Berger Picard

The Berger Picard, or Picardy Shepherd, is a herding dog from Picardy in northern France. It is a scruffy-looking, upright-eared farm dog that still works sheep and cattle, and it remains rare even in its own country.

History

A genetic study published in 2018 found that the Berger Picard, the German Shepherd Dog and five Italian herding breeds all descend from a herding dog that was widespread in Europe shortly before 1859. Beyond that, the breed’s early history is a matter of opinion. One author holds that the Franks brought it to northern France in the 9th century; some link it to the Briard and Beauceron, others to the Dutch and Belgian shepherds.

A Picard was shown at the first French dog show in 1863, but its rustic looks did not win it a following in the show ring. Because the dogs were concentrated on farms in north-eastern France, the trench warfare of the Somme brought the breed close to extinction in World War I, and World War II did further damage.

The FCI accepted the breed in 1955. Numbers are still small: roughly 3,500 dogs in France, about 500 in Germany and about 400 in the United States and Canada. The American Kennel Club gave it full recognition in the herding group on 1 July 2015, and the Canadian Kennel Club also places it in its herding group. In the United Kingdom, The Kennel Club approved an interim standard and put the breed on its import register on 1 April 2014; it was first shown at Crufts in 2016.

Picards have appeared on screen, most notably in the 2005 American film Because of Winn-Dixie, for which five dogs were brought from Europe.

Appearance

The Berger Picard is a medium-sized, well-muscled dog, a little longer than it is tall, with a tousled look. The ears stand naturally erect, set high and wide at the base. Thick eyebrows sit above dark eyes without hiding them. The tail reaches the hock and ends in a slight J-shaped curve.

The coat is weatherproof, harsh and crisp to the touch, not very long, and has little undercoat. It comes in fawn or brindle, each in a range of shades. Males stand 61–66 cm (24–26 in) and females 56–61 cm (22–24 in).

Temperament

Picards are lively, intelligent and sensitive, and they respond quickly to obedience training. They are easygoing at home but can be reserved with strangers, and they need a great deal of socialization in their first two years. They are energetic, hard-working and alert without being heavy barkers. Like many herding breeds, they need human company. Some are known as picky eaters.

Care and health

This is a relatively healthy breed with a life expectancy of 12 to 14 years. Hip dysplasia and progressive retinal atrophy are the known conditions.

The Picard is an active dog that can take part in agility, tracking, obedience, flyball, lure coursing, Schutzhund, French ring sport and herding trials.

Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.