The Schipperke isn’t particularly common in the USA, so you might not have even heard of them before! They’re a small to medium-sized dog with pointed ears and a sleek, smooth coat, and they hail from Belgium. Although most people who know them associate them with the color black, they actually come in a wide variety of colors.
People might think that because they’re small, they’re suited to lounging around an apartment all day. Not true! Despite their small size, the Schipperke has boundless energy and will need some good exercise every day. A fenced-in backyard is best, but you can achieve this with a long walk every day too. If you get a Schipperke and let them lounge around without meeting their needs, you can expect to have a destructive pup on your hands. Bored dogs will find something to do on their own, and you may not like what they find!
Schipperke – An Energetic Dog
This dog is confident and fearless. Although they’re intelligent, they want to go their own way in life. This means they may not be great for a first-time owner. It takes time to encourage them to listen to you. The fact that they’re so fearless often means they’ll try to run off on their own. If you want a good dog for off-leash hiking, the Schipperke is not for you! A long leash can be a very valuable tool in training recall, as well as figuring out what they consider to be a high-value reward. It may be a tasty snack like cheese or their favorite toy. Still, their recall may take many months to be even remotely reliable.
The Schipperke is a great dog when trained right, but they do need the right home to make it happen. You will quickly fall in love with this breed.
