THE LÖWCHEN
(Little Lion Dog)
A dip into history
From the evidence of pictures and sculpture people have kept small companion dogs in the lion trim for many centuries in the Mediter-ranean and the rest of Europe. From a breeding colony in Lyon in the south of France, the Little Lion Dog as a breed was recognised by the FCI as of French origin and given the name of Le Petit Chien Lion Bichon (The Little Lion Dog Lap Dog). Any colour was permissible, self or particoloured. The most sought-after colours were black, white or lemon. The height was given as 25 - 35 cm. They were not very numerous but were bred, registered and shown
Due to their importation into England from Germany, in the English speaking world the breed is now called the Lowchen: said without any stress on either syllable. With a mispronunciation of the word splitting it into two syllables 'Low Chen' the breed is sometimes taken to come from the Far East, but this is not true. The origin of the lion-clip is not known, but those clipped certainly stay cleaner that way and when snuggled up close act as very good 'hot water bottles'. The ladies would not have appreciated dirty wet fur on their long skirts and room furnishings. The lion as the king of beasts has status so perhaps the lion dog did too.
At the beginning of the century Mr.de Coninick of Dieghem suc-cessfully bred and showed lion dogs for a while and then moved away and was not heard of again. One he bred was a delightful little white bitch which was sold to the later rescuer of the breed Mme Bennert of Brussels but she unfortunately was stolen.
They were rare before the 1939 war, which was disastrous for all dogs in the occupied countries, and the breed had become virtually extinct afterwards. Mme Bennert decided to devote herself to re-viving the breed. She wrote that she finally found two typical bitches, a blue from Lille and a biscuit coloured one from the Dieghem area and finally a blue male that she called Ulan and from these started her breeding programme
These three Lowchen with one other bitch were her foundation stock and were registered by single name with further details unknown. The three bitches were called Sirginia. X'Marquise and Fgitane. Until registered breeding could be established a Kennel name could not be used so the early generations were also designated by a single name and as such appear in early British pedigrees. Mme Bennert's first litter was born on the 13th of April 1948. The only one from her breeding registered with her Kennel name and concerned with British pedigrees was Int.Ch.Quartz de la Souveraine and he was born on 5.5.1967. She took the name of her street for her Kennel name.
From her stock two other breeders were established, Mme de Meuleniere, Chateau de Goudenhaven, near Gent and Dr.Rickert in Germany from whom came all the Lowchen imported into Britain. The following is a list differentiating with colons the generations of those of Mme Bennert's breeding who are behind all British pedigrees. Ulan, Sirginia, X'Marquise & Fgitane : Karina, Hardi, Domino & Judith : Ch.Blaguer, Ch.Berta, Imre & Xandre : Marouf & Miette : Olaf & Odile : Int.Ch.Quartz De La Souveraine. This is not a complete list of her breeding and it seems probable that Mme Bennert did not register all that she bred, choosing puppies of a type to stabilize the breed
Mme Bennert allowed Dr Rikert to have Hardi (born 1.8.58) by Ch Blaguer ex Fgitane and a full sister Judith (bom 27.9.60) and also Lizzie who is not mentioned in any of our breeding records. Dr Rik-erf's Kennel Name "Von Der 3 Lowen means 'from 3 lions'. Dr Rikert continued his association with Mme Bennert and established his breeding programme and later added Int.Ch.Quartz De La Sou-veraine to his kennel. Mme Bennert died in 1972 at the age of 96. Aline vd3 Lowen was born in Dr.Rikert's first litter when he mated Hardi and Judith. For his second litter he mated Judith to Mme Bennert's Domino and on; 18.12.62 four puppies were born. Three bitches who all went to different breeders to start new kennels, and Ch.Benjamin vd3 Lowen. Bienchen vd3 Lowen was Frau Irmgard Ostertag'sfoundation bitch, and when mated to Benjamin produced Adam von Livland.
With Bangbux vd3 Lowen Frau Marga Schuh started her von der Goldquelle Kennel. At four Butzi vd3 Lowen with her son Itzi, sired by Adam v Livland were imported into the UK by Mrs Eilish Banks in 1968 to found the Cluneen Lowchen Frau Imregard Jansen's Bungener Heide Kennel was also started by vd3 Lowen stock and she bred her first litter in 1971. Pino and Polli vd3 Lowen were the parents of Mrs Priscilla Dutson's 1973 imports. Earl & Esmaralda vd Bungener Heide
It was Mrs Eillidh Stenning who first imported the present day Lowchen into Britain. At the time she was already showing and breeding dogs, particularly Cavalier King Charles Spaniels so when she visited Germany in the 1960's she went to a dog show. There she saw some 'grand little dogs' which she decided to bring home to Britain and es-tablish here. She imported the first two in 1968 having to wait for some time to obtain a pair that were as un-related as possible as it was still very early in the German breeding programme, Mrs Stenning wrote that she had intended to import another pair but when they were old enough to travel there was an import ban due to the appearance of a rabid dog at Camberley and the opportunity was lost. Mrs Banks was able to go ahead as her next batch of imports were quarantined in Ireland before they entered the UK
In 1969 The Guiness Book of Records classified the Lowchen as the rarest breed of dog in the world, at which time there were 40 dogs said to exist. 20 of them in Germany
Because of the small numbers involved it was quite a while anywhere before the matings could be otherwise than very close. In light of this the diversity of shape, heads and eyes, general proportions and coat type that has ensued is surprising.
There were fourteen imports to start the British Lowchen. The K.C. have no record of progeny registered to Cluneen Ocky vd3 Lowen or Winsomore Neck v.d.Lowen and although Doddo vd3 Lowen had a dog and bitch puppy registered neither was bred from.