Löwchen puppies

About the Löwchen

The Löwchen, the little lion dog, has turned up in European paintings and tapestries for centuries and is still shown in the traditional lion trim, clipped close over the hindquarters with the mane left long at the front. It weighs around 6.8 kg and stands 30 to 36 cm, in a long wavy coat. It is a companion breed with more backbone than most: bold, playful, quick to learn, and rated at the top of the scale for living with children.

A good brushing every few days and a bath every couple of weeks keeps it in order, with a visit to the groomer every month or two for the trim. It sheds little. Exercise is a fenced garden, long walks and games, and it does well at obedience and agility, though it is not built for distance running. Supervision and socialisation still apply with children. The mistake is brushing over the top of a long coat and letting mats form against the skin where they cannot be seen.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Löwchen puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A small breed puppy at eight weeks is light enough to carry everywhere, which is exactly how you get it socialised before the vaccination course finishes. It will still need four meals a day. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Hip dysplasia, screened by x-ray evaluation of breeding stock
• Patellar luxation, detected on orthopaedic examination
• Cataracts, found at an ophthalmologist eye examination
• Progressive retinal atrophy, found by eye examination and detectable by DNA test

From Löwchen breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/lowchen/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Löwchen puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Small for a Löwchen.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 6.8 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other small breeds

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