Schapendoes

The Schapendoes is a medium-sized herding dog that comes from the Netherlands. It was developed to shift sheep over open heathland, so the breed relies on stamina and sharp turns rather than bulk. It moves with a light, springy trot that covers ground easily.

The coat is the giveaway: long and slightly wavy, falling forward over the eyes and softening the whole face. Underneath all that hair sits a lean, athletic dog with moderate bone. Adults typically stand 40 to 50 cm at the shoulder and weigh 12 to 25 kg.

Temperament-wise, the Schapendoes is friendly, good-natured, and sharp. It attaches closely to its family and stays busy and upbeat. Because it enjoys working things out, it does well in dog sports such as agility and obedience, both popular at Dogs New Zealand clubs around the country.

Who it suits

This breed fits a household that is around most days and can commit to an hour or more of activity daily. It is a good match for people wanting a partner for walks, tramping, or dog sports, rather than a dog content to lounge on the couch. The coat needs regular brushing, so factor grooming time into the week. Because the Schapendoes is so people-focused, it is not suited to a home where it would be left alone for long stretches, and dog registration and microchipping rules under the Dog Control Act apply wherever you live in New Zealand.

The Schapendoes took shape in the Netherlands as a working sheepdog on heathland and small farms. For generations, shepherds valued it for what it could do rather than how it looked, so type differed from district to district. The name itself simply means sheep dog in Dutch, a nod to its everyday job of moving and minding flocks.

It sits within a broader group of shaggy-coated European herding breeds that also includes the Bearded Collie, the Puli, and the Bergamasco. These dogs share a weatherproof coat and a body built for quick work on rough ground. Because the Schapendoes stayed a regional farm dog for so long, little formal record of it exists from before the twentieth century.

Dutch cynologist Pieter van der Sande took up the breed's cause in the 1940s. Numbers had fallen away sharply during the Second World War, when breeding all but stopped, and a small surviving group formed the basis of the recovery.

A Dutch breed club followed in 1947, along with a formal standard. The Raad van Beheer, the Dutch kennel body, recognised the breed, and the Federation Cynologique Internationale followed suit later. Numbers in New Zealand remain modest, with the breed here mostly tracing back to occasional imports cleared under MPI's biosecurity and import health standards rather than an established local line.

The Schapendoes is a touch longer than it is tall, with a lean frame and moderate bone throughout. The overall look is of an agile, light-footed dog rather than a solid one. Plenty of hair on the head forms a topknot, moustache, and beard, and the long coat falls forward over the eyes. The tail carries generous feathering, held low at rest and lifted on the move.

Coat and colours

The coat is what defines the breed. It is long, dry to the touch, and slightly wavy, with a dense undercoat that copes well with wet weather, handy given how changeable New Zealand's climate can be. Hair can run to 7 cm or more on the body and builds up into the distinctive facial furnishings. The texture should be functional rather than silky, and a slight curl is fine within the standard.

Any colour is allowed, though shades from blue-grey through to black turn up most often, and some dogs carry white markings. The coat mats easily if left, so regular grooming matters, particularly behind the ears, under the legs, and around the rear end.

The Schapendoes is an affectionate, lively dog that wants to be wherever the family is. It attaches closely to its people and tends to trail them from room to room. Around children it is generally good-natured, and it usually gets on with other dogs when it has been raised and socialised properly.

Strangers get a watchful welcome. The Schapendoes will often bark to flag a visitor, but it is no guard dog and warms up fast once introductions are made. Its herding background comes through in a tendency to watch movement closely and react to it, which can tip into chasing or circling if the dog is not given a proper outlet.

This is a clever breed that thinks for itself, learns quickly, and can be a bit independent with it, so training works best when it stays varied and engaging. Too little exercise or mental work tends to show up as barking, restlessness, or chewing. Given enough to do and enough company, the Schapendoes settles into a cheerful, steady companion.

Grooming

• Brush the coat properly two to three times a week to head off mats forming in the wavy hair.
• Check behind the ears, under the legs, around the collar, and at the rear first, as tangles start there.
• Bathe only when needed, then dry and brush the coat out fully so it does not mat while drying.
• Trim hair around the eyes and check the ears often for debris and dampness.
• Keep nails trimmed and check the paws after time on rough ground or gravel.

Exercise

• Aim for at least 60 minutes of activity a day, split between walks and free running.
• Add mental work such as training games, scent work, or puzzle feeders.
• The breed does well at agility, flyball, and obedience, all good channels for its energy.
• Give it safe off-lead time in a fenced area, such as a local dog park or a securely fenced section, so it can stretch its legs properly.

Environment

The Schapendoes adapts to a house with a yard or an active apartment household, provided it gets daily exercise and is not left alone for long stretches. The double coat copes well with the cooler, wetter parts of the country, though the dog still needs shade and water during warmer spells further north. Because it is so people-focused, it settles best where it can spend real time with the family rather than out in a kennel run.

The Schapendoes does well on a complete and balanced diet formulated for active medium breeds. As a working-type dog, its calorie needs climb with exercise and drop off in quieter periods, so portions should be adjusted to keep it lean. You should be able to feel the ribs easily without seeing them, and fresh water should be available at all times.

Treats and supplements

Keep treats to around 10 percent of daily calories at most, and factor them into the day's overall portions. Small, low-fat rewards work best for training. A healthy dog on a complete diet usually needs no extra supplements, though a vet may suggest omega-3s or joint support for older or hard-working dogs. Bring in any diet change gradually over about a week to avoid an upset stomach.

The Schapendoes is a robust breed with fewer inherited problems than many pedigree dogs. With good care, most live 12 to 15 years. The gene pool is small but actively managed, and responsible breeders screen for the conditions known to turn up in the breed. Buying from health-tested parents remains the single best way to cut the risk.

Preventive care

• Keep core and recommended vaccinations current.
• Run a year-round parasite programme covering fleas, ticks, and worms.
• Book annual vet check-ups, moving to twice yearly once the dog is a senior.
• Brush the teeth regularly and offer dental chews.
• Keep the dog lean to protect the joints long-term.

The Schapendoes picks things up fast and enjoys having a job to do, which makes training genuinely rewarding. It can also be independent and bore easily, so repetitive drilling tends to backfire. Keep sessions short, varied, and upbeat, and stop while the dog is still keen. It responds well to activities that combine thinking with movement, such as agility and trick work. Broad, early socialisation with people, other animals, and everyday situations helps this naturally watchful dog stay confident rather than reactive.

Basics

1. Start name recognition and a solid recall in a quiet space from a young age.
2. Teach sit, down, and stay using food or toy rewards in short bursts.
3. Build loose-lead walking before the dog has the strength to really pull.
4. Practise calm settling and short periods alone to head off over-attachment.
5. Add a release cue and an interrupt cue to manage the herding instinct to chase.

Responsible breeding of the Schapendoes centres on temperament, working ability, and health, with real care taken over the breed's limited gene pool. Both parents should have hip scores and an eye test done before mating, and most breeders wait until a dog is physically and mentally mature, around two years old. Bitches go into a planned mating programme rather than being bred at their first season.

Gestation runs about 63 days. Litters usually hold four to six puppies, though the number varies. The dam does the bulk of the early rearing, and gentle human handling should start early to raise well-socialised puppies. Pups are typically weaned by seven to eight weeks and should not leave the breeder before then, with many staying on a little longer. Early exposure to household sounds, sights, and calm handling lays the groundwork for the breed's friendly adult temperament. Anyone bringing a puppy in from overseas needs to plan around MPI import health requirements and the standard quarantine period well ahead of time.

Schapendoes registration and microchip registration in New Zealand

The National Dog Database has required chipping of newly registered dogs since 2006, and council registration sits alongside that rather than replacing a proper contact record. Holding one with United Pet Club is free for your Schapendoes's whole life. Registering your dog takes a few minutes, with nothing to renew afterwards.

A scanned chip is only ever as useful as its record. Pop your Schapendoes's fifteen digit number into a free United Pet Club account and the record does the rest: free updates after every move, every brand accepted, searchable day and night. Microchip registration first, account alongside.