A PON (Polish Owczarek Nizinny) is a dog that was bred to help larger dogs herd sheep. While the larger dogs acted as guard dogs and protected the flock from intruders, the PON was busy guiding the flock away from dangers and towards their final destination. This makes the PON a very intelligent animal, somewhat independent, but with a much more affectionate outlook than other herding dogs.
The PON will still display the typical behavior of biting at people's heels, particularly small children, who it is attempting to herd. This cute but annoying habit comes from its breeding and can be difficult to stop. The dog is merely doing what it thinks is its job and this is a clue on how to avoid many of the other cute but annoying behaviors of the PON.
A Polish Owczarek Nizinny is a dog that must be kept busy with some task in order for it to be content and obedient. Once it knows what its job is, it will dive into this role and assert its authority and be pretty happy to be a part of the family unit. Times when the dog usually misbehaves is when it is being excluded from the family unit or it is just plain bored.
Some owners of PONs have noticed that if they leave their dogs at home for too long alone, they come back to find that the dog has made a mess of the house. This dog doesn't like to be excluded from family outings and actually makes a great travel and companion dog. If it is a watchdog, give it something to watch while you are away, even another small pet if that will do the trick.
PONs tends to be dominant and strong-willed. If you want to keep it from acting out on instinct and taking over the household, you will need to get it obedience training early on. You will want to socialize the dog as much as possible so that it builds a good bond with you and with anyone else in your household. This will bring out a natural eagerness to please that the dog also has and can help with keeping the dog from displaying dominant herding behaviors.
If the dog has an area to exercise, like a fenced back yard, this can also contribute to the dog's over all contentment and obedience factor. If a dog is not properly exercised it can become irritable and less obedient. As always, be firm and consistent in caring for your dog. This dog is very intelligent and has a long memory. If it perceives it has been faulted, it may decide to show its displeasure by acting up again.
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