The Polish Lowland Sheepdog

The Polish Lowland Sheepdog is an intelligent animal that loves his family and is very devoted to them! Always happy and eager to please, these dogs probably would not do too well if they did not have their families attention and affection. Not paying attention to this dog would result in an unhappy and destructive individual.

The Polish Lowland Sheepdog needs a family that is active and willing to spend a lot of time with their animal; he needs lots of exercise because he has a lot of energy and stamina that needs to be let out. These are very smart dogs that can learn quickly and with enthusiasm (sometimes), other times they just like to be stubborn if they think that you are not doing something right. They have very good memories and they do best with a person that has some experience with dogs.

This is a dog that loves his family so he will protect them; this makes him a good watchdog and a good guard dog. In the family it is best if he is raised around children, he can be dominant and sometimes even aggressive towards other dogs so care must be taken…do not trust him around small flighty animals because he does have a high prey drive. With bigger submissive animals he does much better if he has been properly socialized. This is a dog that is suspicious of strangers and you need to watch out with this dog because he just might try to herd people and animals together…that was what they were originally bred for you know.

The Polish Lowland Sheepdog comes from Poland just like the name suggests, and they have remained literally unchanged since the 13th century…they think that this breed comes from the Polish and the herding dogs that belonged to the Huns. In 1514 a man bought some sheep in Scotland and along with the sheep he also got six of these dogs to help move the sheep, a Scottish shepherd was so amazed at the dogs abilities in herding that he traded a ram and two ewes for three dogs, a male and two females. It was these dogs that helped to make the Scottish herding breeds.

These dogs almost went extinct during World War 2; the breed was kept alive through the work of one man named Dr. Danuta Hryeniewicz and his dog Smok.

The Polish Lowland Sheepdog is just about medium when it comes to doggie sizes; he has a rugged country look about him and a nice athletic build. He has a long shaggy coat which can be found in many colors although the most popular is white with patches of grey and/or black, just imagine an Old English Sheepdog and you will get the picture. He weighs about 30-50 pounds and can reach a height of about 17-20 inches.

When it comes to grooming, the Polish Lowland Sheepdog is not that difficult to take care of, just brush out his coat one or twice a week to keep him in top condition…one thing to think about is maybe getting the coat clipped every couple of months, this keeps the dog looking sharp and it help with general maintenance as well. These dogs surprisingly do not shed all that much…something to consider if you are suffering from allergies.

This is a dog that will live for about 10-15 years so think well before getting one because that is a long commitment. When it comes to their health they are generally healthy animals.

If you are looking for one of these dogs, try to look for a responsible breeder that is in your area, the good breeder will care for his animals and usually will carefully consider the future homes of his puppies. You should be able to meet the parents and see proof of veterinary visits and health checkups and papers. He should have papers on the puppies and the puppy’s parents. Try to avoid puppy mills because these people usually do not care for the dogs and do not invest and time or effort in producing well bred sound puppies that can be depended upon…just take your time because it will be worth it in the end.