Utility group · Belgium
Schipperke
Also called Little Captain, Little Skipper, Belgian Barge Dog.
Small dog, high energy, trains well with consistency.
- Curious
- Confident
- Alert
- Fearless
- Devoted
- Size
- Small
- Weight
- 5 to 7 kg10 to 16 lb
- Lives
- 12 to 16 years
- Energy
- High
- Trains
- Moderate
- Barks
- High
Training
Training a Schipperke
Utility breeds. Many of these think before they obey. Earn compliance with reward and consistency; they do not do it for free.
Channel the Energy
Start here
High-energy little dogs that need mental and physical outlets. Bored Schipperkes are destructive.
Independent Thinkers
Smart but stubborn. Make training fun and varied to maintain interest.
Escape Artist Prevention
Curious explorers who find escape routes. Secure fencing and supervision required.
The app turns this into five to fifteen minutes a day.
Add your Schipperke and it builds the plan around their age, where they came from and what they already know, on video with Atlas and Shango.
Free to start. iPhone. No card needed.
At home
Living with one
Breeds developed for a job that no longer exists or never fitted a group. Includes the spitz and primitive breeds.
Gets on with
- ChildrenModerate
- Other dogsModerate
- StrangersLow
- CatsModerate
Breed averages. Early socialisation and the individual dog matter more.
- Exercise
- 1 hour daily. Active walks, play, and mental stimulation. Love agility sports.
- Grooming
- Moderate. Weekly brushing. Heavy shedding once or twice yearly.
- Drool
- Very Low
- Coat
- Double coat, Dense undercoat, Longer ruff and capeBlack
- In a flat
- Can work, with enough exercise outside it.
Health
Things to ask a breeder or vet about
MPS IIIB
Severe
Mucopolysaccharidosis Type IIIB, fatal genetic disease; DNA test available
Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease
Moderate
Hip joint deterioration in young dogs requiring surgical intervention
Hypothyroidism
Mild
Underactive thyroid causing weight gain and lethargy; manageable with medication
Where they come from
History
Developed in Flanders as watchdogs and ratters on canal barges. Name means "little captain" in Flemish. Nearly became official dog of Belgium but was beaten by the Belgian Sheepdog.
- Belgian Barge Dogs · Historically guarded cargo barges on Belgian canals, earning their "little captain" nickname
