Schipperke
The top-winning Schipperke in
The Schipperke is often called "the barge dog", because it used to be a common guard dog on the barges traveling along the canals of Belgium and Holland. Its name has been thought to stem from the Flemish word "skipper", or a ship's captain. Another explanation is that the name of the breed stems from "Scheperke", or "a little shepherd", as it is a descendant of an early sheepdog breed, the Leuvenaar, usually a small, black dog.
The breed's origins go back to the 17th century. It was a favorite dog of working people and cobblers in Brussels who used to organize competitions to show off the intricate brass collars their black dogs wore. The dogs were well known as a catcher of mice, rats and other vermin. The first Schipperke was shown at a dog show in Belgium in 1882.
Queen Marie-Henriette of Belgium helped to make the breed fashionable. The breed was introduced into Britain and the United States in 1887. The first Schipperkes were imported into Finland in the 1960's from Sweden and, later, from Britain. In recent years, Finland's Schipperke stock has been augmented by imports from France and South Africa.
The breed has maintained a small but steady following with annual registrations around 100 dogs.The Schipperke is a compact and solid dog with a wedge-shaped head and erect ears. Its coat is abundant, thick, straight and harsh, with longer hair forming a typical ruff around the neck and culottes in the hindquarters. It is solid black in color (note: Finland follows the FCI standard, under which cream or fawn colors are a disqualification.) In temperament, it is an excellent small guard dog: alert, agile, lively and intelligent, always on guard for strangers, but very gentle with children.
Traditionally, the Schipperke tail has been docked to provide a round outline of the rump. After a docking ban was introduced in several countries, including Finland, more and more Schipperke are appearing with tails neatly curled over their back in Spitz fashion -- contrary to the latest Belgian breed standard which states a preference for a tail hanging down in repose and preferably carried no higher than the topline when the dog moves.
The Schipperke fanciers in Finland have their own club, The Schipperke Club of Finland, which is affiliated with the Toy Dog Association.
For more information on the breed in Finland, visit the Club's homepage
