The Schipperke Standard


The Schipperke Standard is what judges will judge the dogs by in the show ring, and it is what breeders go by when trying to breed for a better schipperke.   Here is the American, Belgium and English standards for comparison.  Breeders should note the differences in the standards and bear in mind that the Belgium standard is the original standard of the breed. 
GENERAL APPEARANCE
The Schipperke is an agile, active watchdog and hunter of vermin. In appearance he is a small, thickset, cobby, black, tailless dog, with a foxlike face. The dog is square in profile and possessed of distinctive coat, which includes a stand out ruff, cape, and culottes. All of these create a unique silhouette, appearing to slope from the shoulders to croup. Males are decidedly masculine with coarseness. Bitches are decidedly feminine without overrefinement. Any deviation from the ideal described in the standard should be penalized to the extent of the deviation. Faults may not be specifically mentioned in the standard.
SIZE, PROPORTION, SUBSTANCE
Size - The suggested height at the highest point of the withers is 11 - 13 inches for males and 10 - 12 for bitches. Quality should always take precedence over size. Proportion - Square in profile. Substance - Thickset.
HEAD
Expression - The expression is questioning, mischievous, impudent, and alert, but never mean or wild. The well proportioned head, accompanied by correct eyes and ears, will give the dog the proper Schipperke expression.
Skull - The skull is of medium width, narrowing toward the muzzle. Seen in profile with ears laid back, the skull is slightly rounded. The upper jaw is moderately filled in under the eyes, so that, when viewed from above, the head forms a wedge tapering smoothly from the back of the skull to the tip of the nose. The stop is definite, but not prominent. The length of the muzzle is slightly less than the length of the skull. Eyes - The eyes are small, oval rather than round, dark brown, and placed forward on the head. Ears - erect. A drop ear or ears is a disqualification. Nose - The nose is small and black. Bite - The bite must be scissors or level. Any deviation is to be severely penalized.
NECK, TOPLINE, BODY
Neck - The neck is of moderate length, slightly arched, and in balanced with the rest of the dog to give correct silhouette. Topline - The topline is level or sloping slightly from the withers to croup. The stand-out ruff adds to the slope, making the dog seem slightly higher at the shoulders than at the rump. Body - The chest is broad and deep, and reaches to the elbows. The well sprung ribs (modified oval) are wide behind the shoulders between the front legs. The loin is short, muscular, and moderately drawn up. The croup is broad and well-rounded with the tail docked. No tail is visually discernible.
FOREQUARTERS
The shoulders are well laid back, with the legs extending straight down from the body when viewed from the front. From the side, legs are placed well under the body. Pasterns are short, thick, and strong, but still flexible, showing a slight angle when viewed from the side. Dewclaws are generally removed. Feet are small, round, and tight. Nails are short, strong, and black.
HINDQUARTERS
The hindquarters appear slightly lighter than the forequarters, but are well muscled, and in balance with the front. The hocks are well let down and the stifles are well bent. Extreme angulation is to be penalized. From the rear, the legs extend straight down from the hip through the hock to the feet. Dewclaws must be removed.
COAT
Pattern - The adult coat is highly characteristic and must include several distinct lengths growing naturally in a specific pattern. The coat is short on the face, ears, front of the forelegs and on the hocks; it is medium length on the body, and longer on the ruff, cape, jabot, and culottes. The ruff begins in back of the ears and extends completely around the neck; the jabot extends across the chest and down between the front legs. The hair down the middle of the back, starting just behind the cape and continuing over the rump, lies flat. It is slightly shorter than the cape, but longer than the hair on the sides of the body and sides of the legs. The coat on the rear of the thighs forms culottes, which should be as long as the ruff. Lack of differentiation in coat lengths should be heavily penalized, as it is an essential breed characteristic.
Texture - The coat is abundant, straight and slightly harsh to the touch. The softer undercoat is dense and short on the body and is very dense around the neck, making the ruff stand out. Silky coats, body coats over three inches in length, or very harsh coats are equally incorrect. Trimming - As the schipperke is a natural breed, only trimming of the whiskers and the hair between the pads of the feet is optional. Any other trimming must not be done.
COLOR
The outercoat must be black. Any color other than a natural black is a disqualification. The undercoat, however, may be slightly lighter. During the shedding period, the coat may take on a transitory reddish cast, which is to be penalized to the degree that it detracts from the overall black appearance of the dog. Graying due to age (seven years or older) or occasional white hairs should not be penalized.
GAIT
Proper Schipperke movement is a smooth, well coordinated, and graceful trot (basically double tracking at a moderate speed) with a tendency to converge gradually toward the center of the balance beneath the dog as the speed increases. Front and rear must be in erect balance with good reach in the front and drive in the rear. The topline remains level or slightly sloping downward from the shoulders to the rump. Viewed from the front, the elbows remain close to the body. The legs form a straight line from the shoulders through the elbows to the toes, with the feet pointing straight ahead. From the rear, the legs form a straight line from the hips through the hocks to the pads, with the feet pointing straight ahead.
TEMPERAMENT
The Schipperke is curious, interested in everything around him, and is an excellent and faithful little watchdog. He is reserved with strangers and ready to protect his family and property if necessary. He displays a confident and independent personality, reflecting the breed’s original purpose as a watchdog and hunter of vermin.
DISQUALIFICATIONS
A drop ear or ears.
Any color other than a natural black.
Approved November 13, 1990
Effective January 1, 1991




THE FCI OR BELGIUM STANDARD


FCI-Standard N° 83 / 05. 05. 2003 I GB
SCHIPPERKE
TRANSLATION: Mrs Jeans-Brown, revised by Dr. R. Pollet and Prof. R. Triquet.

ORIGIN : Belgium.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 25.03.2003.

UTILIZATION : Small guardian and companion dog.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 1 Sheep and cattle dog
(except Swiss cattle
dogs).
Section 1 Sheepdog.
Without working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : In the Flemisch 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 build. Its head is wedge-shaped with a quite well-developed skull, and a relatively short muzzle. Its body is wel1-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.

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT : An excellent small guard dog, an exceptional alarm, bubbling with vitality , aloof with strangers. Active and busy, agile, tireless, perpetual1y interested in what is going on around it, inclined to snap if anyone approaches objects it has been given to guard, very gentle with children, always curious to know what is going on behind a closed door or behind an object which is being moved, showing its reaction by its high-pitched bark, its raised mane and hackles. Its is an inquisitive dog which will hunt rats, moles and other vermin.

HEAD : Lupoid, wedge-shaped, but not too long and wide enough to balance with the body. Brows and cheek bones are moderately arched. Transition from cranial region to facial region is visible but must not be too pronounced.

CRANIAL REGION : Quite a wide forehead, narrowing towards the eyes, slightly rounded when seen in profil. The top lines of the skull and the muzzle are parallel.
Stop: Pronounced but not exaggerated.

FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Smal1, nose leather always black.
Muzzle : Tapering towards the nose; well-chiselled, not too long, end not truncated; length approximately 40 per cent of the total length of the head; rectilinear foreface.
Lips : Black, close-fitting.
Jaws/Teeth : Healthy, well-set teeth. Scissor bite, pincer bite tolerated. Complete dentition according to the dental formula. The lack of one or two premolars 1 (1PM1 or 2PM1) or of a premolar 2 (1PM2) is tolerated and the molars 3 (M3) are not taken into consideration.
Cheeks : Clean, blending imperceptibly into the sides of the muzzle.
Eyes : Dark brown in colour, small, almond-shaped, neither sunken nor protruding; sharp, lively and mischievious look, black-rimmed eyelids.
Ears : Erect, very small, pointed, triangular (as far as possible equilateral), set high but not too close to each other, firm and extremely mobile.

NECK : Strong, powerfully muscled and appearing very voluminous because of the abundant hair on the ruff, medium length, well-set into shoulders, carried well and higher when dog is alert, upper line being slightly arched.

BODY : Short and wide, therefore cobby, but not over bulky or heavy , ideally fitting into a square; its length from point of shoulder to point of buttock is roughly equal to height at withers.
Topline : The topline of the back and loin is straight and firm, often rising slightly from croup to withers.
Withers : Very pronounced and seeming even more so because of the mane.
Back : Short, straight and strong.
Loins : Short, broad and powerful.
Croup : Short, broad and horizontal; the rear section of the croup i.e. the junction between the croup and the point of the buttocks is pleasingly rounded, a shape known as a Guinea pig rump.
Chest : Well let down to level with the elbows; broad in front and also behind the shoulders, therefore having a good spring of rib. In profile the forechest is prominent.
Underline : The underline of the chest well-let down, reaching the elbows, harmoniously and gently rising towards the belly, which has a moderate tuck-up, neither pendulous nor whippety .

TAIL : Missing but if there has been no docking the tail will be long, broad at its base, tapering towards the tip and reaching at least to the hock. In repose, preferably hanging down, the tip slightly curved back level with the hock. Can be raised when on the move, in line with the topline, but preferably carried not higher than this. The tail set must never destroy the line of the croup which must blend into a harmonious roundness with the thigh and give the impression of a Guinea pig rump. Curled tail tolerated but not desired.

LIMBS : Fine-boned and set well beneath the body.

FOREQUARTERS :
Overview : The front legs are straight viewed from all sides and are perfectly parallel when seen from the front; their length from the ground to the elbow equals approximately half the height to the withers.
Shoulders : Long and sloping, normal shoulder angulation.
Upper arm : Long and adequately sloping.
Elbows : Strong, neither turning in nor out.
Forearm : Straight, quite well-set apart when seen from the front. Carpus (Wrist) : Strong and not prominent.
Metacarpus (Pastem) : Quite short, from the front continuing the line of the forearm, in profile at most very slightly sloping.
Feet : Smal1, round and tight (cat feet), arched toes, short, strong nails, always black.

HINDQUARTERS:
Overview : The hindquarters must be situated under the body and be perfectly parellel when viewed from behind.
Thighs : Long, strongly muscled, seeming even wider than they are because of the thickness of the culotte.
Knee (Stifle) : Approximately in line with the hip; normal knee angulation.
Lower thighs : Approximately the same length as the thighs.
Hocks : Normal angulation.
Metatarsus (Rear Pastem) : Rather short; dewclaws not desirable.
Feet : Like front feet or marginally longer .

GAIT/MOVEMENT : Movement at the trot is supple and firm with a reasonable reach and good rear thrust, the topline remaining horizontal and the limbs moving parallel; the front movement should be in harmony with the rear movement and the elbows must not turn out. At faster speed the limbs converge.

SKIN : Tight fitting over the whole body.

COAT

HAIR : The top coat is abundant, thick, straight and sufficiently harsh, with quite firm texture, therefore dry and resistant to the touch, forming an excellent protection together with the soft thick undercoat. Very short hair on the ears, short hair on the head, the front part of the front legs, the hocks and rear pastems. On the body, the average length hair is close-lying. Around the neck the hair is much longer and more off-standing, beginning with the outer edges of the ears, forming, especial1y in the male but also in the female a wide and very typical ruff (long hair around the neck, in tufts on each side ), a « mane » (long hair on the top of the neck, continuing as far as the withers and even the shoulders) and a frill (long hair on the underside of the neck and on the chest, stretching between the forelegs and gradual1y fading away under the chest). On the back of the thighs long and abundant hair covering the anal region with tips angled inward in a very typical way form the culottes. The tail is furnished with hair the same length as that on the body.

COLOUR : Totally black. The undercoat need not be completely black but can also be dark grey provided it is totally hidden by the top coat.

WEIGHT :
Between 3 and 9 kg. An average weight of 4 to 7 kg is sought after .
Dog weighing less than 3 kg or those weighing more than 9 kg cannot be considered excellent.

FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
General appearance : Cloddy, lacking substance; too long or too short in leg; long body, fitting into a rectangle.
Head : Too long or too short. Lines of skull and muzzle not parallel, foxy-faced; too prominent brows or cheek bones.
Cranial region : Too narrow, forehead too rounded or domed (apple-headed).
Muzzle : Too long, pinched; thick, truncated, convex top line.
Dentition : Unevenly spread or badly set incisors, lack of one incisor (1I), of three premolars 1 (3 PM1) or two premolars 2 (2 PM2) are serious faults.
Eyes : Large, round or protuberant, light in colour (hazel eyes still acceptable).
Chest : Narrow, flat, cylindrical. Not sufficiently let down.
Croup : Long, sloping, raised, break in the roundness of the rump (transition from croup to back of thighs).
Limbs : Limbs which have too little or too exaggerated angulation.
Movement : Close-moving, too short a stride, too little drive, bad dorsal transmission, too high a front movement or too hopping a rear movement.
Coat : Too short (close to body), too long, too thin, soft or silky, wavy , lying too flat to the body or hanging down; too little or no ruff, mane, frill or culotte (more serious a fault in the male, especially a lack of ruff). Not enough undercoat.
Colour : Grey, brownish or reddish lights in the top coat. Some occasional white hairs e.g. on the toes. A little greying for example on the muzzle as a sign of age is tolerated.
Temperament: Apathetic or timid.

ELIMINATING FAUTLS :
Temperament : Highly-strung, aggressive or overly shy.
General appearance : Lack of breed type.
Teeth : Over- or undershot jaw, even without loss of contact (inverse scissor), wry mouth, lack of one canine (1 C), of one upper carnassial (1PM4) or one lower carnassial (1M1) of one molar (1M1 or 1M2 but not any M3), of one premolar 4 (lower PM4), of one premolar 3 (1PM3) as we1l as another tooth or in total 4 missing teeth or more ( excluding the four premolars 1 ).
Nose, lips, eyelids : Lack of pigment.
Ears : Falling or half erect.
Coat : Long or soft or silky , i.e. an obviously «long-haired » type of coat; fringes of long hair on the ears, behind the limbs etc.; total lack of undercoat.
Colour : Any coat colour except black (apart from grey, brownish or reddish lights) or with very small white marks even on the toes.
Weight : Clearly outside the designated limits.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fu1ly descended into the scrotum.



THE OLD BELGIUM STANDARD

SCHIPPERKETRANSLATION : Mrs Peggy Davis
ORIGIN : Belgium
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 19.05.1988
UTILIZATION :Watchdog and Companion, can be used for hunting.
FCI'S CLASSIFICATION : Group 1 Shepherd and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs)
Section 1 Sheepdogs
Without Working Trial
GENERAL APPEARANCE - APTITUDES : Excellent and faithfull little guard dog, wary of strangers. Active, agile, tireless, always busy with what goes on around him, very protective of objects given to him to guard, very kind with children, knows the ways of the household, always curious to know what goes on behind a door or an object which is going to be moved, betraying his impressions by his sharp bark and upstanding ruff; seeks the company of horses, hunts moles and other vermins; can be used to hunt, indicates rabbit warrens, chases these and the hare in the copse.
COLOUR : All black.
HEAD : Fox-like. Forehead quite broad, narrowing towards the eyes; seen in profile, is slightly rounded; muzzle pointed, not too long, not too much stop.
NOSE : Small.
EYE : Dark brown, full, more oval than round, neither sunken or too prominent, lively and piercing.
EARS : Stiffly erect, small, triangular, placed high; lobes strong enough, so that they cannot fold other than lengthwise, excessively mobile, closer to each other when erect.
TEETH : Perfectly adapted.
NECK : Strong, carried upright.
BODY : Short and stocky.
SHOULDERS : Oblique and mobile.
CHEST : Broad on the front, broad behind the shoulders and deep, belly quite tucked up.
BACK : Straight, horizontal, looks higher in front because of the ruff.
LOIN : Broad and strong.
LEGS : Perfectly straight and well under the body, fine boned.
FEET : Small, round and tight; the nails straight, strong and short, not claw like.
THIGHS : Very broad, long and well muscled, hocks low to the ground.
TAIL : No tail.
COAT : Abundant and harsh to the touch, smooth on the ears, short on the head, the front of the legs and the hocks; quite short on the body, but longer around the neck, starting from the outer edge of the ears; forms a ruff and jabot; extending down between the front legs; also longer on the back of the thighs, where it forms culottes of which the points turn inwards.
WEIGHT : a) From 3 to 5 kg
b) From 5 to 8 kg
Dogs weighing less than 3 kg. and those weighing more than 9 kg will not be given awards at shows.
FAULTS : Light eye, ears too long or rounded, narrow head and elongated, or bulging or too short, not enough coat, wavy or silky, absence of ruff and culotte, coat too long, badly set teeth.
DISQUALIFICATIONS : Semi-erect ears, white hairs from birth, prognathism (overshot or undershot).
N.B.: Males shoud have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.


THE ENGLISH STANDARD​

SCHIPPERKE Kennel Club, London 1994 GENERAL APPEARANCE - Small cobby active dog, with sharp foxy expression.CHARACTERISTICS - Intensely lively and alert.
TEMPERAMENT - Amenable, intelligent and faithful.
HEAD AND SKULL - Skull not round, but fairly broad, flat, with little stop.  Muzzle moderate in length, fine but not weak, well filled under eyes.  Nose black and small.
EYES - Dark brown, more oval than round, not full; bright, most expressive.
EARS - Moderate length, not too broad at base, tapering to a point.  Carried stiffly erect and strong enough not to be bent otherwise than lengthways.
MOUTH - Jaws strong, with perfect regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
NECK - Strong and full, rather short, set broad on shoulders, slightly arched.
FOREQUARTERS - Shoulders muscular and sloping.  Legs perfectly straight, well under the body, bone in proportion to the body.
BODY - Chest broad and deep in brisket.  Back short, straight and strong.  Loins powerful, well drawn up from brisket.
HINDQUARTERS - Fine compared with forequarters; muscular and well-developed thighs; well rounded rump.  Legs strong, muscular, hocks well let down.
FEET - Small, cat-like, and standing well on the toes.
TAIL - Preferably docked.
GAIT/MOVEMENT - Short, brisk stride, moving true fore and aft.
COAT - Abundant, dense and harsh; smooth on head, ears and legs; lying close on back and side; erect and thick round neck, forming a mane and frill; with good culottes on the back of thighs.
COLOUR - Usually black but other whole colours permissible.
SIZE - 
Weight: about 5.4-7.3 kg (12-16 lbs)
FAULTS - Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
NOTE - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. Non-Sporting Group     A.N.K.C.  ©   January 1998