Pastoral group · Poland
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Also called PON, Polski Owczarek Nizinny, Valee Sheepdog.
What makes them remarkable
This shaggy Polish herder had to be rebuilt after the Second World War nearly wiped it out.
- Confident
- Clever
- Perceptive
- Self-assured
- Lively
- Size
- Medium
- Weight
- 14 to 23 kg30 to 50 lb
- Lives
- 12 to 14 years
- Energy
- Moderate
- Trains
- Moderate
- Barks
- Moderate
Training
Training a Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Pastoral breeds. Give the brain a job or it will find one. Chasing, nipping and fixating are the breed doing its work.
Strong Memory
Start here
Excellent memory means bad habits stick, establish good behaviours from the start.
Coat Commitment
Shaggy coat mats easily, daily grooming is essential to prevent painful tangles.
Stubborn Streak
Independent thinker that can be willful, requires patient, consistent training.
The app turns this into five to fifteen minutes a day.
Add your Polish Lowland Sheepdog and it builds the plan around their age, where they came from and what they already know, one step at a time.
Free to start. iPhone. No card needed.
At home
Living with one
Bred to herd and guard livestock. Watchful, responsive, and wired to control movement.
Gets on with
- ChildrenHigh
- Other dogsModerate
- StrangersModerate
- CatsModerate
Breed averages. Early socialisation and the individual dog matter more.
- Exercise
- 1-1.5 hours daily. Moderate exercise with mental challenges.
- Grooming
- High maintenance. Daily brushing essential to prevent matting.
- Drool
- Low
- Coat
- Long, Shaggy, Double coat, DenseWhite, Grey, Brown, Black, Often Parti-colour
- In a flat
- Can work, with enough exercise outside it.
Health
Things to ask a breeder or vet about
Hip Dysplasia
Moderate
Joint condition common in herding breeds
Progressive Retinal Atrophy
Moderate
Inherited eye disease causing blindness
Where they come from
History
Medieval breed used for herding and guarding in the Polish lowlands. Nearly extinct after WWII but revived through dedicated breeding programmes. Ancestor of the Bearded Collie.
Similar breeds
All breeds
Pumi
This Hungarian herder worked with cattle and pigs as well as sheep.
Medium · Pastoral
Bearded Collie
A post-war revival helped save this shaggy Scottish cattle and sheep herder from disappearing.
Medium · Pastoral
Finnish Lapphund
The Sami people developed this northern dog to work with reindeer.
Medium · Pastoral
German Shepherd
Before police work and film fame, this breed was created with a different goal: the ideal herding dog.
Large · Pastoral