging low at repose.
The movement is effortless and ground covering. Smooth walk or trot with good reach and drive
03 Coat
The hair should be harsh, long and thick and when groomed well, it makes the dog look attractive and interesting. The hair falling from the forehead covers the eyes in a characteristic manner, giving it the very typical expression. The whole body is covered with long, straight coat of the same texture, a slight wave is permissible.
The coat insulates against extremes of heat and cold, it protects against wind and rain, it is weatherproof and functional. A good coat means that the dog will never get wet to the skin. The coat requires thorough grooming to keep it mat free.
