Polish Lowland Sheepdogs - Any owners here? General Chat

Polish Lowland Sheepdogs.....

Are there any owners of this lovely breed on here?

Really beginning to love this breed. Plenty of energy, intelligent, multi functional, beautiful and generally healthy as far as I'm aware. Also, they appear to have good temperaments which is important as it would come to work with me sometimes and there are lots of dogs about

They are also the perfect size in what I would be looking for, not to small and not too big, very practical.

The heavy coat doesn't bother me at all, more than capable of keeping it well groomed, also work with groomers who will also be more than happy to give it some TLC.

Would like to do to various activities with it such as showing, agility and HTM. Maybe even obedience.

Still doing my research and it won't be for a few years.

But I think they are lovely.

Had to Google it, never heard of them before. What a bonny looking dog

My Mum has one, though Ruby is 8 or 9 years old now, she is still very energetic, you have to devote lots of time for grooming as the coat matts easily, I find her very yappy but that could just be her lol

Had to google too, They look very much like the old english sheepdog, can't tell by the images but are they smaller than OES ?

bonny looking dogs, think it says about 19" so a lot smaller than OES

Thanks Taz

We saw some 20 years ago in a motel down the road from Crufts (where we were staying to watch the show)

My dad asked their owner if she used them to work sheep and she snorted and walked off

I am owned by Esau (rhymes with see-saw, and means 'Hairy'). He's a senior now at 10 years but still active! Average lifespan is 12 years, but some have lived to 16.

I am not a breeder; the following is information I've gleaned from Esau's breeder and from researching the breed, plus my own experiences!

PONs (from the Polish name for the breed, Polski Owzcerek Nizinny) are very closely related to Tibetan Terriers, and also Old English Sheepdogs (which in fact is the newer breed, and were developed from PONs). Size-wise they fit between the two breeds. There is no breed standard for the tail, so the variety is tremendous - a natural bob, a 'terrier' like stub, a curl over the back or a long, sweeping low arc, etc. traditionally it was a docked breed, due to fly-strike affecting working dogs. (Interestingly, dogs were also routinely dipped with the flock, and sheared with them; their hair was mixed with the sheep wool to make garments that were better at deflecting wet weather).

They are highly intelligent but also stubborn and wilful - they will do something they are told, IF they can see it's to their advantage, but if not, then they'll please themselves, thanks very much - and as a consequence they are not 'stars' at shows or agility, because they get bored quickly and decide, actually No, I'm not going round that ring again, I'm going to have a snooze!

They can be very active or proper couch-potatoes, depending in what you get them used to, but need at least an hour of exercise a day as a rough guide. They love toys and games, and being included in whatever you are doing. They don't like being ignored/left at home - NOT a breed for those at work all day. They make good watchdogs but not guard dogs.

They are VERY food driven - in Poland, working dogs are expected to forage for themselves and PONs will eat anything and everything, so this has to be watched! They are not great at meeting dogs of their own sex, another thing to watch.

Their coats are long and double; they don't moult but they do mat! Buy a rolled leather collar to cut down on matting around the neck. You'll also want to invest in a grooming table if you go for this breed, and start teaching the pup to lay flat for grooming as soon as you get it home. A Pin brush is better than a slicker, which can damage the hair, and two combs, one wide-toothed, one fine, ear powder (for plucking) and a pair of blunt nosed scissors (for trimming around delicate areas). A water-spray bottle is also a good idea - you mist each section of coat to prevent the hair breaking before you work on it. I keep Esau in a puppy cut but he still needs his face, ears and paws combing daily and a full groom once a week.

Phew! I knew more than I thought, LOL! Hope it's of help to anyone considering this breed - they are very special, but not, I think, a dog for a newcomer to dog-ownership.

Welcome to Breedia Abi

I look forward to seeing photos of Esau as I have never come across the breed before - the grooming sounds like rather a lot of work, so sooner you than me!

Hello Abi

It was very interesting to read what it's like to live with the breed - I'd heard of them, but knew nothing at all about them. I agree with Meg - they are gorgeous!

Hello and welcome

That was an interesting read as never heard of this breed. Couldnt be doing all that grooming i find dads Yorkshire terriers to much hard work as it is

They're gorgeous. Sound similar to the Portuguese Water Dog. The intelligence, the stubbornness, the grooming. A reasonable handful but such characters...

As requested, a few pics of my wonderful boy, Esau - there's even a rare one of him actually on his bed! (He much prefers the bare tiled floor!). I have got some of him in full coat somewhere - I'll try and find them.

Grooming is OK provided you don't leave things too long. A good professional groomer is worth their weight in gold, but you still need to make sure the dog is as mat-free as possible before you visit. It's like anything else - develop a daily habit and you'll be fine.

Esau is absolutely gorgeous!

I think so, too . .
Though when he's just rolled in 3-week-old-deceased-rabbit, and then EATEN said rabbit, he looses his appeal somewhat!

Hi Meg,
Actually Beardies tend to be a lot more biddable! Beardies, like most herders, want to please their owners, whereas PONs want to please themselves! It can be a surprise if you've been used to other herding breeds like OES, Beardies, collies, etc, to have a dog that learns so fast, only to decide (usually at the crucial moment) that he's done that enough times, thanks, and he'd rather go off and search for rabbits. They may well learn weave-poles faster than any dog you've ever seen . . but then he'll decide, "Look you idiot, it's a whole lot faster if I run PAST the stupid poles, then I get my treat faster!" (And yes, that decision will inevitably happen when you're in the finals at a major competition!
Anyway, as promised - pics of him in full coat!

Oh Abi - Esau is just soo adorable

Thanks Malka! He is my pride and joy! A lot of work, yes, but sooooo worth it!