Polish Lowland Sheepdog. Betty Augustowski

you try to correct PONs verbally, they look up at you and smile like chimpanzees. When that happens, I rarely remember the reason why I am correcting them! I never get tired of that winning PON smile.

       HEART-HEALTHY

      In this modern age of ever-improving cardio-care, no doctor or scientist can dispute the advantages of owning a dog to lower a person’s risk of heart disease. Studies have proven that petting a dog, walking a dog and grooming a dog all show positive results toward lowering your blood pressure. The simple routine of exercising your dog—going outside with the dog and walking, jogging or playing catch—is heart-healthy in and of itself. If you are normally less active than your physician thinks you should be, adopting a dog may be a smart option to improve your own quality of life as well as that of another creature.

       The author with the first World Champion bred in America, Elzbieta’s White Zinfandel.

       INSTINCTIVE INTELLIGENCE

      In 1983 we whelped a litter of five beautiful PON puppies. When they were nine weeks old, Dr. Hryniewicz shipped us two four-month-old pups. One was apricot in color and the other was jet black. All seven of the puppies played, ate and slept together. One day, the temperature soared to 102° F (38-9° C) with 97% humidity. We tried to keep the pups in our air-conditioned home, but they wanted to go outdoors so badly that they just would not cease their crying and barking. We put a large roasting pan of ice cold water under a shaded grape arbor. All of the pups were then carried out to play in the shady area. About 15 minutes later, I heard a sound coming from the puppies like nothing I had ever heard before. I looked out the kitchen window and saw that they were still under the grape arbor, but the nine-week-old pups were in a circle surrounding something. They held their little heads up as wolves would do, but their howl was blood-curdling. I immediately ran out and was shocked to see the new black PON in the middle of this circle. His tongue was hanging out and his eyes were rolled back in his head. We picked him up and put him in cold water, then rushed to the vet. He had had severe heatstroke. The vet told us that if we had been a few minutes later in immersing him in ice water, he would have died. I realized that my nine-week-old puppies had saved the life of Awans, our new black PON. Some may say that it was just natural instinct on their part, but I found it to be the most intelligent thing I had ever witnessed from a canine.

       Strizzi’s Stella with Nicolette. PONs make absolutely the most charming of family pets and can tolerate and enjoy rather zealous hugs from their favorite children.

      Another example of this breed’s instinctive intelligence and protective nature occurred one morning when our two PONs, Belle and Mutsey, were helping my husband feed the ducks and geese. They were convinced that he could never manage on his own, and at exactly 8 AM would torment him until he got up and went outdoors. Belle would run ahead to show him where the feed was kept, then she would run to the large chain-link fence that separated the pond from the rest of the property. She would bark until all the ducks and geese assembled for their breakfast. Mutsey was quiet and stood by like a supervisor of this very important daily ritual. One angry goose slipped his head through the large open link and grabbed Belle by the nose, refusing to let go. Belle literally screamed, as the bite of a goose is quite painful. Mutsey, the supervisor, walked over and grabbed the goose by the neck. The goose let go of Belle, Mutsey let go of the goose and all was back to normal.

       MARVELOUS MEMORY

      A farmer living in the Polish countryside had a cow, ducks, geese, a small flock of sheep and, of course, a garden. He was living alone, and with all of this work, he had no time to be a shepherd. He had heard that the PON had a wonderful memory and was a self-herder, so he acquired one. He took the dog and sheep to the pasture, and it only took a few days before the dog would awaken early in the morning and, by himself, take the sheep to the pasture. The farmer was quite happy and was even more surprised when he saw the dog bring the sheep back at the exact time. If the weather turned really bad, the PON would bring them in earlier. The dog even knew when one was missing and would go back to retrieve it. Now this was one happy farmer; however, he had one problem with his dog’s marvelous memory—he could never change pastures!

       DELTA SOCIETY

      The human-animal bond propels the work of the Delta Society, striving to improve the lives of people and animals. The Pet Partners Program proves that the lives of people and dogs are inextricably linked. The Pet Partners Program, a national registry, trains and screens volunteers for pet therapy in hospices, nursing homes, schools and rehabilitation centers. Dog-and-handler teams of Pet Partners volunteer in all 50 states, with nearly 7,000 teams making visits annually. About 900,000 patients, residents and students receive assistance each year. If you and your dog are interested in becoming Pet Partners, contact the Delta Society online at www.deltasociety.org.

       INCREDIBLE STORIES

      There are so many true stories about the Polish Lowland Sheepdog that are so unbelievable that you can see why Christopher Kluk wrote that they were such clever dogs, having “almost human intelligence.” A female PON even saved a small child from being attacked by a black bear. She managed to attract the bear’s attention by antagonizing him so he would chase her instead of the child. The owners of that PON were so happy that they even left the child in her care, knowing that the dog was a wonderful babysitter. PONs do treat small children as they would a lambkin in their charge. One mother kept correcting her infant for trying to crawl up the stairs. The dog got the idea very quickly and would grab the baby’s diaper to keep him from climbing the stairs!

       Dorianblue Teardrop is a much-loved PON who shares an active and entertaining life with her family.

      A PON is known to have saved the life of one owner’s mother, who was having a heart attack. The PON did everything possible to get the attention of someone to help her. She succeeded, and the woman lived. PONs dive off diving boards, go sleigh-riding with the children, enjoy pizza with their owner, try to talk to you when they are excited, sit at the helm of their owner’s boat—and that is only the beginning!

       DON’T BUY A PON IF…

      The following information is inspired by Pam Green’s article of a similar title; here we explore which kind of person makes the ideal owner for the Polish Lowland Sheepdog. There’s no dog lover in the world who can resist the smile of a happy PON. PONs sure are cute little dogs, but they are not for everyone to own: they are a very demanding, and without a dominant master they can easily take control. As a breed they have a few features that some people find charming, but that some people find mildly unpleasant and some people find downright intolerable. So don’t buy a PON if…

       YOU ARE ONLY ATTRACTED TO HIS SHAG AND SMILE

      The outward appearance of the Polish Lowland Sheepdogs you have seen in the show ring, in magazines, TV and in books is the product of many hours of bathing and grooming. This carefully constructed beauty is fleeting: a few minutes of freedom, romping through the fields or strolling in the rain or digging in the yard restores the more natural look of the PON. The PON’s preference is the “natural look,” and grooming is definitely not one of their favorite activities. You will need to devote time to teach your dog to accept being groomed on a weekly basis. If not, you won’t have the “show ring beauty contestant,” but instead a very matted dog that may need to be shaved down to prevent hardship and pain to the dog including the many hours that are needed to remove the mats. The thick, shaggy PON coat demands regular grooming, not merely to look tolerably nice but also to preserve the health of skin underneath and to detect