Is a Lowchen the Right choice of Dog for You?

If you have never heard of a Lowchen, one of these gorgeous little dogs was propelled into the limelight in a very popular eighties TV series called Hart to Hart"" – his name was Freeway. The breed is extremely cute with their very unique lion-like appeal and their charismatic personalities. The actual name ""Lowchen"" is German and translated means ""little lion"". However, the breed has been around for a very long time and actually dates back to the Renaissance period in history.

If you are looking for a little dog with a massive personality, it really doesn't get much better than choosing to share your home and life with a Lowchen.

Curious, Smart but a Little Stubborn

Lowchens are gorgeous looking canines, they are inquisitive by nature and very smart however, they can be a little stubborn at times which means they are not the best choice for first-time dog owners. Because they are so intelligent, if they are allowed to get away with things, they will wrap their owners around their little paws in no time at all for all the wrong reasons.

Although only small, weighing in at around 15 lbs, Lowchens think they are a lot bigger than they really are and therefore will not back down if they're confronted. This can be a problem at times because it means owners have to frequently save their pets when they attempt to ""take on"" anything that might end up with them being injured – namely a much larger dog!

A Tendency to Bark

Lowchens are alert little characters that like the sound of their own voices which means they need to be taught from an early age to curb their desire to bark at just about everything they see or hear. The good news is that Lowchens are very quick to learn things and in fact, are extremely adept when they take part in obedience or agility trials. If allowed to bark though, you may find it might annoy your neighbours especially if you live in apartment!

Friendly, Affectionate & Great with Children and Other Pets

These lovely little four-legged friends do get on very well with other pets and children which makes them a great choice as a family pet for people who have a nice secure garden for their pets to roam around in. Lowchens like to be kept busy both physically and mentally because they tend to have a low boredom threshold.

Gorgeous Long, Dense Coats

The Lowchen boasts a gorgeous long, dense coat that's silky to the touch. The breed stands out from the crowd with their lion-like trim around their necks/shoulders and their bare back-ends with a plume at the tip of their bare tails. However, with these lovely looks and silky coat comes a lot of grooming which needs to be done to keep them looking at their best because their coats tend to get matted pretty quickly. They also need to have a trim every couple of months to keep their lion-like looks!

A Puppy or an Adult Dog?

You need to decide whether you'd like to offer an adult dog a home and maybe offer a home to a rescue Lowchen. You may prefer to get a puppy and as everyone knows all pups are gorgeous but a Lowchen puppy is incredibly cute looking. However, all puppies grow up which means you should never base your decision on getting a puppy rather than an adult dog just because they are ""cute"" to look at. With this said, Lowchen pups are not the most common breed around so you might have to accept being put on a waiting list when you contact a breeder.

It goes without saying you have to contact a reputable breeder and one that only uses healthy dogs to breed from and who socialises their puppies from an early age and who takes very good care of their litters and parent dogs. It is also important to make sure a breeder would never let puppies leave their mothers too early.

If you decide to offer a rescued Lowchen a home the best place to start your search is online where you'll find rescue centres that specifically take in Lowchens. However, you need to be prepared for a stringent home visit because without this, you would not be able to offer one of these lovely dogs a second chance to live out their days in a caring and safe home environment.

Be Aware of Health Issues

You also need to be fully aware of any health issues common to the breed. As with many pure bred dogs, the Lowchen is prone to certain genetic health issues which include the following:

• Luxating patellas
• Cataracts
• Progressive retinal atrophy

If you suspect your pet is suffering from any of these health issues or other, you should take them to the vet for a proper diagnosis to be made followed by the right type of treatment as soon as you can. It is also a good idea to set up a pet insurance plan because if your canine friend gets ill, vet bills can often be rather expensive. Having a good insurance policy in place takes the worry out of having to find the money to pay for any veterinary treatment your pet might need.

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