Description

The Berger Picard is a medium-sized, well-muscled dog, slightly longer than tall. The natural tail normally reaches to the hock and is carried with a slight J-curve at the tip. The coat is harsh and crisp to the touch, and about 2-2.5 inches (5-6 cm.) long all over the body. The thick strong hair is not fluffy and light, therefore it does not fly around in the air. Coat colors include grey, grey-black, blue-grey, red-grey, and light or darker fawn. A small white patch on the feet is permissible in the show ring but not favored. The ears are erect, high-set and quite wide at the base. The eyebrows are thick, but do not shield the eyes.

Origin

This is possibly the oldest of all the French shepherds, arriving in Picardy and the Pas de Calais with the Celts in AD 800. The Berger Picard is named for the Picardie region in northeastern France. Some experts insist that this breed is related to the more well-known Picard made an appearance at the first French dog show in 1863, the breed's rustic appearance did not lead to popularity as a show dog. The two World Wars nearly caused the extinction of the Berger Picard and it is still rare. In France there are approximately 3000 dogs and in Germany approximately 350 of this breed. The Berger de Picard was recognized by the United Kennel Club on January 1, 1994.

Temperament

The character of the Picard varies between reserved to unaffected, suspicious to inquisitive, vivacious to tranquil and calm, nervous to well-balanced. To bring up and prepare a Picard for its future life, it needs a well balanced owner who can give the dog reassurance in every day life. It has to be a member of the "pack," not to be locked away in a kennel and not to be isolated from the family. It needs to be well-socialized when it is still young with close contact to friends, children, and even strangers, to give it the best start possible for a good and long life in society. If raised with other animals such as cats, rabbit pets, & geese, there is usually no problem in keeping them together. If well trained, the Picard usually will not hunt. In general it doesn't even have a strong hunting instinct. Picards that do hunt use sight more than smell. However, some lines do have stronger hunting instincts. Some lines like to bark and do so frequently. This can be a problem if you live surrounded by neighbors. If you are interested in the Picard and are concerned about barking and hunting, you should ask the breeder if their dogs tend to hunt or bark a lot. Intelligent, the Picard learns quickly but is a little bit stubborn and doesn't always want to learn. It is a real task to train Picards for any kind of dog-sport. Sometimes they are subject to fits of bad humor. If you decide on this breed, then you must learn to accept these moods. Try hard not to break the dog's will because this can really harm its character. These dogs are very sensitive to the voice and it is necessary to be careful as you first begin to train them. Cheerfully given commands generally works best. Contact with other animals is not generally a problem. You have to be patient and imaginative and you have to have a good portion of humor, time, and passion to train this wonderful pig-headed animal. Energetic, alert, loyal and sweet-tempered with children. It is a fine sheep and cattle herder, and a good farm guard.

Height

Height: 21.5-26 inches (55-66 cm.)

Weight

Weight: 50-70 pounds (23-32 kg.)

Known Health Problems

Hip dysplasia is known, but not common because the dog is not super heavy. During the first year puppies sometimes get eye infections due to draught or dirt getting into the eye; after one year those problems usually don't appear anymore. There are some hereditary eye problems such as the PRA and RD. All breeding dogs, males and females, should get checked for those diseases once a year or every two years. (PRA= Progressive Retina Atrophy, RD=Retina dysplasia)

Conditions for Living

The Berger Picard will do okay in an apartment if it is sufficiently exercised. It is not important how big the yard is, as long as the dog gets enough exercise during the day. However, the Picard always tries to stay close to its owner and family, so even if you have a big yard and give the dog the choice to pick where it wants to be, it will rather stay inside with you than alone outside. Inside the house the Picard is usually a very quiet dog, waiting for its time to go out to run, play and sniff around. If the dog is trained to stay on its own for some time during the day, it doesn't cause problems (if you have two dogs it's even easier). However, lots of people take their Picards to work with them. They lay themselves down under a table near their owner and just wait to leave again or to go for a walk.

Exercise Requirments

walk. It will enjoy swimming, running beside your bike, and a nice long walk. The Berger Picard makes an excellent jogging companion. Enrolling it in obedience class or in an agility skills class is an excellent way to keep it happy. They do not do well in competition because they find it almost impossible to perform consistently.

Life Expectancy

About 13-14 years.

Grooming

Comb and brush the thick waterproof coat only about once or twice a month - if possible only during the shedding season (spring and autumn for a couple of days); don't wash or trim the fur, just clean it off when dirty. This breed is a light shedder and has no doggie odor.

Group

Herding