The Schapendoes () or Dutch Sheepdog, is a

breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

originating in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. The Schapendoes was originally a

herding dog A herding dog, also known as a stock dog, shepherd dog, sheep dog or working dog, is a Dog type, type of dog that either has been trained in herding or belongs to dog breed, breeds that are developed for herding. Herding behavior All herd ...

and general farm dog, but today also participates in dog sports such as agility and flyball.

History

The Schapendoes descends from a general type of farm and herding dog popular in the

Drenthe Drenthe () is a province of the Netherlands located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and the German state of Lower Saxony to the east. As of Nov ...

province of the Netherlands, and the

Veluwe The Veluwe () is a forest-rich ridge of hills (1100 km2) in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. The Veluwe features many different landscapes, including woodland, heath, some small lakes and Europe's largest sand drifts. The Ve ...

, an area of forests and swampland. ("does" is a local dialect meaning "swamp" see e.g. the town of

Doesburg Doesburg () is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands in the province of Gelderland. Doesburg received city rights in 1237 and had a population of in . The city is situated on the right bank of river IJssel, at the confluence of ...

) The dogs there had many names, and were not a specific breed as we use the term today. They were the local working dog, adapted to the people, environment, and types of work needed. They were exhibited in early dog shows (in the 1870s) as ''Domestic herding dog''. The dogs became nearly extinct during World War II, and the modern day breed descends from the few survivors. The Dutch ''

Raad van Beheer Raad van Beheer op Kynologisch Gebied in Nederland (English: Dutch Kennel Club (DKC)) is the official kennel club of the Netherlands. Founded in 1902, it currently represents around 200 breed clubs with 150,000 members, and is a member of the F� ...

'' (national kennel club) first recognised the breed in 1952, and the first standard was written in 1954. Related breeds are the

Bearded Collie The Bearded Collie, or Beardie, is a herding breed of dog once used primarily by Scottish shepherds, but now mostly a popular family companion. Bearded Collies have an average weight of . Males are around tall at the withers while females are ...

, the Puli, the

Polish Lowland Sheepdog The Polish Lowland Sheepdog ( pl, Polski Owczarek Nizinny, also PON), is a medium-sized, shaggy-coated, sheep dog breed native to Poland. Description Appearance The PON is a muscular, thick-coated dog. The double coat can be of any color or p ...

(Owczarek Nizinny), the

Old English Sheepdog The Old English Sheepdog is a large breed of dog that emerged in England from early types of herding dog. Obsolete names for the breed include Shepherd's Dog and . The nickname ''Bob-tail'' (or ''Bobtail'') originates from how dogs of the breed ...

, the

Briard The Briard or is a French breed of large shepherd dog, traditionally used both for herding sheep and to defend them. It was first shown at the first Paris dog show, in 1863; the first Briard to be registered in the ''Livre des Origines Franç ...

, the

Bergamasco Shepherd The Bergamasco Shepherd, it, Cane da Pastore Bergamasco, italic=no, is an Italian breed of sheepdog. It originated in the Alpi e Prealpi Bergamasche, where it was used as a herding dog for both sheep and cattle. History The origins of the P ...

(Cane da pastore Bergamasco) and the Old German Sheepdog (Schafspudel), all of which are small versions of the "mountain type" herding and

livestock guardian dogs A livestock guardian dog (LGD) is a dog type bred for the purpose of protecting livestock from predators. Livestock guardian dogs stay with the group of animals they protect as a full-time member of the flock or herd. Their ability to guard t ...

. The breed was recognised by the

Fédération Cynologique Internationale The Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI) (English: International Canine Federation) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs. It is based in Thuin, Belgium. History The FCI was founded in 1911 under the auspices ...

in 1971, as breed number 313 in Group 1, Section 1: Sheepdogs. Exported to the North America, the breed is recognised by the

Canadian Kennel Club The Canadian Kennel Club (or CKC), founded in 1888 and chartered under the Animal Purebred Act, is one of the national kennel clubs of Canada. It maintains breed registries services for those purebred dogs approved for its control by Agriculture ...

(as Dutch Sheepdog) and the

United Kennel Club The United Kennel Club (UKC) is a kennel club founded in 1898 in the United States. In contrast with the American Kennel Club, which is non-profit and which only clubs can join, the United Kennel Club is a profit-making corporation, open to indivi ...

(USA) in their respective

Herding Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group (herd), maintaining the group, and moving the group from place to place—or any combination of those. Herding can refer either to the process of animals forming herds in ...

groups. The

American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kenn ...

has listed the Schapendoes as part of its Foundation Stock Service, the first step in breed recognition.Schapendoes, American Kennel Club
/ref> Additionally, it is recognised by numerous minor kennel clubs and internet-based dog registry businesses.

Appearance

The Schapendoes is a medium-sized dog with long, thick fur on the body, legs, tail, and face. Small ears hang down, covered with long fur. The face has a moustache and beard. The

coat A coat typically is an outer garment for the upper body as worn by either gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front and closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles, a ...

is of any colour. Nederlandse-schapendoes-01

Height is up to 50 cm (19.7 in) at the

withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle ar ...

and 12–20 kg (26–44 lb), up to 25 kg (55 lb) for males, in weight.

Temperament

The breed standard describes the Schapendoes as friendly, high spirited, and affectionate. He is not a guard dog or aggressively protective, and if properly socialised while young, would most likely make a good family dog, as well as a good dog for active sports. Lively and intelligent dogs must receive regular training and outings. Temperament of individual dogs may vary. The Schapendoes is furthermore very independent and will cooperate with its trainer, rather than obey orders.

Health

Health problems or claims of exceptional health have not been documented for this breed. Before acquiring a puppy, make sure that sire and dame have all health clearances.

References

External links