meet the...Schipperke
Breed Summary
Breed Group Group 10: Pastoral and Stock Dog Breeds
Sub-group 10-D: Small Pastoral Dogs
Origin Country Belgium
Weight Males: 12-19 pounds. Females: 12-19 pounds.
Height Males: 11-13 inches. Females: 10-12 inches.
Other Name(s) Little Boat Captain, Little Shepherd, Moorke, Schipperke, Spitzke
Breed Type Pure
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Origins
The Schipperke is a relatively old breed, having been in existence for several centuries in Belgium, a province of Flanders and one of the three regions of Belgium. It is believed that he originates from the slightly larger and now-extinct breed known as the Leauvenaar. These black, medium-sized herding Spitz dogs were found in Leuven, the capital of Flemish Brabant. It is also believed that the Leauvenaar is also the predecessor of the Belgian Sheepdogs. They were large Spitz dogs originally tasked with transporting and guarding flocks. In fact, the word schipperke is from the Flemish dialect, meaning “little shepherd.”
It is apparent that the Schipperke was a favorite of the working-class people of Belgium for many centuries. They were excellent at eradicating and terminating pests from their family’s property. Evidence of the breed’s favor can be traced back to a 1690 dog event in Brussels. Originally referred to as the Spitske or “little Spitz,” the ancestors of the Schipperke was the result of breeding the Leauvenaar stock down in size. This was in response to size restrictions placed on the dogs that commoners could own. The smaller dogs were able to accompany their people to more areas and events. Eventually, the area merchants found the little dogs to be beneficial since they provided companionship and also served as fierce little watchdogs. The Spitske was the best defense against rats, thievery, and loneliness at sea.
At the turn of the 19th century, the name was changed to Schipperke, which, due to their more recent association with ships and barges, many in the English-speaking nations erroneously believed was Flemish for “little skipper.” However, it is now known that it means “little shepherd,” a reference to the trusty little dog’s first purpose as a herding dog. Although most Schipperkes during the 1800s were kept as companions and watchdogs, some retained traces of their herding instincts and would delight in driving (by nipping) the draft horses that towed the barges out to sea.
Their jaunty personality and petite size caught the attention of royalty in 1885 when Queen Marie Henriette of Belgium acquired a prized Schipperke. This sparked a sharp rise in the little dog’s popularity. Eventually, the first breed standard was implemented by the newly formed Belgium Schipperke Breed Club in 1888.
The Schipperke was instrumental in the remarkable achievement of the Belgian Resistance during World War II. The plan was to overcome the transport train of one of the convoys of Jewish prisoners being taken to Auschwitz. The resistance army was successful in their noteworthy attempt to stop this formidable foe, thanks in part to their use of the Schipperke to relay messages from one hideout to another without the Nazi army suspecting the dogs.Breed Characteristics
Head: Mesaticephalic skull type, moderate in size, wedge-shaped, and foxlike. It is always in proportion to the rest of the body. The skull and forehead are somewhat broad and taper towards the eyes. The brow and cheeks are somewhat arched when viewed from the front, with sufficient fill under the eyes. In profile, the topskull is slightly arched. The head is clean-cut and without excess skin or wrinkles.
Eyes: Moderate in size, almond to oval in shape, and dark brown in color. Nonstandard colors may have eyes that coordinate accordingly with the coat color. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes.
Ears: Small in size, set high on the skull, held firmly erect, and with pointed tips. The ears are never long, overly large, or broken.
Muzzle: The muzzle is full and well-developed. It tapers from a broader base toward the nose, emphasizing the head’s wedge—or foxlike—and shape. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight. Upper and lower jaws are well-developed, approximately equal in length, and have good bone substance, never snipey or weak.
Nose: The nose is well-pigmented, black, or self-colored, according to the coat in nonstandard color varieties. The nostrils are well-opened.
Neck: Moderate length allows for a proud head carriage. Strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is somewhat prominent.
Body: Short, square, compact, solid, and of good substance. The body is never racy or refined. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Feet: Oval to round and compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.
Tail: Set high on the croup, thick at the base, and tapering toward the tip. Tails can vary in the Schipperke breed. They may be naturally long, bobbed, or incomplete, or they may be surgically docked short. Natural tails may be straight, gently curved, or stumpy. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level but never tucked. The tail may be carried curled over the back, level with the topline, or down in a neutral position (never tucked). Natural long tails are of a medium length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. Docked tails are cut short and close to the body, with no visible tail stump.
Movement: The Schipperke breed’s movement is as lively as his personality. It should be efficient, energetic, and effortless. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament: The Schipperke is an alert and active watchdog with a bubbly and lively personality. They are inquisitive, spirited, and extremely intelligent. Being developed from herding dogs and used as a watchdog, they can be aloof toward strangers, and early socialization and training are imperative to ensure that they learn discernment between friends and foes. They take protecting family very seriously and bond strongly with children if raised with them from early on. They are also great at pest control, mercilessly hunting pests and other varmints. This can also pose a risk for those intending to keep a Schipperke with a smaller pet, such as a rodent. For this reason, cautious supervision should be practiced when the Schipperke is in the same room as other smaller pets. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Breed Standard
BREED GROUP 10: Pastoral and Stock Dog Breeds
Proportions: Square in proportion, with the length of the body, measured from the point of the forechest to the point of the rump, being equal to the height at the withers. The ideal body height-to-length ratio is between 1:1 and 10:9. Females may be slightly longer. The body is well put together, with sturdy substance and medium bone. The weight of males or females is always in proportion to height.
Head
General Appearance: Mesaticephalic skull type, moderate in size, wedge-shaped, and foxlike. It is always in proportion to the rest of the body. The skull and forehead are somewhat broad and taper towards the eyes. The brow and cheeks are somewhat arched when viewed from the front, with sufficient fill under the eyes. In profile, the topskull is slightly arched. The head is clean-cut and without excess skin or wrinkles.
Expression: The expression is inquisitive, alert, intelligent, and somewhat mischievous.
Stop: The stop is definite and pronounced but not exaggerated.
Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is 3:2, with the topskull being just longer than the muzzle.
The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis is parallel or just slightly convergent.
Muzzle: The muzzle is full and well-developed. It tapers from a broader base toward the nose, emphasizing the head’s wedge—or foxlike—and shape. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight. Upper and lower jaws are well-developed, approximately equal in length, and have good bone substance, never snipey or weak.
Lips or Flews: The lips are clean and fit tightly over the teeth and jaws.
Nose: The nose is well-pigmented, black, or self-colored, according to the coat in nonstandard color varieties. The nostrils are well-opened.
Cheeks: The cheeks are smoothly muscled, blending toward the muzzle. They are never chiseled or coarse.
Dentition and Bite: Forty-two strong, clean, and white teeth. The bite may be level, scissor, or reverse-scissor. Contact must be made between the top and bottom incisors. Missing or broken teeth due to routine work are not to be penalized.
Eyes: Moderate in size, almond to oval in shape, and dark brown in color. Nonstandard colors may have eyes that coordinate accordingly with the coat color. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes.
Ears: Small in size, set high on the skull, held firmly erect, and with pointed tips. The ears are never long, overly large, or broken.
Body and Tail
General Description: Short, square, compact, solid, and of good substance. The body is never racy or refined. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Neck: Moderate length allows for a proud head carriage. Strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is somewhat prominent.
Topline: Level from slightly prominent withers to croup. The back is broad, strongly muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is taut, flat, level, or slightly arched, yet supportive. The back is never long, swayed, or roached.
Croup: Broad, short, and gently sloped.
Underline: A slight tuck-up is present. The underline is taut and firm, without any indication of sagging or excess weight.
Ribs: Long, well-sprung, well-laid-back, and oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
Tail: Set high on the croup, thick at the base, and tapering toward the tip. Tails can vary in the Schipperke breed. They may be naturally long, bobbed, or incomplete, or they may be surgically docked short. Natural tails may be straight, gently curved, or stumpy. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level but never tucked. The tail may be carried curled over the back, level with the topline, or down in a neutral position (never tucked). Natural long tails are of a medium length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. Docked tails are cut short and close to the body, with no visible tail stump.
Forequarters and Hindquarters
Forequarters: The forequarters are always in balance with the hindquarters and well-angulated with well-laid-back shoulder blades. Shoulder blades are approximately equal in length to the upper arm and forearm.
Elbows: The elbows are close to the body. The point of the elbows is approximately half the dog’s height at the withers.
Forelegs: Frontal View: Straight, of good muscle, of moderate bone, and parallel to one another.
Side View: The forelimbs appear straight with strong pasterns.
Pasterns: Never weak or broken.
Hindquarters: The upper and lower thighs are equal in length, strong, sturdy, of moderate bone, and well-muscled.
Rear View: When viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are parallel to one another.
Side View: Good angulation will allow the rear toes to align with the point of the rump or within one to two paw-lengths behind the point of the rump, with the rear pasterns remaining perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.
Stifle Joint: Well-angulated with a good bend to well-let-down rear pasterns.
Angulations: The angulation of the hindquarters is always in balance with the angulation of the forequarters.
Feet: Oval to round and compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.
Coat
Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
Coat Type: Fairly short (3 inches or so in length), abundant, straight, thick, harsh, dense, and weather-resistant topcoat that stands away from the body, especially at the neck and chest area. The undercoat is shorter, thicker, and supportive. The outercoat and undercoat are both thickest at the neck and chest area, forming an abundant neck ruff, mane, and frill, as well as culottes and fringing on legs, underline, and a well-furnished tail. The coat is shorter on the head, face, ears, and front legs.
Coat Color or Pattern: Solid colors of black, gray, blue, liver, red, tan, cream, white, and isabella.
Movement
The Schipperke breed’s movement is as lively as his personality. It should be efficient, energetic, and effortless. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament
The Schipperke is an alert and active watchdog with a bubbly and lively personality. They are inquisitive, spirited, and extremely intelligent. Being developed from herding dogs and used as a watchdog, they can be aloof toward strangers, and early socialization and training are imperative to ensure that they learn discernment between friends and foes. They take protecting family very seriously and bond strongly with children if raised with them from early on. They are also great at pest control, mercilessly hunting pests and other varmints. This can also pose a risk for those intending to keep a Schipperke with a smaller pet, such as a rodent. For this reason, cautious supervision should be practiced when the Schipperke is in the same room as other smaller pets. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Faults
All dogs should be in proper healthy condition, free from disease or defect. Any departure from this description is considered a fault. Unless altered, all male dogs should have two fully descended testicles.
