Schipperke Dog Breed Information

The Schipperke is the small black “little captain” of Belgian canal barges, bred for 400 years as a watchdog and ratter on commercial vessels and tradesmen’s premises in Brussels and Antwerp. NZ’s Schipperke population is small (well outside the council registration top 50), but the breed has a loyal NZ following on lifestyle blocks, waterfront properties and rural Canterbury households where the alertness, the weather-proof coat and the working drive earn their keep. Most NZ Schipperkes come through a small handful of registered NZKC breeders.

Adults stand 25 to 33 cm at the shoulder and weigh 3 to 9 kg, with the NZKC standard preferring the 5 to 7 kg range. The coat is double, harsh, stand-off, and always solid black under the breed standard, with the trademark ruff around the neck and shoulders, culottes on the back legs, and a fox-like face with small triangular ears that stand fully erect. Lifespan is 13 to 16 years, one of the longer ranges among NZ small breeds.

Personality and behaviour

Schipperkes are alert, confident and busy. The breed was selected as a working watchdog, and the modern dog still defaults to the role: a Schipperke notices everything, barks at the unfamiliar, and treats the household as a small territory to patrol. Most adult Schipperkes have a clear “my person” while staying engaged with the rest of the household, and the breed bonds hard.

With strangers the default is suspicion rather than enthusiasm. A Schipperke will warm to people once introduced but rarely greets visitors with the indiscriminate friendliness of a Cavalier or a Boston. With other dogs the breed is variable; same-sex disputes among adult Schipperkes are not uncommon, and early socialisation matters. Cats raised with the breed are usually fine; small pets (rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens) trigger the prey drive that the breed was selected for as a ratter.

The defining behavioural trait is the bark. Schipperkes score at the high end of barking among small dogs and were selected for it. A Schipperke alerts on visitors, on noises in the night, on cats next door, and on anything unfamiliar in the yard. Lifestyle block owners often value the trait; apartment dwellers in shared-wall buildings often regret it.

What surprises new owners is the energy. A Schipperke is not a Pomeranian; the breed wants 60 minutes a day of structured exercise plus mental work, and underexercised dogs get destructive and louder. The other surprise is the agility: the breed is small but genuinely athletic, climbs over fences a Pug could not approach, and slips out of poorly latched gates with regularity.

Care and exercise

Plan on around 60 minutes of structured exercise a day, split between two walks plus active off-lead time on a lifestyle block or fenced park. The breed enjoys scent work, agility, food puzzles and rural ratter duty (mice, rats and possums on a lifestyle block are all targets). On a boat the breed self-exercises with curiosity and patrol, and many waterfront NZ households find the Schipperke needs less structured exercise than expected.

Grooming is straightforward. The double coat sheds moderately year-round and heavily for two to three weeks in spring and autumn. A twice-weekly brush with a slicker brush keeps the loose coat in check during normal periods, daily during seasonal shed. The harsh stand-off topcoat sheds water cleanly after rain or a swim, which is one reason the breed suits NZ waterfront life. Bathing every 6 to 8 weeks is enough; over-bathing softens the coat and reduces its weather resistance.

Diet is uncomplicated. A 6 kg adult eats 90 to 140 g of quality dry food a day, split into two meals. The breed gains weight slowly but steadily on free-feeding, and a 1 kg overweight Schipperke is meaningful for the breed’s joint health and longevity.

Watch the prey drive on lifestyle blocks. A Schipperke off-lead near chickens or rabbits will work them on instinct; either fence the small stock properly or train a hard recall before letting the dog roam. The breed is reliable in a fenced area and unreliable outside one.

The breed-specific health item to ask any NZKC breeder about is MPS IIIB, a lysosomal storage disease unique to the Schipperke. A DNA test is available, and reputable breeders test both parents and disclose results in writing. Two carriers should not be bred together. A puppy from cleared or carrier-cleared lines is essentially safe from the disease.

Dental disease is the other ongoing care item. The small jaw retains plaque, and most NZ Schipperkes need weekly dental chews from a young age plus an annual professional descale from around age 6 at NZ$400 to NZ$800 per cleaning under anaesthetic. The breed lives 13 to 16 years, so dental care across the lifespan adds up to a meaningful line in the lifetime budget.

Climate fit across NZ is generally good. The double coat handles Otago and Southland winters easily and the harsh stand-off topcoat sheds water cleanly after rain. Auckland and Northland summers need management with shade, water access and morning or evening walks because the dense coat traps heat. Wellington and Christchurch suit the breed year-round.

NZKC-registered Schipperkes typically run NZ$2,000 to NZ$3,500 from the small group of NZ breeders, with a 6 to 18 month waitlist common for a litter. Adoption through small-breed rescue is rare; most surrendered Schipperkes go to existing breed contacts before reaching the SPCA. Council registration is required by 12 weeks under the Dog Control Act. The DIA national dog database holds the record; your local council issues the tag and the annual fee.