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MediumHerding Group

Polish Lowland Sheepdog

The Polish Lowland Sheepdog is a shaggy-coated herding breed from the Polish lowlands, documented since the Middle Ages.

Calculate Polish Lowland Sheepdog age
Lifespan13.2 yrrange 12–15
SizeMediumHerding Group
Weight30–50 lb13.6–22.7 kg
Senior at7 yrgeriatric at 11

Gallery (3)

About

About the Polish Lowland Sheepdog

The Polish Lowland Sheepdog is a shaggy-coated herding breed from the Polish lowlands, documented since the Middle Ages. The breed nearly disappeared during World War II before being rebuilt from a handful of surviving dogs.

Aging

How Polish Lowland Sheepdogs age

RVC VetCompass gives a median lifespan of 13.2 years (n=107). Progressive retinal atrophy at 16.3% on OFA screens is the standout finding — notably elevated for the breed — alongside moderate cataract rates at 7.2%.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 13.2 yr · range 12–15Senior careSenior at 7 · geriatric at 11Common health issues3 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
30–50 lb(13.6–22.7 kg)
Height
17–20 in(43.2–50.8 cm)
Coat type
Long
Colors
BeigeBlackBlack & WhiteBrownChocolate & WhiteGrayGray & WhiteTri-ColoredWhiteBeige & BrownBeige & WhiteBlack & Beige
Temperament

Temperament

How Polish Lowland Sheepdogs tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

cleverconfidentlivelyaffectionate
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~6 yr

    Progressive Retinal Atrophy

    Description and veterinary guidance for Progressive Retinal Atrophy land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Polish Lowland Sheepdogs are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.