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| POLISH LOWLAND SHEEPDOG |
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| "Cookie" photo supplied by owner Rob Chung, W.A. |
The PON, as the Polish Lowland Sheepdog is fondly called, is a relatively rare breed throughout the world.
Its name in its native country, Poland, is Polski Owczarek Nizinny and it is believed the ancestors of the breed arrived in the Polish lowlands with the nomads coming from the Caspian Sea area-in the 1200s.
A dog of this type is mentioned in literature as early as the 1500s, when a ship sailed from Gdansk to Scotland with grain to exchange for sheep. Onboard were 6 lowland sheepdogs, 3 of which were traded with a Scottish shepherd for a ram and ewe. The shepherd had admired the dogs for their excellent sheepdog abilities.
At the beginning of the 1900s, there was a decline in sheepfarming and a Polish Princess started collecting some of the best specimens of sheepdogs she could find to breed at her kennels on her estate in eastern Poland.
Unfortunately breeding activities ceased during the Second World War and it took 15 years after the War to get the breed re-established.
In the 1959 the PON was accepted as a new breed and the first PONS were imported to UK in 1985 and today are found throughout the world.
The Polish Lowland Sheepdog is a middle-sized, strong dog. It is a working dog - lively, alert, well adjusted, smart and intelligent and a good companion dog.
The dense coat is perhaps the PON's most notable characteristic. The hair should be harsh, long and thick. The hair failing from the forehead covers the eyes in a characteristic manner, giving it the very typical expression. All colours and colour combinations are accepted, the most common colour is white with various dark or gray patches.
The coat requires thorough grooming to keep it knot free and the PON, as a working breed, needs regular exercise. It does not do well in situations where it is left alone for long periods of time and likes nothing better than to be close to its family. |
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| Petcare Information and Advisory Service Australia |
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| Last Update: 03/04/07 08:44 |
Views: 4712 |
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