688 The Dog Book 



There are two clubs which support the breed in England, each having a 

 standard, that of the St. Hubert club being the more regular as it is a trans- 

 lation of the one adopted by the Belgian club, and the members of that club 

 certainly ought to know something about the dog of their own country. 



Descriptive Particulars 



Character and General appearance. — ^The schipperke is an excellent and 

 faithful little watchdog, who does not readily make friends with strangers. 

 He is very active, always on the alert and very courageous in defending 

 objects left in his charge, but always gentle with children. A characteristic 

 peculiarity of the breed is their exceeding inquisitiveness and lively interest 

 in everything going on about them, their excitement being expressed by 

 sharp barks and the bristling mane. They are game and good vermin dogs. 



Colour. — Self-coloured: black. 



Head. — Foxy. Nose small. Eye dark brown, small, oval rather than 

 round, neither deep-set nor prominent, lively and keen. Teeth very white, 

 strong and quite level. Ears quite erect, small, triangular and set on high. 

 Of sufficient substance that they cannot be folded otherwise than length- 

 wise, and very mobile. 



Necky shoulders and chest. — Neck strong, full and carried upright. 

 Shoulders sloping and with easy action. Chest broad in front and well let 

 down. 



Body. — Back straight but supple. Loins broad and powerful. Body 

 short and thickset. Ribs well spring; rather drawn up in loin. 



Fore legs. — Quite straight, fine and well under the body. 



Feet. — Small, round, well-knuckled up; nails straight, strong, short. 



Hindquarters. — Thighs powerful and very muscular; hocks well let 

 down. 



Tail. — Absent. 



Coat. — Dense and harsh, smooth on the ears, short on the head, the 

 front of the forelegs and hocks (sic), and rather short on the body, but pro- 

 fuse round the neck, commencing from behind the ears, forming a mane and 

 frill on the chest. This longer coat loses itself between the fore legs. The 

 back of the thighs are feathered, forming the "culotte," the fringe of which 

 is turned inwards. 



