Schipperke

A Schipperke (the Americanized pronunciation is skipper-kee) is a small Belgian breed of dog that originated in the early 16th century. There has been a long informal debate over whether this type of dog is a spitz or miniature sheepdog.

Appearance

By nature, Schipperkes come in solid black, brown, cream, white and even grey colors. However, in the United States and members of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, only the black color is accepted for show purposes, while dogs born of the other colors are arbitrarily rejected. Their small, pointed ears are erect atop the head. Schipperkes are either single or double coated with a soft, fluffy undercoat that is covered by a harsher-feeling and longer outer coat. One of the breed characteristics is a long ruff that surrounds the neck and then trails down towards the rear of the dog.

Dogs of this breed usually weigh between 3 and 9 kg (7 to 20 lb). The Schipperke dogs are born with tails. In Canada and the United States, they are usually docked immediately after birth. In other countries that practice has been banned, and the Schipperkes display their natural tails which curve over the back of the dog in a spitz-like fashion as well as down in a sabre fashion such as the German shepherd.

Temperament

A Schipperke is an all-around dog: it has strong herding, hunting, and guarding instincts. They are fearless, aloof around strangers, independent, smart and willful. They are a high-energy dog with an intense curiosity about everything and therefore require a great deal of attention and stimulation. Schipperkes, like many small breeds, seem not to realize that they are small dogs and behave as if they are much larger than they actually are. They are often quoted as being a "90-pound dog in a 9-pound body." They also have the nickname little nurse and can be a quiet bedside companion to a sick family member. If socialized as a young dog, it also is very friendly to others. Another nickname for them is Townhouse German Shepherd. According to S. Coren, author of "The Intelligence of Dogs," the Schipperke is a "good working dog", rated in the top 15 of breeds. They are able to understand new commands in 5-15 repetitions, and respond to commands the first time 85% of the time. They love to please their owner and are good for obedience and agility training.

The Schipperke is also known as the "Tazmanian black devil" and "little black devil," often because they can be stubborn, mischievous, and headstrong. Because they are naturally curious and high-energy dogs, when Schipperkes are bored, they often damage property and wreak havoc. Schipperkes are very smart, and sometimes debate listening to owners and doing whatever benefits them the most. This requires a stubborn and patient owner to housebreak.

The more attention you give them, they more rewarding they are. They will behave wonderfully when quality time is spent with them.

The Schipperke also love children and hate closed doors.

Health

The Schipperke has no particular health problems, and individuals often reach the old age of 17 or 18 years. Nonetheless, inactivity, lack of exercise and over-feeding are very harmful, and can lead to joint and skeletal problems and heart, lung or digestive conditions.

The one minor caveat to the Schipperke's good health is MPS IIIB, a genetic mutation that occurs in at most 15% of the total breed population. The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine has developed a test for the disease and began accepting samples in April 2003.