Page 310 - ShowSight - October 2019
P. 310

                THE TALE OF THE TAIL
“The small, fox-like Schipperke is known for its mischievous expression and distinctive black coat, which stands off from the body and is harsh to the touch. This enthusiastic, joyful, and sometimes willful dog has a thickset, cobby body, and lacks a tail. Although historically a watchdog and vermin hunter, today this ageless breed enjoys competing in conforma- tion, agility and a variety of other dog sports, often well
into its teens.”
The verbiage used to describe all standards is signifi-
cant. The wording used in the Schipperke standard is essential. Those words, whether nouns, adjectives, verbs or adverbs bring to us an image of our breed, the Schip- perke. To look at and capture that visual image we must be able “to perceive as a picture in the mind, rather than as an abstract idea”.
When presented with a new Standard and the learn- ing process begins, our mind views the entire physical presence. As future judges, we see the entire dog. We have this picture captured and stored away to be utilized when followed by the written language.
The standard for the Schipperke begins with “the general appearance”.
“The Schipperke is an agile, active watchdog and hunter of vermin. In appearance he is a small, thickset, cobby, black, tailless dog, with a fox-like face. The dog is square in profile and possesses a distinctive coat, which includes a stand-out ruff, cape and culottes. All of these create a unique silhouette, appearing to slope from shoulders to croup. Males are decidedly masculine without coarseness. Bitches are decidedly feminine without over refinement. Any deviation from the ideal described in the standard should be penalized to the extent of the deviation. Faults common to all breeds are as undesirable in the Schipperke as in any other breed, even though such faults may not be specifically mentioned in the standard.”
Honestly, this one paragraph says it all. Let’s look at the descriptive words used in the very first sentence to portray this one small dog.
Agile, active, watchdog, hunter, small, thickset, cobby, black, tailless, fox-like.
BY JO PATRICK
 308 • ShowSight Magazine, october 2019























































































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