Schapendoes is originated from Netherlands but Stephens Stock is originated from United States. Both Schapendoes and Stephens Stock are of same height. Schapendoes may weigh 33 kg / 72 pounds lesser than Stephens Stock. Both Schapendoes and Stephens Stock has almost same life span. Both Schapendoes and Stephens Stock has same litter size. Schapendoes requires Moderate Maintenance. But Stephens Stock requires Low Maintenance
Known also as the Dutch Sheepdog, the Schapendoes originates in the Netherlands.
It has always been known as a herding dog and farm dog. There were times during the 1940s when the dog’s numbers dropped considerably, but fortunately a breed club known as the Nederlandse Schapendoes was formed in 1947.
It wasn’t until 1971 that the dog earned recognition as a Dutch breed and the Federation Cynologique Internationale recognized this Dutch Sheepdog in 1989.
The Stephens Stock is a member if the Cur dog breeds. They are a scent hound bred in southeastern Kentucky by the Stephen’s family. For generations the dogs were simply known as the “little black dog”. The Cur breeds are dogs with a mixture of ancestry and the Stephens Cur is no different. However, the name Cur now means a working dog from the South in the United States. They were known as hunting and guard dogs, chasing wild boar, squirrel and raccoon. They were also called the Mountain Curs throughout Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.
These mountain working dogs came close to extinction by the 1940’s but four separate breeders set out to save the Mountain Curs. They were the founders of the Mountain Cur Club and involved Woody Huntsman of Kentucky, Carl McConnel of Virginia, Dewey Ledbetter of Virginia and of course Hugh Stephens of Kentucky. Later the name of the club was changed to the Original Mountain Cur Breeders Association or OMCBA. The Mountain View Cur, the Treeing Cur and the Stephens Stock Cur were the results of their efforts.
In the 1970’s Stephen’s decided that his Cur was different from the original Mountain Curs and should be a separate breed. He formed the Stephen’s Breeders Association and the breed was recognized as distinct from other Curs. However, it was not recognized by the UKC (United Kennel Club) until 1998.
The Schapendoes is a medium sized herding dog standing at between 40 and 50cm in height and weighing between 12 and 25kg.
When you look at him, you’re reminded of the Old English Sheepdog or the Bearded Collie. The thick, double coat of the dog can be a mix of colors and can be brown and white, black and white and gray and a mix of all these colors.
In spite of the thick coat, the dog sheds very little. He is an active dog and is known to be able to jump high. This makes him perfect for ball and frisbee games as he will leap into the air to try and catch the ball.
He has medium length floppy ears and the tail is long and feathered, carried high when busy, but when he is relaxed the tail hangs low.
Brave, cheerful,social and loyal, the Schapendoes is a shaggy Dutch dog who makes a splendid pet and companion for active people.
He is intelligent too, and in fact it is why he makes such a great farm dog too as he is able to work on his own and co-operates with his owner. He just loves being active, and will happily join you on all your hikes, runs on the beach, swimming, walks and other activities.
He thrives on being counted in as one of the active family members. This intelligence of his makes him easy to train and socialize, making him well mannered and obedient.
His amicable nature allows him to get on with all well disciplined children as well as with other pets in the home.
The Stephens Stock Cur is a breed of medium size, dark dogs – either very dark grey or black. Their heads are domed, and the muzzle is short with dark eyes. The breed’s chest is broad and deep with a neck of medium length and either a rough or smooth coat. They are smaller than the other Curs like the Black Mouth Cur or the Mountain View Cur.
They are strong and capable of treeing their prey. Their body is longer than it is high, and they have powerful and long legs. Their appearance is sleek and elegant. The nose is dark and square, and their stance is alert and that of a watchdog. This is an athletic hunting dog that is aggressive in the field and chilled at home.
Because this dog has always been a working dog, he has learned to be independent.
They’re eager to please their owners and easy to train too. They’re not aggressive and are friendly and affectionate and want to protect their owners.
They’re cheerful and playful and are tolerant of children and pets in the home. However, they don’t want little children being allowed to climb over them.
You can expect these big cuddly dogs to make loyal, devoted pets when treated with love, care, kindness and respect.
1. Children friendliness - They are tenacious on the hunt but once at home they love children.
3.Adaptability They are adaptable if you can get them the exercise, they need every day. They won’t do well in an apartment without going to play and run somewhere else every day.
Your Schapendoes is a generally healthy breed and with good food, a good amount of exercise and plenty of love and care, he can reach the ripe age of 15 or so.
Every dog however, has the potential to get one of the many canine diseases there are. Some of these canine diseases to look out for include hip dysplasia, dental problems, eye diseases, bloat, cancer and others.
Some people think that problems with teeth are mild – nothing to worry about and yet bad teeth can affect the quality of life for your pet.
Problems with the pet’s teeth usually start with a build- up of plaque that leads to tartar. This can lead to gingivitis and then periodontal disease can develop. Dogs can have bad teeth and this can affect organs in the body.
Problems with the teeth can be serious and your veterinarian will need to do an oral checkup and dental cleaning. If your dog has oral problems, you may notice bad breath, loose teeth, dribbling, tartar on the teeth and pawing at the mouth.
The Stephens Stock Cur is a fairly healthy breed, fairly isolated in the hills and mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee. They are prone to a few health conditions but there are no genetic and breed specific issues.
• Ear and Eye Infections. Keep them clean and keep debris out of both ears and eyes after hunting.
The Schapendoes has a dense double coat which can become quite long in places. The hair is slightly waved and there is quite a lot of hair around the face which includes a mustache and beard.
He will need to have his hair brushed twice a week, and some people choose to have him professionally clipped.
Trim his nails, check inside the ears for ear infection, check that the eyes are nice and clear without discharge, check inside the mouth for rotten teeth and check him over for any unusual lumps.
Your Schapendoes is an active dog and you want to ensure that the food you buy him keeps him active and healthy.
It is important to choose the best dog food if you buy commercially manufactured dog food. Then you can be sure it will have the right formulation of vitamins and minerals.
Home-made food is also an excellent choice for your pet. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots can be very healthy and tasty. Keep it simple like this. Chop it all up and add it into the dry kibble a couple of times a week to give him a nutritious treat.
Some raw meat added in occasionally will do him the world of good and keep the skin and coat healthy. Never leave your pet without a constant source of fresh, cool water.
1.Feeding the puppy -Feed puppies a quality food desired for medium breed, high energy dogs. Puppies should eat 3 times a day about a total of 2 cups.
2.Feeding the adult Feed a high quality dog food with plenty of protein and designed for medium size dogs. Feed a total of 3 cups over 2 meals a day.
4. Games and Exercises – This is a very high energy treeing hunting dog with remarkable speed and agility. They need exercise – both physical and mental. One walk a day will not do it for these dogs. Have a fenced in yard or take them to organized activities like field trials, agility, flyball, hunting, search and rescue or barn hunt. They love to hunt with their people.