All About Dogs by LowchensAustralia.com

The muzzle must have depth and width. It should never be snipey. A broad muzzle is able to accommodate a full compliment of teeth, which the Löwchen should have. The muzzle should be topped off with a subtly large nose. This nose is described in the FCI standard as calling for good length across the top of the nose. It is meant to be broad, like the muzzle. The pigment of the nose and lips should be dark, but this is also dependent on coat. The lighter dogs, especially crèmes, are allowed by the American standard, to sport lighter pigment. But when all things are equal including coat color, the dog with darker pigment is preferred.

The Löwchen bite should be scissors. It is preferred that the dentition be complete, but often there are missing teeth. The number of teeth missing determines how seriously a judge should penalize a dog. A common problem in the breed is undershot bites. Less common is an overshot bite. Another problem is crooked teeth, suggesting the need for braces, were the dog human. The teeth themselves are surprisingly large and strong for such a small breed.

Lastly, concerning the muzzle, the skin should fit snugly on the bone. There should be no dewlaps or loose skin extending under the muzzle to the neck.

One of the most defining traits of the Löwchen is the round eye. Since the appearance of the first known Lowchen in artworks, they have had round eyes. A Löwchen must have round eyes. This cannot be over emphasized. The ideal eye is described as round, large and dark in color. If a judge is faced with two dogs being equal in all regards except shape of eyes, the dog with the round eye must prevail, even if the round-eyed dog has a light eye. A Löwchen with a dark almond shaped eye is not preferred, since the round eye is one of the defining traits of this breed and always has been. A light round eye is preferred over a dark almond shaped eye in every case. On the scale of importance, a round eye precedes the importance of eye pigmentation. This is since the round eye is genetically easily lost. It is vitally important that judges understand the importance of the round eye and select for it. Hopefully, over time, the light eye will disappear, but more important is that the round eye does not disappear.

Along with the round dark eye, every standard now being used calls for the large eye. This is certainly a desirable trait. But when looking for the large eye, do not select for a dog with a pop eyed appearance since this ruins the elegant smart look the Löwchen possesses. The pop eye is a result of our modern preferences; putting more emphasize on large eyes. Of late, there are some that feel the Löwchen eye must protrude slightly. This is absolutely not so. Historically, a protruding eye has always been considered a fault.

The eye must be rimmed by unbroken pigment according to the American standard. This pigment should extend around the entire eye. While calling for full pigmentation, the Löwchen does not have to possess the halo around the eye, as the Bichon does.

The ears should be set slightly above the level of the eye. Placed incorrectly the entire expression can be changed. Sometimes, coat will cover incorrect placement of ear. If this fault is not too intruding on the overall appearance, consider it to be one of the lesser faults. If incorrectly set, the degree of pronouncement determines the degree of fault. All Löwchen breed standards call for a pendant ear. The ear should hang close to the head and be well fringed.

A Löwchen that has all the right qualities that define a great head should, lastly, possess a wonderful coat of hair on the head. This coat will soften all the angles and give the dog its pleasing appearance. When describing the head, this is often ignored since it is so obvious. There are varying degrees of coat. Some Löwchen have unwieldy amounts and others are less blessed. One thing all show specimens must have is enough coat to create the look of a mane about the head and neck.

There are some Löwchen that possess what is termed an open-face. This is obvious even when the dog is a puppy. Its muzzle will have a shorter coat of hair, which gradually blends into the longer coat about the ear and topknot. But as this dog matures, the hair continues to grow and eventually achieves some length on the muzzle. The thin coat on the face will never be as rich as a full coated sibling, and allows the eyes to seen unobstructed. The appearance is of a dog that is trimmed to open up the face. The open-faced Löwchen are somewhat rare, especially now with the greater emphasis on coat. This is not to be penalized. An open-faced dog still possesses the required mane about the head and neck; it is only sparse in the face.

Lastly, the judge must determine if the entire head is proportionate to the body. Sometimes a head will be too small or large to properly match the body it is set on. This is usually a subtle fault, but important to catch. To sum it all up, the Löwchen has several traits that define it as a breed, in regards to the head. It should possess a wide backskull, shorter muzzle than length of backskull or may possess equal planes, large round eyes, large nose, and a mane of hair crowning all these unique traits.