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The Polish Lowland Sheepdog is, beneath the thick shaggy coat, a medium sized dog with a cobby, muscular build and a rectangular outline. The coat is harsh in texture with a slight wave and has a soft, insulating undercoat. With their drop ears and hair falling over the eyes, they have a soft and appealing expression.
The Polish Lowland Sheepdog breed can suffer from:
- Hip dysplasia
- Retinal pigment epithelial dystrophy which is where deposits form in the eye and this can result in damage to the eye and blindness in dim light.
- Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis¹ which is a disease affecting the nervous system.
Priority Kennel Club health schemes and testing:
- Hip dysplasia screening scheme
¹M. L. Katz, 'A missense mutation in canine CLN6 in an Australian shepherd with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis', 2010, Journal of Biomedicine
Quick to learn and sparking with intelligence, the Polish Lowland Sheepdog is a natural herder and watchdog. They enjoy training and working with their owner so long as a strong, healthy relationship of trust and reinforcement is built.
Affectionate and friendly to family, they can be aloof and reserved with strangers and care must be taken to socialise and habituate the PLS from early puppyhood.
Enjoying the company of their family, the PLS is not inclined to spend time alone or without a task to do and this is a breed to keep busy otherwise they go self-employed or get themselves into trouble!
| Family-friendly: | 5/5 |
| Exercise needs: | 5/5 |
| Easy to train: | 4/5 |
| Tolerates being alone: | 4/5 |
| Likes other pets: | 3/5 |
| Energy level: | 4/5 |
| Grooming needs: | 3/5 |
| Shedding: | 3/5 |
The Polish Lowland Sheepdog’s origins can be traced back to at least 1514, when a Polish sheep trader was persuaded to leave three examples of the breed behind in Scotland in exchange for extra sheep.
In their native Poland, the Polish Lowland Sheepdog or Polski Owczarek Nizinny, is used as a herding and flock guarding watchdog. Likely originating from the pastoral types that moved with the nomadic people of Tibet/Mongolia, the Polish Lowland Sheepdog shares some features with other dogs, particularly the Tibetan Terrier (not in fact a terrier but another small, long coated, agile, pastoral breed). Once in Scotland it is thought that the Polish Lowland Sheepdog was crossed with native herding dogs, and contributed to the development of the Bearded Collie.
The Second World War left the breed virtually extinct and it took a vet, Dr Danuta Hryniewicz, to re-establish the breed from the few remaining examples - and now every Polish Lowland in existence can trace their ancestry back to her dog Smok, the founder of the post-war PLS.
PLS owners will actively enjoy grooming, as this breed’s crowning glory is their full, long coat. Beneath that coat however there is a robust, active dog with an agile mind (who can often out-think their owners), and you’ll need some experience in training clever and independent pastoral breeds. Owners will need the time to dedicate to training and in particular, socialising this breed to be steady around other animals and livestock. This is a breed who has elevated begging for food to an art form. Well suited to rural life, this is a great dog for the active family, child free or with older children, who enjoy training and grooming.
Two hours of physical exercise per day, with additional games, training and puzzle solving on top. The Polish Lowland Sheepdog is not a dog for the couch-potato! With their weatherproof coat, harsh conditions will not deter them from their daily walks, although they will want to avoid the heat of the day during summer months. Extra time after walks should be allowed to account for drying and grooming out any debris from their long coat.
Although the Polish Lowland Sheepdog does not require a vast home, space to groom them is necessary, and it is helpful if you have a grooming table, dryer and room to bath them. A large secure garden will be appreciated, and access to a variety of interesting walking routes, with secure spaces to run off lead is important. Better suited to quiet suburbs or rural living, the PLS may find the busy city environment somewhat overwhelming.
Your dog's diet needs to have the right balance of all the main nutrient groups including a constant supply of fresh water. It's important to conduct regular body condition scores to ensure you keep your dog in ideal shape and remember to feed them at least twice daily and in accordance with the feeding guidelines of their particular food.
This dog has a high-maintenance coat that requires daily attention. The Polish Lowland Sheepdog's hair is not only long but also thick, and regular brushing is needed to ensure the harsh top coat and thick, soft undercoat do not mat.
Check ears, eyes and paw-pads daily as these areas can easily collect foreign bodies and detritus. A full groom and bath are likely to take three or four hours for a dog in full coat, and if you intend to keep them in a full coat, this will need to be done regularly from puppyhood.
Even if you intend to clip your dog out or trim them, you’ll need to be able to maintain a groom between visits to a professional groomer, or learn to do this yourself at home.
Using positive reinforcement and sensitive handling, the Polish Lowland Sheepdog can be great fun to train and work with. Keep in mind their desire to herd and alert to suspicious movement or activity, so early socialisation around livestock, other pets and people is vital.
Training a solid and reliable recall is vital, this is a dog who requires a lot of exercise, much of it off lead if at all possible. Like many clever breeds, the Polish Lowland will learn the things you don’t want them to as quickly as the things you would rather they learned - in fact many end up training their owner!
The Polish Lowland Sheepdog will enjoy a variety of doggy sports and activities, particularly agility, heelwork to music, scent-work and more, but most importantly, they’ll want to be involved in whatever it is you are doing!
The Polish Lowland Sheepdog can make a great family companion for the family who enjoy training dogs and lots of long walks. Better suited to homes with older children or teens as the breed does retain the desire to herd and gather groups – small children often find being herded and driven rather upsetting. Due to the amount of training and exercise required, plus the grooming requirements, families with lots of children or very young children may find the time commitments too demanding.
While many dogs are traditionally thought of as being good with children, all dogs and children need to be taught to get on with and respect each other, and be safe together. Even so, dogs and young children should never be left alone together and adults should supervise all interactions between them.
