Known for their curiosity and intelligence, the purebred mini schipperke has a distinct look and personality. When properly trained, they can offer superb security for your home, but beware that if left untamed, they can be a handful of barks and a ball of energy.

History of the mini schipperke

Native to Belgium, this breed served as a guard for boatman at the docks of Dutch canals. Due to their ability to detect danger, their genealogy is thought to have originated from the black sheep dog. As a smaller version of the sheep dog, they are equipped with quick agile movements. This characteristic, along with their discrete all black coat, made them a perfect snitch.

They wouldn’t transition from employee to playmate until 1885 when Queen Marie Henriette spotted one at a dog pageant and found them adorable. Since then, the mini schipperke grew as a fashionable, tiny and loyal lapdog.

Personality

Naturally confident, this breed needs a dominant yet playful owner. They thrive on obedience and structure to curve their raging energy levels, so expect to get much attention from your mini schipperke. The strong devotion to their owner can lead to enormous suspicions of strangers and other animals. If left to explore their environments on their own, they will assume anything foreign is a threat, and that means constant barking. This breed needs your talent as a dog owner just as much as you need their guard-dog abilities.

Physical Traits

Although mini schipperkes may act big and mighty, their petite size begs to differ. A male can grow to anywhere between 11 to 13 inches tall and weigh 15 to 18 pounds, and a female can grow slightly smaller to 10 to 12 inches tall and weigh 11 to 15 pounds.

Regardless of size, this breed’s statue is quite intimidating and grand. Their foxlike face, pointed ears, broad coat, and slanted back resembles the personality of a noble. The all-black shiny coat depicts a wonderous silhouette formed by a puffed neck and short body hair.

Proper care

Feeding

This active breed works up a big appetite, so they can easily over eat and gain weight if not properly fed. Keeping your pup on a schedule with two meals a day of high-quality dog food will help manage their weight. Between one to two cups of food per meal will satisfy your dog’s hungry and energy levels.

Exercise

To combat potential weight issues, and to limit mischievous behavior due to built up energy, allow your dog at least 30 minutes of high activity a day. This can include 2 short walks daily, which can also be used as social time to meet other dogs and neighbors.

This breed adjusts to any living situation, if they are given much attention and room to run around. If you live in an apartment, then daily walks are essential; however, if you have a yard, some playtime outside can be just as beneficial.

Use exercising time to train your dog; it is a chance to have fun and learn basic obedience. Since they are a stubborn breed, combining leisure activities with rewards will lead to a happy pup and a stress-free owner.

Grooming

You may expect this breed’s thick, black coat to be a big shedding nuisance, but simple maintenance can help keep your house relatively clean and your pet looking and feeling great. A weekly brushing will tackle loose hairs throughout most of the year. In the warmer seasons, about one or twice a year, you may need to increase your brushing, or give your pet a soak to remove their excess hairs. Otherwise, this breed stays clean and odorless, so they require baths only when they get into a messy situation.

Other grooming requires teeth cleaning a few times a week and nail trimming 1-2 times a month. Make sure you start regular grooming early (as a puppy if possible) since this helps your dog become accustom to being touched on the feet and mouth. Keep your grooming on schedule and positive to ensure your dog knows that he is not in trouble, and he does not get frightened of a new routine.