Schipperke puppies

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Schipperke puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A small breed puppy at eight weeks is light enough to carry everywhere, which is exactly how you get it socialised before the vaccination course finishes. It will still need four meals a day. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• MPS IIIB, a fatal inherited storage disease that usually shows as balance problems at 2 to 4 years, detectable by DNA test in carriers
• Patellar luxation, graded by a veterinary orthopaedic exam
• Legg Calve Perthes disease, screened by a hip evaluation
• Hereditary cataract and other eye disease, screened by an ophthalmologist evaluation
• Thyroid disease, screened by a thyroid evaluation
• Epilepsy

From Schipperke breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/schipperke/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Schipperke puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Small for a Schipperke.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 4.5 to 7.3 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other small breeds

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