Quick Facts
Origin: Germany, France
Height: 12”-14”
Weight: 10-18 lbs
Color: Black, Black &silver, Black & tan, Blue, Blue brindle, Chocolate, Cream, Fawn, Gold, Red, Red brindle, Silver, White, Black brindle, Silver brindle, Gold brindle, Gold sable with possible markings of white markings, Tan points, Cream markings, Parti-color, Silver marking, Irish pied, Silver points, Parti belton
Lifespan: 13-15 years
Temperament: Fearless, loyal, determined, active
Overview
Löwchen’s German name translates into “Little lion”. Bred for centuries as a companion dog with lots of love to give. A born optimist, these tiny pups will stand up to even the largest dog living up to their little lion name. They love family, other animals and strangers alike. Happy to go on walks, play with toys, or snuggle up with you!
Thanks to their wild “lion trim”, the grooming style for show pups, we can trace the Löwchen back to the 1400s in artwork. As with many breeds that were favored among nobility centuries of European conflict almost cause their extinction many times over. These puppies are thus incredible rare in the US.
Celebrity Owners
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Fun Facts
- There is a legend about a Löwchen named Bijou. He lived in the late 1700s, and when his owner went out on a hunt, Bijou jumped out a window some 60 feet above a river to get to him rather than be left behind. How the jump towards the hunt ended is unknown. Bijou has been immortalized in a painting which still hangs in the baroness’s bedroom in Weilburg Castle.
Health
Löwchen are typically healthy pups. Some concerns may include:
- Patellar luxation: Luxating simply means out of place or dislocated. Patella is a kneecap. A Luxating patella is a kneecap that chronically moves out of its normal position.
- Diabetes: This condition revolves around glucose levels (sugar) in the blood. Constant monitoring and intervention could be required.
- Progressive retinal atrophy: Atrophy is a wearing or wasting away of a body part. In this case, it is the retina in the eye, which eventually leads to blindness.
- Cataracts: A dog develops a cataract when the lens in its eye clouds. The clouding is caused by changes in the water balance or proteins in the lens.
- Hip dysplasia: This condition is when the socket joint in the hip isn’t large enough, or more often too shallow, for the femoral head.
- Patent ductus arteriosus: This heart defect is an opening in the two blood vessels leading from the heart.
While you always hope your pet will live a long and healthy life, it is always a good idea to invest in pet health insurance.
Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.
Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.
Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.
Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:
- Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
- Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
- Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
- Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
- At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.
Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.
Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.
Grooming
Your Löwchen will either rock a lion clip (their traditional show look) or a puppy cut (short and a consistent length all over). With either cut you will need to trim your pup’s hair regularly. Brush your pup’s hair at least once a week to prevent the hair from tangles or matts.
Bathe your pup once a month. Keep their eyes and ears clean and clear of debris. Clip your pup’s nails regularly and brush their teeth several times per week.
Exercise
Löwchens need a moderate amount of exercise. Likely 30 minutes per day will suffice. You pup will be happy with long walks or jaunts around the fenced yard.
Your pup will be especially if you are involved in the activity. These pups need mental stimulation as well. Consider getting your pup some puzzle toys.
Nutrition
Your Löwchen will eat around 1 cup of food per day.
The exact requirements for your dog will vary with age and activity level. Be mindful that little dogs that receive lots of treats and or table scraps end up overweight. A little dog that is overweight is significantly more likely to develop other health issues.
We’ve taken a look at some premium dog foods, high in nutrition here.
Training
As with all dogs, it is essential to socialize your pup with humans and other dogs at a young age. This breed tends to bark, so be sure to dissuade this quirk early. Löwchens are eager to please and will take to training and tricks with fervor.
Just like other small breeds, positive reinforcement will make you pup thrive while harsh methods will only make him shut down.
Proper training is essential to ensuring the safety of your dog and those around you. Having your dog come when they should, and in general having them listen is something you want to address early in your pup’s life, as it will pay dividends down the line. There are many tried and true training programs to accomplish this training – faster and better than you might think!
Unless you’re living on a farm, or have the space, a yipping dog, or one that barks all day when you are gone could be an issue with the neighbors and/or landlord. Historically, dogs would bark to communicate with the rest of the pack when hunting and bark as a warning shot to predators eyeing up their flock. Barking is deep rooted in dogs and manifests itself in many ways and for a variety of reasons.
Just like any habit or instinct, there are effective ways you can train this issue away.
Supplements
A solid Glucosamine Supplement for hips and joints will go a long way to helping your furry friend.
Other helpful supplements include full-spectrum hemp oil or CBD oil. Fish oil skin and coat supplement.
Ensuring a comprehensive preventative vitamin and mineral plan is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Truth is, there are vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, but doesn’t produce naturally. While many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in your dog’s current diet and dog food, the question becomes, are there enough vitamins to ensure they aren’t deficient.
Poor nutrition can lead to some of the most common health issues, such as weak joints, compromised immunity, increased allergies, and low energy.
Vitamins play a vital role in your pet’s health and overall life expectancy. Here are some multivitamin and joint relief options.
As regulations around marijuana have eased, the emergence of CBD oils for humans and dogs have sprung up.
Just to begin to dispel the negative stigma, CBD extract comes from Hemp, marijuana’s cousin. Unlike its cousin, there are no psychoactive qualities in CBD oil. An emerging number of clinical and institutional studies have shown the wide variety of healing qualities in CBD, including pain management, and the containment of seizures and epileptic episodes.
Explore this remedy further to see all the health benefits that have transformed the lives of so many dogs to date.
The Good
Low shedding
Great watchdogs
The "Ruff"
Prone to separation anxiety
Can attempt to challenge bigger dogs
Tendency to bark