Before the name 'Schipperke' was officially taken, the breed was also known colloquially as 'Spits' or 'Spitzke', a name commonly used to describe a small dog with pointed ears. They were also occasionally called 'Moorke', meaning 'little black animal'. Schipperkes are widely referred to in the United States, albeit erroneously, as 'Belgian barge dogs' or 'Belgian ship dogs.' The breed name of 'Schipperke', in English-speaking nations, was thought to mean 'little boatman'. However while they were occasionally seen on barges it was not their original or primary function, and in the areas of Leuven and Brussels 'scheper' (which sounds similar to 'schipper'; a German Shepherd dog is known in Dutch as a 'Duitse scheper') was the word for shepherd, making the name translate as 'little shepherd'.
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