Schippperke

In the mid-19th century some of these 40-pound sheepdogs were still herding sheep in the neighborhood of Louvain, and from these both the Schipperke and the Groenendael have descended. The Schipperke was bred down to become that “excellent and faithful” little watchdog that we know.

The legend of the Schipperke relates that the custom of cutting the tails arose in 1609. It tells the story of a shoemaker who, angered by the repeated thieving of his neighbor’s dog, cut off its tail-thereby showing the improved appearance soon copied by others and continued to this day. There is no evidence that the breed was ever born tailless; in fact, it seems that more dogs are born without tails now than earlier in their history.

The Schipperke is an agile, active watchdog and hunter of vermin. In appearance he is a small, thickset, cobby, black, tailless dog, with a fox-like face. The dog is square in profile and possesses a distinctive coat, which includes a stand-out ruff, cape and culottes. All of these create a unique silhouette, appearing to slope from shoulders to croup.

The Schipperke is curious, interested in everything around him, and is an excellent and faithful little watchdog. He is reserved with strangers and ready to protect his family and property if necessary. He displays a confident and independent personality, reflecting the breed’s original purpose as watchdog and hunter of vermin.

Schipperkes are very curious and fearless. Okami is often in front when we walk, and sometimes she takes paths where I can’t go. Even if we can’t follow her, she always comes back to us. She loves to play with big dogs more than small ones (even if her best friend is a Spitz). I believe she thinks she’s a big dog with a small body!

Schipperkes are also watchful. They’re suspicious and don’t trust right away when they meet someone or something new. If Okami sees something new in her familiar path, like a garbage bag on the street, she starts to bark .

I don’t meet a lot of Schipperkes but it seems like they are all a lot of commons like they are fearless, peepy, smart, loyal and a lot mischievous!

You’ll question whether they’re really dogs, or if the breed has evolved to a higher level. They’re the corvids of the dog world. Brilliantly smart, absolutely engaging. They want to be involved in literally every part of your life. Whether that’s climbing a mountain, browsing a market, or curled up next to you when you’re sick. They’re meant to be your equal, and behave better when treated as such. You get back exactly as much as you give. If you respect them, they will move heaven and earth for you.

Fairly high, but not unobtainable. It depends how much time you spend with them. A Schipperke that goes to work with you (or if you are home all day) might be okay with 30 minute sniff walks, whereas a Schipperke who spends most of the day alone is going to need more. They’re quite popular with retired people who want a companion and enjoy taking walks with their dog.

Generally they aren’t the type of dog to become destructive if they don’t get enough exercise (although I have been told of two that tore all the wallpaper down), but they’re definitely happier. Being a working breed, they have inherent drives that need to be met or behaviour problems (such as barking and anxiety) can pop up. You don’t need to be a super athlete to own one though. Lower activity sports like nose work are great for keeping their brain happy, which is the most important part of keeping a happy Schipperke. More than just hours of walking or running, they need their mental needs met. A sniff walk, training routine, or sport where you are engaging with them is going to do much more for them than, say, turning them loose to run around and hoping they exercise themselves. That’ll just build their exercise stamina without doing much to tire them out.

Schipperkes are very intelligent. They understand quickly and they love to learn with games. Positive training is the better way to go, even if sometimes we have to be a little firmer in our voice. Sometimes you have to be more stubborn than they are. Okami is our first dog (my boyfriend and I). We never had one before, nor our families. With the help of positive dog trainers, books and patience, we manage to train Okami, so she can feel good in her paws.

They’re sensitive dogs and don’t respond well to harsh training methods. They have a reputation for being stubborn because they will shut down under harsh training, which can manifest as things like sniffing, turning their back to you, etc. It looks like they’re ignoring you, when in actuality that’s canine for peace signals and they just need you to explain what you want more clearly.

They shed their hair coat at least twice a year and I brush it once a week.

The coat is very easy to maintain. I brush Okami one a week, a little more when she sheds (about 2 or 3 times a year).

Schipperkes have a very natural or “wild-type” coat, with a woolly undercoat and very sleek outercoat/guard hairs, so they’re very low maintenance. Due to the smoothness of their outercoat their undercoat doesn’t get caught in the guard hairs, so they don’t tend to get matted or impacted undercoat. A quick brush out with a coat rake once a week at most is all that’s needed.

Their outer-coat sheds water, dirt, sand, those velcro-like plant seeds, etc. and they don’t have a strong doggie odor, so they hardly need any bathing at all to stay looking and smelling good (I would recommend every 3-6 months at most). They shed their undercoat twice a year. A bath will help loosen the coat, and frequent brushing during that time will help save your vacuum. I recommend a double row undercoat rake. Don’t try to brush right to the skin, it will pull on their live hair. Start out lightly brushing through, working down to the skin as the loose hair comes out.

Every description says they’re very fond of children. Some Schipperke owners have gone so far as to say their Schips have helped raise their children. Like all dogs, they will have a breaking point for torment and kids need to be taught to be respectful. But they are pretty tolerant of poking, prodding, and having their coat grabbed. Most Schips have a very high bite threshold, and will give an air nip warning if they’re repeatedly tormented rather than a bite, so there’s a large safety cushion. It takes a lot to make a Schipperke actually bite.

They are small and love to play, so they can be perfect for kids. They love to receive tons of attention. They generally love cats but pay attention to rodents (because of their past as “little captain.”). They love to be around other dogs.

They can suffer from separation if they haven’t used to being left all alone before. With training, this is not a problem. But a Schipperke will always prefer to have company than being alone.

Generally no, at least not extreme separation anxiety where they become destructive trying to chew their way out of the house. Roe is completely silent when left alone, you wouldn’t even know there’s a dog in the house. Suki would howl.

We feed Okami with half wet food / half raw food. At the beginning we fed her only with raw food, but she stopped eating all the fleshy bones and some vegetables so we went another way. She is a little difficult with food, but when she likes what is on her plate, she will eat well fast.

Sometimes young Schipperkes can be, but they generally grow out of it and love food. Roe loves kale, broccoli, and cabbage. He once climbed into a garden bed and ate an entire head of cabbage. They love food so much they can be prone to obesity because it’s hard not to share everything with them, or give too many treats.

Approach it as a two year plan. They’re not very common, and sadly the number of breeders is decreasing as people retire, so it can take a while to get a puppy (and rescues potentially even longer). Find a breeder you like, then wait for a litter. They’re worth the wait.