In Flemish dialect, Schipperke means “little shepherd dog”, the FCI standard explains. Around 1690, Brussels shoemakers showed their dogs wearing engraved copper collars in competitions of their own. Black, square, with a ruff and breeches: a sheepdog in miniature that fits any flat, but not every temperament.
| FCI | Group 1 (Sheepdogs and Cattledogs), Section 1 Sheepdogs, Standard No. 83, without working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Belgium |
| Height at the withers | Not specified in the FCI standard |
| Weight | 3 to 9 kg, aiming for an average of 4 to 7 kg |
| Life expectancy | Median 14,2 years in a British analysis of 584.734 dogs (McMillan et al. 2024) |
| Coat | Abundant, dense, straight and rather harsh, with dense, soft undercoat; ruff, mane, apron and breeches |
| Colours according to the standard | Solid black; undercoat may be dark grey if concealed by the outer coat, a little age-related greying tolerated |
Related to the larger Belgians
According to the standard, a small, mostly black shepherd dog called the “Leuvenaar” is thought to be the shared ancestor of the Schipperke and Belgian Shepherd Dog, including the Malinois. It was renowned for hunting mice, rats and moles. First shown in Spa in 1882, it reached England and America in 1887; its club, founded in 1888, is considered Belgium’s oldest breed club.
An alert dog that misses nothing
The standard calls it an excellent little watchdog with exuberant vitality, reserved towards strangers, tireless and always curious about what is happening behind a door. It fiercely defends things entrusted to it and should be very gentle with children. It expresses its impressions in a high-pitched voice, with mane raised. Teach calmness at the doorbell early and patiently.
What this little sheepdog needs to do
Nimble, agile and tireless: a few trips around the block are not enough. Agility, search games, trick training and mouse holes to investigate suit its nature. Without a task, it finds one of its own.
Ruff, breeches and tail
The harsh outer coat over dense undercoat forms the characteristic ruff and rear breeches. Weekly brushing is usually enough, more often during shedding. The standard says the tail was probably docked completely as early as the 15th century. Today it describes the natural tail; some puppies are born tailless or with a bobtail, and this is not penalised.
Genetic tests and small samples
The lifespan of 14,2 years rests on only 76 dogs with 28 deaths, with a confidence interval of 12,7 to 15,8 years. Mucopolysaccharidosis IIIB, a progressive storage disease of the nervous system, is better documented: of 3.219 genotyped Schipperkes, 1,5 per cent were affected and 23,6 per cent were healthy carriers; figures fell substantially after genetic testing became available (Raj et al. 2020). In Norwegian laboratory data, the breed was among the four with the highest diabetes risk, although based on just ten cases (Ringstad et al. 2022). Symmetrical hair loss resembling alopecia X has also been described (May et al. 2019).
A good fit if
you want a robust small dog with plenty of energy, enjoy training outdoors and appreciate a watchdog with a sense of humour.
Choose another breed if
you live somewhere with poor sound insulation, a vocal dog irritates you or you can manage only short walks after work.
The breed quiz can help you decide whether a little watchdog with this much energy truly suits you; our book offers more detail: “Welcher Hund passt WIRKLICH zu dir?” (book in German). For puppyhood, there is the free Puppy Starter Pack. A black coat and ruff look particularly bold on a magazine cover on canvas; see all the options among our dog portraits.
Further reading
- Malinois: a service dog that ends up in the living room
- Autumn shedding in dogs and cats: what is normal and what is not
- Puppy biting: teaching bite inhibition without spoiling the fun
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI-Standard Nr. 83 Schipperke (fci.be, German version dated 20.01.2010; original language French); Raj K, Ellinwood NM, Giger U, An exonic insertion in the NAGLU gene causing Mucopolysaccharidosis IIIB in Schipperke dogs, Scientific Reports 2020; Ringstad NK, Lingaas F, Thoresen SI, Breed distributions for diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism in Norwegian dogs, Canine Medicine and Genetics 2022; May ER, Frank LA, Sula MM, Description and characterization of a hair coat disorder in schipperkes, Veterinary Dermatology 2019; McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024.
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