The Schipperke, Belgium's "little captain," is the traditional barge dog of the Low Countries. Curious, lively, and intense but mischievous, this little black dog is a robust, long-lived companion for whom there is never a dull moment.

The bubonic plague, or Black Death, was unleashed in 1348 by the humble rat flea. The plague decimated the people of Europe and before the connection was made between the plague and rats, half of all Europeans — by some estimates 40 or 50 million — suffered an unspeakably gruesome death. In the wake of such horrors, Europe's long obsession [...]

Dedicated to the Schipperke breed, professional breeder and handler Krista Nuovo-Roe of DeLamer Schipperkes has been involved with dogs since she was a child. Since then she has grown into a serious competitor who has worked extremely hard to produce champion dogs. While Nuovo-Roe began working with a different, much larger type of breed, the [...]

Much has been talked about and written of late about a disturbing trend evident at dog shows: poor sportsmanship. We’ve all heard comments such as “Well, handlers always win with that judge,” or “I can’t believe that dog won the breed,” or “Can you believe what [...]

Alopecia X is a non-inflammatory hair cycle abnormality that typically affects double-coated breeds like the Pomeranian and other arctic dog breeds. Affected dogs start losing their outer guard hairs as a young adult. The disease progresses to what veterinarians call bilaterally symmetrical alopecia – complete hair loss on the trunk that spares the head and extremities [...]

AKC Breeder of Merit and Bred with H.E.A.R.T. breeder Beth Lilly, owner of Safari Schipperkes, fell in love with her first Schipperke, Smokey, more than 30 years ago. At first, she was “just your average pet owner.” But with encouragement from a friend, she became a dedicated fancier and in the past [...]

Senior dogs really can do it all. On Friday, March 15, Carol Davis and her 12-year-old Schipperke, Misty, won the 2019 AKC Rally National Championship. "I can't tell you how good it feels," Davis says. "The past three years, we've always placed second. Today we got first." Davis says she plans to celebrate with her cheering section [...]

When most people think of boisterous, outdoorsy dogs, they think of the larger working and sporting breeds. Dogs like Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers are popular choices for those looking for an outgoing, extroverted dog. But there are a lot of small breeds with some pretty big personalities. Not all small breeds are satisfied being [...]

The 143rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, presented by Purina® Pro Plan® awarded one dog in each of the seven groups Best in Group. Some of these winning breeds, like the Wire Fox Terrier, have won their group 23 times. Yet others, like the Schipperke and Havanese, won their groups for the first time. Best in [...]

Ever hesitate to bring up a hard-to-pronounce foreign name because you’re afraid you’ll pull a Travolta and totally butcher it? To help you avoid these uncomfortable moments, WOOFipedia presents this handy pronunciation guide to five breeds whose names you’re embarrassed to say aloud at the dog park. Entlebucher Mountain Dog ENT-leh-boo-cur This [...]