History of the
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Written by Elzbieta Augustowska
Nederlandse rasstandaard en geschiedenis
The first information about the Polski Owczarek Nizinny, as the Polish Lowland Sheepdog is know in its native Poland
(and hence the acronym PON), was written in the 16th century, according to the late Mrs. G. O. Willison, who ia also
credited with developing the Bearded Collie in the modern dog fancy. It is recorded that a medium-sized shaggy-coated
herding dog existed in Poland for centeries. It is believed that the Polish Lowland Sheepdog originated from an Asian
sheepdog, similar in type to the Tibetan Terrier, wich believably may be the ancestor of the Hungarian Puli.
Since the breed was used for its magnificient working qualities,type was not considered important. In the 19th century,
a painting called A Shepherd Boy by F. Maslowski depicted a small shaggy-coated bob-tailed dog with
ears that are almost pricked. In 1514, there is a record of a trading ship owned by K. Grabski sailing from Gdansk,
Poland to Scotland with grain in exchange for Scotties sheep. The ship reportedly had six Lowland Sheepdogs aboard.
A Scotties sheperd admired the dogs for their excellent working abilities and traded a ram and a ewe for three
Polish Lowland Sheepdogs were bred to the sheperd's Highland Collie; this breeding eventually developed into the
ever-popular Bearded Collie. In the 17th century, there are writteninstructions by Princess Jablonowska ordering that
these dogs should be kept for their superb working qualities by the sheperds on her estates in Northeastern Poland.
In 1779, Christopher Kluk, a reputable author of zoology and botany, described the dog that can easily be an ancestor
of the Polish Lowland Sheepdog. because of its shaggy-coat, Kluk used the word "poodle"to describe the dog. it was a
medium-sized dog, said to be most clever, "having almost human intelligence." He maintained that the other dog could
be compared to them in herding flocks.
At the beginning of the 20th century, many Polish people became interested in pure-bred livestock and began to turn
their attention to these intelligent country dogs.The foundations for breeding stock were achieved by three women, Maria
Czetwerynska and Wanda an d Rosa Zoltowska.Princess Grocholska purchased a few dogs and started breeding on her estate in
Planta (east of Poland). In 1924, she exhibited two of them for the first time. These dogs were of unknown origin but
eventually she exhibited dogs that she had bred herself.She started in 1930 and exhibited rugularly. Her top brood bitches
were Faja and Fryga. The studs were Sep and Wykop. Madam Zoltowska started breeding in the 1930s with famous foundation
stock, namely Fajkus z Planty and Tuska z Planty. She bred five litters from this pair, and the pups began to show uniformity
of type. They were medium in size, pure white or biscuit with darker markings. Most of them were natural bobtails.
In 1937, My Dog, an official paper of The Working Dogs Society< published a research programm for the establishment and
development of the breed. Ms. Zoltowska wrote: "in our region (eastern part of Poland) we recognise a particular type of
herding dog. The breed type remains strong and uniform, even after being neglected by (our) countrymen. In our breeding
programme, we have never seen puppies of a different type, coat and colour. They are magnificent for herding sheep and cows,
and make good guard dogs as well. They also make avery intelligent, friendly pets."
Then came the devastation of the Second World War, and everything breeders worked so hard to achieve was lost. Ms. Zoltowska
did survive the war and the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. Two of her dogs also survived. She settled in Krakow, but nothing more
was heard from her.
In 1948 the Polish Kennel Club was founded and new attempts were made to rescue and establish the breed that started in Bydgoszcz.
Pioneer breeders found strong support from officials there, and tribute must be paid to the late Mrs. Dubrowinowa, who
formulated the whole plan. These pioneer breeders were the late Mrs. Kusionowicz (Babia Weis), who continies her breeding
to this day.
Dr. Hryniewicz, being a veterinary surgeon and breeder, became very interested in her native sheperd dogs. The first two she
purchased from sheperds were Kurta and Laska. She then purchased two puppies from Mrs> Kusiionowicz, and she was given a
bitch from Krakow that bore a remarkable resemblanche to the pre-war dog. It was very likely that she had originated from
Ms. Zoltowska's surviving dogs.
The Polish Lowland Sheepdogs were exhibited in Bydgoszcz in 1957. Even though there was no breed standard, the preferred
type was medium sized, lively, alert and shaggycoated with no resemblanche to the silky or wooly coat of the Poodle or Maltese.
The breed standard was written by Ms. Dubrowinowa, and accepted in 1959.
Dr Hryniewicz then bred the famous dog called Smok z Kordegardy (by Kurta and Laska) who became a true "father of the breed."
The Kordegardy stock was heavily inbred using Smok. Fortunately, this inbreeding resulted inthe unification of the breed's type
with no hereditary defects. In 1969 another of her famous dogs was born. His name was Doman z Kordegardy.
It was not until 1970 that the breed gained wide popularity. Most breeders started with dogs bred by Dr Hryniewicz. Presently
interest in the breed remains quite strong and stable. Fortunately, the breed has never been so popular as to be spoiled
by fashion.
PON Standard in English
