The Schipperke
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 Heart-Throbs Schipperkes |
The Schipperke originated in the Flemish provinces of Belgium and is sometimes described as a Dutch dog. The Schipperke is not derived from the Spitz or Pomeranian, but is really a diminutive of the black sheepdog commonly called Leauvenaar, which is used to follow the wagons along old highways in the provinces.
In the mid 19th century some of these 40 pound sheepdogs were still hearding sheep in the area of Louvain, and from these both the Schipperke and the Groenendael have descended. The herd dog was gradually bred larger, and the Schipperke bred down to become that "excellent and faithful" little watchdog that we know today. The name Schipperke means "little captain of the boat". Schip means boat, schipper means captain of the boat. The dogs were used on the canal barges to guard the boat and catch the vermin.
The Schipperke has been known for several hundred years. Many claim the first known "specialty show" for the breed was as far back as 1690.
The breed was called Spits or Spitske back then. The name Schipperke was given to it after the formation of the specialty club in 1888. The name is Flemish for "little captain".
The legend of the breed relates that the custom of cutting the tails arose in 1609, and it tells the story of a shoemaker who was angered by the repeated thieving of his neighbors dog, cut off its tail- thereby showing the improved appearance. This was copied by others and continued to this day. There is no evidence that the breed was ever born tailless.
The Schipperke is often called the "best house dog" because they are very fond of children, and in some cases have served as guards.
Males should be 11-13 inches tall, females 10-12 inces. Their coat is highly characteristic and must include several distinct lengths growing naturally in a specific pattern. The coat is short on the face and ears, medium on the body, and longer on the ruff. The coat color must be black.
Health concerns with the breed include Epilepsy and Mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB (MPS IIIB). MPS IIIB is a recently identified genetic disease and is present in Schipperkes and in humans. When a dog is affected it is ultimately lethal. The disease MPS IIIB, also known as Sanfilippo syndrome type IIIB, is an inherited disease classified as a lysosomal storage disease (LSD). Lysosomes are "bags" within cells of the body, filled with special enzymes which disassemble molecules in an orderly manner. If one of the enzymes is missing, due to mutations in the gene for that enzyme, the disassembly stops, and undegraded molecules accumulate in lysosomes (hence the term LSD), and the cells become sick or die, which leads to disease. The clinical signs in the dogs are related to brain disease, appear between 2-4 years of age, and include tremor, and difficulty in balancing, walking, and negotiating obstacles such as stairs. The disease is progressive, and owners have chosen euthanasia, usually 1-2 years after recognizing clinical signs. Both males and females are equally capable of having the disease, or of being carriers. Carriers are absolutely normal, and will not have signs of the disease. The mutant gene may be as far back as eleven generations, and hence may be very broadly distributed in the Schipperke population. Now that breeders have become aware of this problem, there are now ways to test if they have dogs that are carriers of this. When selecting a breeder, I recommend asking them if they are knowledgable about this disease and if their dogs have been checked, or known to have been carriers.
