Schapendoes

The Schapendoes is a light, shaggy Dutch herding dog — an agile sheepdog under a long coat, and a breed rebuilt almost from scratch after the Second World War.

History

It worked sheep in the Netherlands as an ordinary farm dog rather than a pedigree one, and was nearly lost when border collies displaced it and the war finished the job. A Dutch breeder gathered the remaining dogs in the 1940s, and the modern population descends from that effort.

Temperament

The breed is known for being cheerful, lively and affectionate, attentive to its people and easy with children. It is a spirited worker rather than a placid companion, and it jumps unusually well.

Care and training

It needs regular exercise and enjoys agility and herding work. The long coat needs brushing weekly to stay clear of mats, more during a moult. Training suits its willingness; harshness does not.

Health

A carefully managed gene pool has kept it relatively sound, with hip dysplasia and an inherited eye condition among the known tendencies. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.