Löwchen

The Löwchen — the little lion dog — is a small companion breed traditionally clipped to leave a mane, and it has been drawn that way for five hundred years.

History

Dogs with the lion clip appear in European paintings and tapestries from the fifteenth century onwards, in Germany, France and Spain, so the breed's national origin is genuinely disputed. It came close to extinction in the mid-twentieth century — one count in the 1960s put it among the rarest breeds in the world — and was rebuilt from a handful of dogs, largely through the work of Belgian and German breeders.

Temperament

The breed is known for being affectionate, bright and sociable, lively without being frantic, and comfortable with children and other dogs.

Care and training

Exercise needs are modest. The long coat sheds little but mats and needs regular grooming, clipped or not — the lion trim is a convention, not a requirement. It trains easily.

Health

Generally healthy and long-lived, with patellar luxation and hereditary cataracts among the known tendencies. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.