Presentazione Schipperke

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: In the Flemish dialect,
Schipperke means « little shepherd ». The common ancestor of the
Belgian Shepherds and the Schipperke was probably a sheepdog
called Leuvenaar, an early breed, usual1y rather small and black. The
Schipperke's origins go back to the 17th century. About 1690, the
Schipperke was the favourite dog of working people and cobblers
from the St.Gery quarter of Brussels, who used to organise
competitions to show off the intricately worked brass collars with
which they adorned their dogs. Its tail was completely docked, a
fashion which seems to have existed since the 15th century. It was
renowned as a catcher of mice, rats, moles and other vermin. The
Schipperke was shown for the first time in 1882 in the town of Spa.
It became fashionable thanks to Queen Marie-Henriette of Belgium.
It was introduced into Great Britain and the U.S.A. in 1887. The first
standard was drawn up in 1888 by the breed club, founded that year,
which is the oldest breed club in Belgium. Over the years great
efforts have had to be made to unify the type. Indeed at that time
there was discussion about the different varieties coming from
Anvers, Louvain and Brussels.
GENERAL APPEARANCE: Lupoid. The Schipperke is a
sheepdog of small dimensions but very solidly built.
Its head is wedge-shaped with a quite well-developed skull, and a
relatively short muzzle. Its body is well-balanced, short, quite broad
and stocky but its limbs are fine-boned. Its coat is very characteristic,
well-furnished and with straight hair, forming a ruff, a mane, a frill
and culottes which give it its truly unique outline. The difference
between the sexes is evident. Its straightforward morphology, allied
to its sheepdog characteristics and temperament, and added to its
small size, explains its great popularity which extends well beyond
the Belgian borders.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:
• Height at withers equals length of body, hence this is a
squarely built dog.
• Chest comes down level with elbows.
• Muzzle is definitely less long than half the length of the
head.