Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Temperament:
You don't have so much experience as a dog owner yet or maybe you are even looking for a four-legged companion for the first time? It should be a friendly dog that adapts perfectly to family life and gets along well with young and old? Then find out now about the Polish Lowland Sheepdog, also called Polski Owczarek Nizinny, or PON.
Characteristics
The PON is a medium-sized dog breed with long, coarse fur and abundant soft undercoat. So against wind and weather, this dog breed is well armed. Its shape is rather rectangular, its physique stocky and muscular.
Bitches reach a size between 42 and 46 cm. Males are slightly larger with a maximum shoulder height of 50 cm.
All colors, spots and drawings are allowed, which makes the PON a rather colorful dog.
The character of the quadruped is still marked by its original use. He is always attentive and reliably guards his property and his "pack". Thereby he is not aggressive. Towards strangers he shows himself reserved at the beginning despite all friendliness.
His family is everything for him. Partly his herding and protective instinct is very pronounced. Through loving but consistent education, this intelligent dog will quickly become a loyal companion dog. In the apartment, the PON is calm and balanced.
His urge to move and his above-average intelligence is best satisfied with any kind of dog sports and long - very long walks. With the right training, the PON can quickly explore its surroundings without a leash. He wants to please his human and his hunting instinct is only very moderate. It seems as if the PON understands his master blindly. A quick perception and his eagerness to work make him a great member of a rescue dog team.
Coat care:
Shedding:
Energy level:
Trainability:
Children suitable:
The right food
The diet of the Polski Owczarek Nizinny must be balanced and not too abundant. He is a very good feeder. If he gets too much or unbalanced food, the PON tends to overweight quickly. This can promote diseases like hip dysplasia.
On his menu should be mainly lean meat, such as poultry or beef. Vegetables and rice are a good addition. You don't necessarily have to cook fresh for your four-legged friend. When buying ready-made food, you should pay attention to a high meat content. Added sugar should not be included.
The PON is also not averse to a piece of fruit, for example as a reward. Food leftovers or snacks from the table are taboo, because they usually contain too much salt.
Polish Lowland Sheepdog Care
The Polski Owczarek Nizinny is quite a high maintenance dog due to its long coat. His coat must be brushed regularly to avoid matting. In addition, the undercoat should be thinned out regularly.
Brushing during the coat change is especially important. Remember, every tuft of hair in your brush is one less on the sofa. You should plan at least one hour a week for grooming. It's also important to get your dog used to the procedure from an early age so that your adult furball doesn't have any problems with brushing.
In addition to matting, a lack of coat care can also result in an unpleasant odor. Since the PON loves to swim or retrieve from the water, it quickly smells like "wet dog".
Suitable accessories
First and foremost, your Polski Owczarek Nizinny needs family companionship and a task. If he gets bored, he tends to excessive territorial behavior or protective instinct. This usually manifests itself in loud barking. For a small city apartment he is suitable, because of his urge to move, only conditionally. A garden, in which the PON can move, is ideal. A kennel you need but in any case, because in this has a PON nothing to look for.
Special dummies for retrieving are suitable for daily play. But the playful pelt-nose also has fun with simple balls.
Besides the usual accessories like bowls, collar/harness, leash, you'll need a few items for your dog's grooming. A sturdy brush to de-felt his tough top coat and a coarse-toothed comb to remove the undercoat. A small pair of scissors should also be available so you can trim small tangles from the coat. You can buy appropriate care utensils in well-stocked specialty stores.
Origin & History
The origin of the Polish dog breed is not clear. As ancestors the Tibetan terrier, the Lhasa Apso or the Tibetan spaniel are assumed. Already in 1779, a dog breed corresponding to the PON was described by Krzysztof Kluk..
A first purebred breeding began in the beginning of the 20th century in Poland. In 1924, the PON was shown for the first time at a dog show as a working dog.
After the Second World War, only a few representatives of the breed were left in Poland. The veterinarian Danuta Hryniewicz went in search of the few remaining dogs of the breed from farmers and shepherds in the Polish lowlands and bought up particularly typey representatives. Through selective breeding, the first progenitor of the post-war PON's was born - the male Smok Kordegardy.
On 05.10.1963 the breed was officially recognized by the FCI in the section Sheepdogs.
Originally, the PON was used for herding geese, pigs and sheep. Later he also found use as a guard dog on farms.
Although he is still popular as a sheepdog, his field of activity has changed in recent years. Today, in addition to being a companion and family dog, he is mainly found in rescue work, where he always cuts a good figure due to his intelligence and perseverance.
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