Schipperke

The breed is generally traced to Flanders in the seventeenth century, where it developed from a larger black Belgian sheepdog known as the Leauvenaar - the same stock that lies behind the Groenendael. Guildsmen and tradesmen in Brussels and Louvain kept the smaller version, and a documented exhibition of Schipperkes belonging to shoemakers was held in Brussels in the 1690s, one of the earliest known dog shows of any kind.

The name is Flemish and is usually rendered as little boatman or little captain, from the dogs' association with the canal barges where they killed vermin and challenged anyone who came aboard. Belgian sources have long argued that the breed is properly a small shepherd rather than a boat dog, and both jobs are probably true of a dog that simply went wherever working people went.

The Schipperke became a formal breed in the 1880s. Queen Marie-Henriette of Belgium acquired one at a Brussels show in 1885 and set off a fashion that carried the dog into Britain and the United States; the first breed standard was written in 1889 and a Belgian club followed shortly after. American and British clubs were founded in the 1890s and early 1900s.

During the Second World War the Belgian Resistance used Schipperkes to carry messages between hideouts, taking advantage of their small size, dark colour and unwillingness to be caught. The breed came through the war reduced in numbers but intact, and is today classified by the American Kennel Club in the Non-Sporting Group and by the FCI among the sheepdogs.

A Schipperke is a small, thickset, square-built dog, higher in the shoulder than in the rear, which gives it a characteristic forward-leaning outline. Dogs stand around eleven to thirteen inches at the shoulder and typically weigh between ten and sixteen pounds, with some individuals a little either side of that. The head is foxy, the ears small, triangular and firmly erect, and the eyes small, dark and oval.

The coat is the breed's signature. It is a harsh, straight double coat, short on the face and the fronts of the legs, longer on the body, and dramatically longer around the neck, chest and shoulders, where it forms a standing ruff, a jabot down the chest and a fringe called the culotte over the hindquarters. That silhouette is what makes a Schipperke instantly recognisable.

The classic and, in most registries, the only accepted colour is solid black. Cream, red and chocolate dogs occur in the breed and are recognised in some countries but not in the AKC standard. Tails have historically been docked in some countries where that remains legal, and a natural tail is normal elsewhere; the breed also carries a natural bobtail gene, so puppies of varying tail length occur.

The Schipperke is intensely curious. It wants to know what is in every cupboard, what the noise outside was and where you are going, and it approaches life at a brisk trot. Owners tend to describe them as small dogs with very large opinions, and their nickname among enthusiasts, the little black devil, is affectionate but earned.

With family they are devoted, playful and often quite demonstrative. With strangers they are reserved and watchful, and a Schipperke will always tell you when someone approaches the house. That makes them excellent watchdogs, and it makes barking one of the two things owners most need to manage. The other is escaping: a determined Schipperke will find the gap in the fence.

They are good with children they have grown up alongside, though their busy, self-directed nature suits older children better than toddlers. With other dogs they are generally fine when well socialised, but they are not naturally deferential and can be bold with much larger dogs. The prey drive is real, and small pets are best kept separate.

This is a clever, independent, sometimes stubborn breed. Schipperkes learn very fast, including things you did not intend to teach them. They need mental work and boundaries, and they are notably long-lived, so an owner should expect a lively, opinionated companion for well over a decade.

Historically the Schipperke was a ratter, a barge guard, a shop watchdog and a small farm dog, and it retains all of the instincts those roles required. As a modern watchdog it is close to ideal for its size: alert, quick to react and completely fearless, though it can only ever announce a problem rather than solve one.

In dog sports the breed does well in agility, rally, obedience, barn hunt and scentwork, where its speed and problem-solving are assets and its independence is the main obstacle. It is a good size for apartment living provided the exercise and the barking are managed, and it travels easily. The Schipperke's watchfulness and stamina also make it a capable companion for hikers and runners.