Dog Breeds > Schipperke
The Schipperke
The Schipperke, also known as the “Little Captain” is a very good guard dog that would surely protect your domain. This dog is also very friendly and affectionate thus making it an ideal pet for your kids and your devoted and protective companion.
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Fascinating Facts
The Schipperke is believed to have descended from Leauvenaar, a black 40 pounds sheepdog. The Schipperke was intended to be downsized until it became an entirely different breed. A canal boat captain named Rensenns bred the Schipperke in Flanders.
The Schipperke became popular in Belgium and it became a top choice for guarding canal barges. This breed was also used for hunting games, herding sheep and guarding the property of its master. This breed got its name from the Belgian word “schip” which means boat.
Physical Appearance
The Schipperke measures and weighs about 10 – 13 inches and 12 – 18 pounds respectively. Most people who see this dog describe it having a fox-like attributes. The head is round when it is viewed sideways. The muzzle is short with a small black nose. The ears are triangular and standing firmly on both sides of the head. Its eyes are oval shaped.
The chest of a Schipperke is wide. There are times that a Schipperke is born without a tail. However, as custom dictates it, the Schipperke’s tail is docked. This dog has thick double coat. The face, legs and hocks have short and dense coat while the neck, shoulders and the rest of the body have relatively longer and thick coat. The common coat colors of the Schipperke are fawn, solid black and tan. However, according to the AKC standards, only the solid black is acceptable.
Grooming
Grooming the double coat of the Schipperke is very easy; all it takes is daily brushing to avoid matting and tangling. This dog cleans itself very often so it doesn’t need to take a bath. However, in order to make its coat shiny, you can use a wet chamois or wet towel and rub it over its coat. Also, regularly check its coat for ticks and fleas.
Mood
The Schipperke is an active, fast and devoted little dog. It has also high level of self confidence. Its best quality is its dedication to protect everything under its care. This dog bonds easily with its master and even with strangers provided that a proper introduction was made. It can live peacefully with other dogs and household pets such as cats.
The Schipperke is not exempted from human-induced behaviors such as Small Dog Syndrome and Separation Anxiety. Spoiled Schipperke tends to present behavior problems such as obsessive barking, attacking strangers and showing great independence on its master. In order to alleviate this kind of situation, owners/trainers/handlers should have a firm but gentle way of disciplining the dog so that it would remember its rightful place in the house.
With Children
The Schipperke is noted for being friendly and affectionate with children. This dog is very smart and sometimes mischievous that’s why it would easily bond with children. It could play for long hours without showing signs of getting tired.
Training & Exercise
The Schipperke has an unlimited energy supply on its little body. Only proper exercise would make it satisfied and happy for the rest of the day. Make it run across a properly secured area such as public parks and fenced yards.
The Schipperke is an intelligent dog. It can be easily trained without you worrying too much about how much it would learn for the day. When training the Schipperke, make sure that you use only gentle and calm words so that the dog would not be intimidated. Also, food-reward training challenges would greatly help on improving its focus.
Health & Life Expectancy
The longevity of the Schipperke is about 15 years or longer. This breed has numerous health-related problems that could affect its living condition such as hip dysplasia, slipping hip sockets, epilepsy and hypothyroidism. This breed is also prone to Progressive Retinal Atrophy and Legg Calves Perthes.
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