The name Lowchen means Little Lion Dog or Le Petit Chien Lion in French. It has origins connected to the Bichon family, including the Bichon Frise and Havenese and several others. Many countries have claimed to be the native land of the breed, including France, Germany, and Russia. However, the specific origin of this breed is unclear. A dog with similar characteristics to the Lowchen is seen in pieces of German art from the sixteenth century. The unique coat of this breed is customarily clipped short from the last rib the hock joint. The front legs are clipped from the elbow with the feet being clipped as well. The tail is clipped approximately halfway and any long hairs are to remain shapeless. By the 1960s, the Lowchen had almost vanished with very small numbers of the breed in existence. Two breeders helped to save the breed by bringing a few varieties of dogs over to Britain from Germany. Due to the limited number of each breed that was available during this time, the dogs that were brought over were crossbred quite a bit and formed the foundation for the Lowchen in Britain and also in America. In 1996, the breed was accepted into the AKC Miscellaneous class and eventually became entered into the Non-Sporting Group in 1999. |