'What kind of dog is that?' you are probably asking yourself.
Ebony (pictured & who passed away in March of '99) was my first Schipperke. The breed name is pronounced 'Skipper-Key' & are originally from Belgium. Schipperke is Flemish for "Little Captain". They are used as guard dogs & rat catchers on barges and ships.
They are the only breed of dog that has ALL types of hair - long, short, feathering on the hips. No tails - those get in the way on a barge or ship. They are docked at birth.
They are always (supposed to be) black (well, I HAVE seen a couple of blonde ones!), have the pointy ears and fox-like faces. When they are puppies, they look like little bear cubs or fox pups. I've had my share of amazed stares over the years from people in cars next to me who spot my dog and then mouth "Is that a fox?!" or "Is that a bear?!" through closed car windows.
These are very smart dogs and loyal to family. They also have the kickname "LBD" - Little Black Devil. They are quite energetic! Many owners call their Schips 'Taz' - short for Tasmanian Devil. These dogs love to run & NASCAR (running around the house doing figure 8's, etc.). Once they get past 3 years, they start to calm down a bit.
I have now owned 3 of them - or should I say three of them have owned ME! You do become a Schip-Slave...."Get me the dog treats!" "I need more belly rubs - now!". I will never own another breed of dog - Schips are wonderful, funny, entertaining and loving. |
