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Löwchen

The breeds · companion

AKC Non-Sporting · UKC Companion · FCI standard 233

Löwchen.

FCI 233 utilization: companion dog (Group 9, Section 1.3 Bichons and related breeds), without working trial. AKC standard and UKC: companion breed from pre-Renaissance Europe, where ladies of the court groomed it in the likeness of a little lion. FCI history: carved in Amiens Cathedral (13th century), shown in tapestries in the 15th century, cherished by the ladies of the Burgundy court and especially popular in the 17th century. RKC: the 'Little Lion Dog' name comes from the traditional clip; one theory is that the shaved rear end kept its owners warm in bed. Wikipedia: once counted among the rarest breeds, with 65 registered in 1973; fully recognised in the AKC Non-Sporting group in 1999..

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

13.9YRMedian lifespan13.3 to 15.7, measured on real dogs.
0INHeightall null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
13–15LBWeight, all linesbreed 13 to 15 lb.
1HRSExercise, every dayRKC: up to 1 hour per day; suits a flat or apartment; small to medium garden; town or country.. The constraint most homes get wrong.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

9.8 to 14 in

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2021

The registries differ: AKC ideal 11 to 13, UKC 10 to 12, FCI 26 to 32 cm. The AKC page band (12 to 14) is higher than its own standard. low/high span every figure; ideals are printed as ranges, so center is blank.

Weight

13 to 15 lb

Breed clubAKC

Each source prints a single 'approximately' figure; they differ, so center is blank and low/high span 13 to 15 lb.

Coat

AKC: unclipped areas long, rather dense and moderately soft, a mix of hair diameters, denser around the neck and withers, slightly to moderately wavy; wiry, woolly, curly and flat coats are incorrect. UKC and FCI 233: silky, long, dense and wavy, without undercoat. All colours and combinations acceptable (AKC, FCI); Wikipedia lists sable, silver, cream, white, parti, Irish pied, chocolate, red/gold and brindle, and notes colours can change with age.

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2021

Registries agree on coat and colour.

Shedding

RKC breed page lists 'Sheds: Yes'. AKC page shedding level 2 of 5 (AKC band). Wikipedia states the Löwchen does not shed and is considered hypoallergenic, adding that no dog is completely hypoallergenic.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

Sources disagree and both stand: RKC says it sheds, Wikipedia says it does not. The Wikipedia claim has no registry backing here and no allergen study was read.

Heat tolerance

3 of 5 · AKC standard: long, rather dense, moderately soft coat; the Lion Clip leaves the hindquarters, loins and feet clipped to about 1/8 in. UKC and FCI 233: silky, long, dense, wavy, without undercoat. Wikipedia: dogs in the lion clip may need protection in winter on the shaved parts. Not a flat-faced breed.

DerivedAKC breed standard, 2021

Derived from the standard's coat (long single coat without undercoat, usually shown clipped behind = 3). No measured data.

How long they live, and what they cost

Measured on real dogs, with the sample and the spread. Never a guess.

Median lifespan

13.9 years (13.3 to 15.7)

MeasuredMcMillan KM, 2024

McMillan et al. 2024 / Dogs Trust table. Small sample (50 deaths), so the interval is wide. UK population. The Wikipedia 14 to 18 year range is an unsourced general statement, not a median, and is shown in the text only. The breed is not in Teng et al. 2022. The AKC page 13 to 15 year band is not used here.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

RKC: up to 1 hour per day; suits a flat or apartment; small to medium garden; town or country.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC is a UK registry band, not a study; mapped by the library rule (up to 1 hour = 60).

Exercise need

RKC: up to 1 hour per day. AKC page energy level 3 of 5, mental stimulation needs 3 of 5, playfulness 4 of 5, trainability 4 of 5, barking level 3 of 5, watchdog nature 4 of 5, openness to strangers 3 of 5 (AKC bands). AKC standard and UKC: alert, intelligent and affectionate, lively, outgoing and inquisitive. FCI 233: affectionate and obedient, attentive, able to be calm and discreet on command. Wikipedia: active, playful and very intelligent; can be vocal in excitement or demands; needs human attention and is not happy left alone for long periods.

Breed clubAKC

AKC bands are not mapped to minutes; RKC supplies the minutes figure.

Energy

3 of 5

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Grooming load

3 of 5 · RKC: grooming more than once a week; medium coat length. AKC page: coat grooming frequency 2 of 5 (AKC band). AKC standard: must be shown in the traditional Lion Clip (hindquarters, loins and feet clipped to about 1/8 in, cuffs left on the legs, plume left on the tail, the rest of the coat long and untrimmed); any other cut, trim or pattern is a disqualification. UKC: customarily shown in the Lion Trim. Wikipedia: the multi-textured coat is described as easy to maintain.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band mapped by the library rule (more than once a week = 3). The Lion Clip is the show presentation; a pet owner may clip otherwise, but no source read says how often.

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

FCI 233 utilization: companion dog (Group 9, Section 1.3 Bichons and related breeds), without working trial. AKC standard and UKC: companion breed from pre-Renaissance Europe, where ladies of the court groomed it in the likeness of a little lion. FCI history: carved in Amiens Cathedral (13th century), shown in tapestries in the 15th century, cherished by the ladies of the Burgundy court and especially popular in the 17th century. RKC: the 'Little Lion Dog' name comes from the traditional clip; one theory is that the shaved rear end kept its owners warm in bed. Wikipedia: once counted among the rarest breeds, with 65 registered in 1973; fully recognised in the AKC Non-Sporting group in 1999.

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 233, 2004

Companion breed throughout; the warmth theory is the RKC's own wording of a theory.

Field trial standard

FCI 233: Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs, 'without working trial'.

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 233, 2004

No working test applies.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Hip dysplasia

6.8% · 370 OFA hip evaluations, current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026; 6.8% dysplastic (mild 5.7, moderate 1.1, severe 0.0), 91.9% normal. OFA rank 163.

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

OFA's own breed statistics. OFA-evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock (owners and breeders submit films, and poor results are less likely to be submitted), so this is not the rate across all dogs of the breed; the true population rate is not known.

Elbow dysplasia

0% · 105 OFA elbow evaluations, current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026; 0.0% abnormal (grade 1 0.0, grade 2 0.0, grade 3 0.0), 99.0% normal. OFA rank 164.

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

OFA's own breed statistics. OFA-evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock (owners and breeders submit films, and poor results are less likely to be submitted), so this is not the rate across all dogs of the breed; the true population rate is not known.

More

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 3; Mental Stimulation Needs 3; Trainability Level 4; Barking Level 3; Watchdog/Protective Nature 4; Good With Young Children 5; Openness To Strangers 3; Good With Other Dogs 3; Shedding Level 2; Coat Grooming Frequency 2; Drooling Level 1; Affectionate With Family 5; Playfulness Level 4; Adaptability Level 4.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 6 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called
Löwchen, Little Lion Dog, Petit Chien Lion

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