Schapendoes

Schapendoes d' Escaut vivant



	The Nederlandse Schapendoes is a herding dog which was used for herding flocks of sheep and which
	is still used in the same capacity today. As pasture for sheep is situated mainly in quiet, lonely areas of
	the country, it is necessary for the Schapendoes to be equipped with great endurance, mobility and
	speed. A great facility for jumping is essential, as well as intelligence and the ability to act on his own
	He has to be a true herding dog in character, body and soul.

	Classification FCI
Home	Group 1: Sheepdogs and Cattle-dogs (except Swiss cattle-dogs).
	Section 1: Sheepdogs. Without working trial.
Onze honden 1	At the end of the last and beginning of this century, the Nederlandse Schapendoes occurred everywhere
Onze honden 2	in the region of the Netherlands where there was heathland and where there were herds or flocks of
Onze honden 3	sheep. The shepherds valued him for the tireless pleasure he took in his work and for his intelligence.
Onze honden 4	He belongs to the wide-ranging group of longhaired herding breeds which have densely coated heads.
	He is related to the Bearded Collie, the Puli, the Owczarek Nizinny, the Bobtail, the Briard, the
	Bergamasker and the German Schafpudel of the variety which occurs in Hessen, Odenwald and the
	Niederrhein district. All these similar dogs are smaller mutations of mountain dogs.The canine authority,
Puppies	P.M.C. Toepoel, is the founder of this breed. During the Second World War, he knew how to rouse
	interest in the breed.During the years from 1940 to 1945 specimen of the almost vanished Schapendoes
De schapendoes	were used for breeding from wherever they could be found.The Breed Club for Nederlandse
	Schapendoes was founded in the year 1947 and in 1952 the breed was provisionally recognised by
Biologische	the Raad van Beheer.In 1954 the standard was set up and a Studbook started.Definite recognition
kwekerij	followed in the year 1971. Since then only registered dogs have been bred from.

Links	*General appearance*
	The Nederlandse Schapendoes is a lightly built, long coated dog with a height at withers of 40 to 50 cm
Email	His movement is effortless and springly. He is a remarkable jumper.
	*Size*
	Height at the withers:
	Males: 43 - 50 cm
	Females: 40 - 47 cm
	*Temperament*
	The Schapendoes is a normally and harmonically constructed herding dog with an attentive and
	courageous character. He is intelligent, watchful, jolly, lively, friendly and high spirited. Towards people
	familiar to him, he develops great affection and loyalty.
	*Coat*
	The Schapendoes has a thick coat with sufficient undercoat. The coat is long, a good 7 cm or more in
	the region of the hindquarters. It is not smooth, but lightly waved. Definitely curly, frizzy hair is not
	permitted. The hairs grows very densely together; they are fine and dry, but above all, never silky.
	The coat, where it is long, is inclined to stand off in tufts, giving the Schapendoes a large girth,
	especially at the rear. The Schapendoes has a tremendous top knot, moustache and beard.
	*Colour*
	All colours are permitted. Preference is given to bleu-grey to black.
	*Head*
	The abundant growth of hair gives the head the appearance of looking bigger and, in parcticular,
	broader. The skull is almost flat with a moderate frontal furrow and strongly defined superciliary arches.
	It is fairly broad in proportion to its length: the width is slightly greater than the distance between the
	stop and the occiput. The stop is clearly defined, but not steep. The muzzle is shorter than the distance
	between the stop and the occiput. The foreface tapers hardly, remains deep and ends broadly, being
	only slightly rounded at its end. Seen from the side, with jaw closed, the lower jaw must be clearly
	visable. The bridge of the nose is placed a little lower than the line of the skull. The zygomatic arches of
	the cheeks are strongly prominent. The Schapendoes has a normally developed scissor bite.
	The eyes are fairly large, round and set into the socket in a normal position. They are placed more in
	front than the side of the head. Their colour is brown; they should not give the impression of being
	black. The white of the eye should only be visable when the dog looks hard to one side. The expression
	is open minded, honest and lively. Shape, colour and expression are very characteristic for the breed.
	The ears are set on fairly high and are neither large nor fleshy. They hang free, but not to close to the
	head. They are amply feathered and mobile, but should not protrude beyond the outline of the skull.
	*Neck*
	The head is carried high on a strong, clean neck.
	*Body*
	The Schapendoes is slightly longer than high. The skeleton is fine boned, pliable and elastic. The topline
	is curved over a strong muscular loin. The chest is deep. The ribs are moderately to well sprung; they
	reach far back. The belly is not to tucked up. The loins are muscular. The underline is not to tucked up.
	*Forequarters*
	The front legs are straight and lightly boned. Good angulation of the front legs should emphasize the
	forechest. The forefeet are fairly large and elastic, broad and oval in shape. The toes are thightly
	bunched. The pads are thick and springy, with plentyful hair between them.
	*Hindquarters*
	The pelvis is in a well slanted position. The hocks are moderately angulated, well muscled. The hindfeet
	are fairly large and elastic, broad and oval in shape. The toes are thightly bunched. The pads are thick
	and springy, with plentyful hair between them. Dewclaws are permitted.
	*Tail*
	The tail is long, well coated and feathered. The manner and way in which the dog carries his tail is
	characteristic of the breed. In repose it hangs downwards. When trotting, the tail is carried fairly high
	and swings slightly curved from one side to the other. When galloping, it is stretched out straight. When
	jumping, the tail definitely serves as a rudder. When the dog is allert, the tail may sometimes be raised
	high. It should, however, never be stiffly carried over the back.
	*Gait*
	In its work, the Schapendoes gallops rather than trots, so his movement must be lightly footed and
	springy without excessive use of energy. He must be able to jump well and turn swiftly.
	*Eliminating faults*
	Any dog, clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities should be disqualified.
	*Note*
	Male animals should have two apperently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.