A French herding breed, the Beauceron is mentioned in the 1578 Renaissance manuscripts. The story goes that Pierre Megnin of France had differentiated two types of sheepdogs in 1862—(1) one with a long coat that was called “Briard” and (2) the other with a short coat that was called “Beauceron”. Till 1889, both “Briard” and “Beauceron” had a bad name for showing their snappy and biting tendencies towards anyone who came near their flocks. This resulted in selective breeding where their temperaments were softened. By 1911, Beauceron was set apart from Briard—each went their own way. The Beauceron started its work as flock guard, agility, military dog, police dog, agility, competitive obedience, general guarding, and tracking. Today, it works as a herder, as a guard dog, and as a French army and police dog. As of now, Beauceron is rarely seen in the US though it is slowly gaining popularity in North America and Europe.
With a height of 24 to 27.5 inches (body is rather longer than being tall) and weight up to 110 pounds, the Beauceron is athletic and large. The long head is quite in proportion with the body. The muzzle is either narrow, or pointed, or extra broad. The slightly oval eyes are horizontal and dark brown. The cropped or natural ears are drop-ears that are set high. The fringed tail carries low forming a “J”. The tail and hindquarters have longer hair of the smooth and short double coat. The undercoat is silky and soft, and the outer coat is coarse. The coat is black with tan marking that is distinct andin a less common harlequin coat with patches of gray, tan and black. In tan and black Beauceron, the tan marks are seen on the sides of the muzzle (fading to the cheeks), above the eyes and on the chest as two dots, on the throat, on the legs and under the tail. Being an average shedder, occasional grooming and care is required.
A thorough working dog, the Beauceron is highly intelligent, obedient, eager to please, very quick to understand and respond to commands, and brave. It excels as a police dog because it is fearless, very watchful, patient, is able to detect danger easily and very loyal. It tends to display its herding talent whenever it is taken near a flock of cattle or sheep. This way, it works its mind and releases energy. It also excels in obedience and early training in socialization can make it get along with children, cats and other dogs. Like most of the dogs, it should not be left alone for a long time. It should be taken out regularly for mental and physical exercise, and on long walks. The owner must make sure that while walking, it should not be the leader. Instead, it should heel behind or beside the owner.
With a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years, the Beauceron is prone to hip dysplasia and bloat. Otherwise, it is generally hardy and healthy.
With a height of 24 to 27.5 inches (body is rather longer than being tall) and weight up to 110 pounds, the Beauceron is athletic and large. The long head is quite in proportion with the body. The muzzle is either narrow, or pointed, or extra broad. The slightly oval eyes are horizontal and dark brown. The cropped or natural ears are drop-ears that are set high. The fringed tail carries low forming a “J”. The tail and hindquarters have longer hair of the smooth and short double coat. The undercoat is silky and soft, and the outer coat is coarse. The coat is black with tan marking that is distinct andin a less common harlequin coat with patches of gray, tan and black. In tan and black Beauceron, the tan marks are seen on the sides of the muzzle (fading to the cheeks), above the eyes and on the chest as two dots, on the throat, on the legs and under the tail. Being an average shedder, occasional grooming and care is required.
A thorough working dog, the Beauceron is highly intelligent, obedient, eager to please, very quick to understand and respond to commands, and brave. It excels as a police dog because it is fearless, very watchful, patient, is able to detect danger easily and very loyal. It tends to display its herding talent whenever it is taken near a flock of cattle or sheep. This way, it works its mind and releases energy. It also excels in obedience and early training in socialization can make it get along with children, cats and other dogs. Like most of the dogs, it should not be left alone for a long time. It should be taken out regularly for mental and physical exercise, and on long walks. The owner must make sure that while walking, it should not be the leader. Instead, it should heel behind or beside the owner.
With a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years, the Beauceron is prone to hip dysplasia and bloat. Otherwise, it is generally hardy and healthy.