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The Full Beauceron Description

He is a dog at heart, with spirit and initiative, wise and fearless with no trace of timidity. Intelligent, easily trained, faithful, gentle and obedient, the Beauceron possesses an excellent memory and an ardent desire to please his master.

Dig you know?

The Beauceron is a distinct French breed of herding dog. Though almost unknown outside of France, the Beauceron has a long history. It is a very old breed developed solely in France with no foreign crosses. The Beauceron is a dog of the lupoid type. The earliest record so far found of what is thought to be this breed dates back to a renaissance manuscript of 1578. In 1809, the abbey Rozier reported plain dogs destined for guarding flocks and herd. In 1863, Pierre Megnin differentiated with precision two types of these sheepdogs: one with a long coat (The Berger de Brie "Briard") and the other with a short coat (the Berger de Beauce "Beauceron"). They are used extensively on farms in France to herd sheep and in some cases cattle. Of the many sheep herding dogs in France, the Beauceron is the preferred choice.

Indicative Breed Standard

General Appearance

Large and solid. Unexaggerated, powerful, muscular build, without heaviness.

Characteristics

Versatile, working/sheep herding dog.

Temperament

Bold, fearless, intelligent.

Head and Skull

In proportion to body. Skull flat or slightly rounded from side to side, slight furrow between eyes. Occiput well defined. Moderate stop set midway between tip of nose and occiput. Width of skull and depth of head slightly less than half length of head. In profile, top of strong muzzle appears parallel to top of skull. When viewed from side, narrow or snipy appearance undesirable.

Eyes

Dark, oval, medium sized, with well pigmented rims. Horizontally placed.

Ears

Dropped, flat, not set close to head. Length equal to half that of head.

Mouth

Teeth strong, full dentition. Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, ie upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck

Muscular, blending smoothly into withers. Strong, to give proud head carriage.

Forequarters

Shoulder blade and upper arm approximately equal in length and with moderate angulation. Well defined withers. Brisket reaching elbow. Chest wide and deep. Forelegs clean and muscular, medium bone and straight when seen from all angles.

Body

Firm, level back. Ribs long and well sprung. Loin wide, very muscular. Slightly sloping croup which determines the set of the tail. Length of body from withers to set on of tail slightly longer than height at withers. Bitches may be slightly longer than dogs.

Hindquarters

Moderately angulated stifle. Vertical from low set hock joint to foot. Well muscled. Seen from behind, legs parallel. Double dewclaws set close to foot.

Feet

Strong, round, tight, turning neither in nor out. Nails black, pads hard but supple.

Tail

Carried low and hanging straight, reaching to hock and with loose hook at end.

Gait/Movement

Effortless, supple and free, with good reach, to display strength and endurance in the extended trot.

Coat

Short on head. Short, rough, thick and coarse laying close to body. Approximately 3-4cm (1.25-1.5 ins) long. Slight breeching on rear of thigh and under tail. Undercoat short, fine, soft and dense, preferably light grey and not showing through topcoat.

Colour

Black and Tan: Markings rich and bright. Tan above eyes, on side of muzzle, narrowing on to cheeks but not reaching under ears. Two spots preferred on forechest rather than continuous band. Marked also on throat, under tail and on feet up to hock and pastern. Leg markings narrowing upwards on outside, but blending higher on inside. A few white hairs on chest permissible. Tricolour - Grey, Black and Tan: Coat has grey and black patches which are evenly distributed over body, with more black than grey. Tan markings as in Black and Tan.

Size

Dogs: 65-70 cms (25½-27½ ins); Bitches: 63-68 cms (25-27 ins).