Polish Lowland Sheepdog

FCI standard Nº 251

Origin
Poland
Translation
Mrs. Peggy Davis
Group
oup 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs)
Section
Section 1 Sheepdogs
Working
Without working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI
Saturday 05 October 1963
Publication of the official valid standard
Friday 07 August 1998
Last update
Friday 07 August 1998
En français, cette race se dit
Berger polonais de plaine
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar
Polnischer Niederungshütehund
En español, esta raza se dice
Perro de pastor polaco de las llanuras
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd
Poolse laagland herder
In his country of origin, his name is

Polski Owczarek Nizinny

Usage

Easy to handle, he works like a sheepdog and guard dog. Moved to urban city life, he is a very good companion dog.

General appearance

The Polish Lowland sheepdog is a dog of medium size, compact, strong, muscular, with a thick long coat. His well groomed coat gives an attractive and interesting appearance.

Important proportions

The proportions of height at withers to length of body is 9 : 10.
The ratio length of muzzle to length of skull is 1 : 1 ; yet the muzzle can be a little shorter.

Behaviour / temperament

Of a lively but tempered disposition, vigilant, agile, intelligent, perceptive and gifted with a good memory. Resistant to unfavourable climatic conditions.

Head

Cranial region

Head
Medium dimension, proportional, not too heavy. The thick fur on the forehead, the cheeks and the chin give the head a look of being heavier than it really is.
Skull
Not excessively broad, slightly rounded. Frontal furrow and occipital protuberance noticeable. 
Stop
Well accentuated.

Facial region

Nose
As darks as possible in relation to the colour of the coat with large nostrils.
Muzzle
Strong, blunt. Nasal bridge straight.
Lips
Fitting well; their edges are of the same colour as the nose.
Jaws and teeth
Strong jaws. Teeth strong, with scissor or pincer bite.
Eyes
Medium size, oval, not protruding, hazel colour, with lively and piercing look. The rims of the eyelids are dark.
Ears
Hanging, set rather high, of medium size, heart-shaped, wide at base; the fore edge is close against the cheeks; very mobile.

Neck

Of medium length, strong, muscled, without dewlap, carried rather horizontally.

Body

Body
Rather rectangular than square.
Withers
Well accentuated.
Back
Flat, well muscled.
Loin
Broad, well fused.
Croup
Short, slightly truncated.
Chest
Deep, of medium width; ribs quite well sprung, neither flat nor barrel-shaped.
Underline and belly
Outlining an elegant curve towards the hindquarters part.

Tail

• Short tail or stumpy-tail, very shortly docked tail.
• Undocked quite long and very hairy tail. At rest the tail is hanging; if the dog is alert, the tail is gaily curved over the back, never curled or lying on the back.
• Undocked tail of medium length, carried in different manners.

Limbs

Forequarters

Generality
Seen in profile and from the front : Vertical and straight. Stance well balanced due to a strong skeleton (bone structure).
Shoulders
Broad, of medium length, oblique, clean cut, very muscular.
Pastern
Slightly slanting in relation to the forearm.
Forefeet
Oval, tight toes, slightly arched pads really hard. Nails short, as dark as possible.

Hindquarters

Generality
Seen from behind: Vertical, well angulated.
Upper thigh
Broad, well muscled.
Hock
Well developped.
Hind feet
Compact, oval shape.

Gait and movement

Easy and ground covering. Walk or trot smooth (whitout much vertical displacement). The dog often ambles when he walks slowly.

Skin

Tight fitting, without any folds.

Coat

Hair
The whole body covered with coarse hair, dense, thick, and profuse; soft undercoat. Straight or slightly wavy hair is acceptable. The hairs falling from the forehead cover the eyes in a characteristic manner.
Colour
All colours and patches are acceptable.

Size and weight

Height at withers
Males : 45 - 50 cm. Females : 42 - 47 cm. The dog must retain the type of a working dog; consequently his size must not go down below the standard; he must neither be too weak nor delicate.

Faults

• Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.
• Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness.

Disqualifying faults

 Aggressive or overly shy.

NB :

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying.
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

Bibliography

https://www.fci.be/

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