How to Adopt a Schipperke

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Selecting a Schipperke to join your family will give you a wonderful companion and a high-spirited little dog who does not realize he is only 12 inches tall. Keep these breed characteristics in mind when choosing and caring for this great little dog.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Be sure you can commit to a dog that will be around for a long time. Schipperkes can live up to 18 years.
Step 2

Control how often and how much they eat. Eating is a favorite past time of most Schipperkes. Unlike other breeds of dogs, they often do not know when to stop eating, so it is your job to regulate their intake. An overweight Schipperke can have hip and heart problems.
Step 3

Provide a place where your Schipperke can run around (supervised), or make sure you can walk him several times a day. This breed needs a good amount of exercise.
Step 4

Vacuum daily to keep up with the frequent shedding of your Schipperke's black hair.
Step 5

Brush your dog weekly and bathe him monthly. Otherwise, minimal grooming is needed. Schipperkes are fastidious dogs who groom themselves almost like a cat, and with no hair clipping needed, the breed is low maintenance in this respect.

Tips & Warnings

Supervising your Schipperke will become second nature to you after yours has dug under your fence and escaped from the backyard. This breed is curious and always wants to see what is on the other side of the fence.
Trusting a Schipperke off a leash is a recipe for disaster. Once they take off, they run until they tire, and that can take a good, long while. A Schipperke often mistakes itself for a Greyhound.
Despite their somewhat tough attitude, Schipperkes are sensitive and do not react kindly to being spoken to in a harsh manner. You may find yourself being scolded back by a 12-inch-tall furry black beast!