Standard of the Polish Lowland Sheepdog
(Polski Owczarek Nizinny)
FCI-Standard 251 / 9 Feb 1996
Translation:Mrs. Peggy Davis
Date of Publication of the original valid standard: 28 March 1994
Nederlandse versie rasstandaard en historie
Utilization:
Easy to handle, he works like a sheepdog and guard dog. Moved to urban city life,
he is a very good companion dog. His well groomed coat gives him an atractive and interesting appearance.
FCI-Classification:
Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs)
Section 1 Sheepdogs
Without working trial.
General Apearance and characteristic behavior
The Polish Lowland Sheepdog is a dog of medium size, compact, strong, musculair, with a thick long
coat of lively but tempered disposition, vigilant, agile, intelligent, perceptive and gifted with a good memory.
Resistant to unfavourable climatic conditions.
Height an shoulders
Dog, 45-50 cm. (18-20 in.);
Bitch,42-47 cm. (16½-18 in.)
Proportions
Height 9/ Lenght 10
Type
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.
Head
General appearance:
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.
Ratio skull: muzzle= 1:1, or the muzzle a little shorter.
Skull:
Not excessively broad, slightly rounded. Frontal furrow and occipital protuberance noticeable.
Stop:
Well accentuated.
Nose:
Strong, blunt, with large nostrils, as dark as possible in relation to the colour of the coat.
Muzzle:
Nasal bridge straight; strong jams.
Lips:
Fitting well; their edges are of the same colour as the nose.
Teeth:
Strong, with scissors 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 lenght, strong, muscled, without dewlap, carried rather horizontally.
Body
Outline:
Rather rectangular than square.
Withers:
Well accentuated.
Back:
Flat, well muscled.
Loin:
Broad, well fused.
Rump:
Short, slightly truncated
Thoracic cage:
Deep, of medium width; ribs quite well sprung, neither flat nor barrel-shaped.
Belly:
Outlining an elegant curve towards the hindquarters part.
Tail:
Short by nature, shortened or docked.
In those countries where the law bans docking, a long tail is not considered as a fault.
Forequarters
Seen in profile and from the front:
Vertical and straight. Stance well balanced due to a strong skelton (bone structure).
Shoulders:
Broad, of medium length, oblique, clean cut, very muscular.
Pastern:
Slightly slanting in relation to the forearm.
Feet:
Oval, tight toes, slightly arched, pads really hard. Nails short, as dark as possible.
Hindquarters
Seen from behind:
Vertical, well angulated.
Thighs:
Broad, well muscled.
Hocks:
Well developed.
Feet:
Compact, oval shape.
Movement/Gait:
Easy and ground covering. Walk or trot smoot (without much vertical displacement).
The dog often ambles when he walks slowly.
Skin:
Tight fitting, without any folds.
Coat:
The whole body is 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.
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.
N.B.:
