Lowchen

The Lowchen, known as the "Little Lion Dog," is a rare European breed with history dating back to Renaissance times, appearing in artwork from the 1500s. Despite the name, they have no actual lion heritage—they're named for their traditional lion clip. Standing 12-14 inches tall and weighing 10-18 pounds, Lowchens are small, sturdy dogs with compact, well-proportioned builds.

Their most distinctive feature is their traditional grooming style: rear body, tail, and portions of legs clipped short while the front body, head, and tail tip retain full, flowing coat creating lion-like appearance. Lowchens have long, moderately wavy or straight coats coming in various colors and combinations. They have short, broad muzzles, large, round, dark eyes conveying intelligence and alertness, and pendant ears covered with long fringes.

These companion dogs have level backs and high-set tails carried in curves over backs. Lowchens are sturdy despite small size, neither fragile nor coarse. Their coats require regular grooming whether maintained in traditional lion clip or natural style.

The breed nearly became extinct in the early 1900s, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as world's rarest breed in the 1970s.