Beauceron on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The Beauceron () is a
This breed stands in height and weighs The Beauceron has a hard outer coat and a woolly undercoat that grows thick in cold weather, especially if the dog sleeps outdoors. Its standard colouring is black and tan (the latter colour referred to in French as ''rouge ecureuil'', squirrel-red) or, less frequently, grey, black and tan called harlequin. Other colours, such as the once prevalent tawny, grey or grey/black, are now banned by the breed standard. The harlequin coats should have more black than gray with no white. In the black and tan dogs the tan markings should appear in two dots above the eyes, on the sides of the muzzle, fading off to the cheeks, but do not reach the underside of the ears. Also on the throat, under the tail and on the legs and the chest. Tan markings on the chest should appear as two spots but a chest plate is acceptable. Ear cropping is no longer allowed in most countries.
The Beauceron is unusual in having a double
herding dog
A herding dog, also known as a stock dog or working dog, is a Dog type, type of dog that either has been trained in herding livestock or belongs to one of the dog breed, breeds that were developed for herding. A dog specifically trained to he ...
breed
A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...
originating from the plains of Central France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. The Beauceron is also known as Berger de Beauce (, sheepdog from Beauce) or Bas Rouge (, red-stockings).
Description
Appearance
This breed stands in height and weighs The Beauceron has a hard outer coat and a woolly undercoat that grows thick in cold weather, especially if the dog sleeps outdoors. Its standard colouring is black and tan (the latter colour referred to in French as ''rouge ecureuil'', squirrel-red) or, less frequently, grey, black and tan called harlequin. Other colours, such as the once prevalent tawny, grey or grey/black, are now banned by the breed standard. The harlequin coats should have more black than gray with no white. In the black and tan dogs the tan markings should appear in two dots above the eyes, on the sides of the muzzle, fading off to the cheeks, but do not reach the underside of the ears. Also on the throat, under the tail and on the legs and the chest. Tan markings on the chest should appear as two spots but a chest plate is acceptable. Ear cropping is no longer allowed in most countries.
The Beauceron is unusual in having a double dewclaw
A dewclaw is a digit – vestigial in some animals – on the foot of many mammals, birds, and reptiles (including some extinct orders, like certain theropods). It commonly grows higher on the leg than the rest of the foot, such that in di ...
. In order to be shown, a Beauceron must have double dewclaws that form well-separated "thumbs" with nails on each rear leg; anything less will result in disqualification from dog shows. The Beauceron's double dew claws are connected by bone (unlike most breeds) and some dogs are even able to flex each one individually. The Beauceron has no breed-specific health problems.
Characteristics
The Beauceron is known in France as a guard dog, a helper around the farm (herding sheep or cattle), and/or a ring sport dog (primarily protection training). This athletic, healthy and long-lived breed has been bred to be intelligent, calm, gentle, and fearless. Adults are typically suspicious of strangers and are excellent natural guard dogs. If not well trained, they can be aggressive. They do best when raised within the family but they can sleep outside, the better to act as guards (their weatherproof coats make them ideal kennel users even in the coldest winters). They have a double smooth coat that is short. They are eager learners and can be trained to a high level. However, their physical and mental development is slow relative to other similar breeds (e.g. German and other large shepherds): they are not mentally or physically mature until the age of about three years, so their training should not be rushed. Several five- or ten-minute play-training exercises per day in the early years can achieve better results than long or rigorous training sessions.History
The breed originated as a herding dog in France. It was first mentioned in 1587, and named as the "Berger de Beauce" in 1809. The first breed club was formed in 1911. During WWII, it was employed as a military dog. In modern France, it is used as a guard or police dog, and as of 1989 was still a popular sheep dog.See also
* Dogs portal *List of dog breeds
This list of dog breeds includes both Neontology#Extant taxa versus extinct taxa, extant and extinct dog breeds, Designer breed, varieties and dog type, types. A research article on dog genomics published in Science/AAAS defines modern dog breeds ...
References
Bibliography
*''Vous et votre beauceron'' (French), written by Pierre Boistel, published by Editions de l'Homme, January 8, 1991, , 166 pages *''Les Berger Francais'' (French), written by Philippe De Wailly and Alain Dupont, published by Solar, September 12, 1999, *''Beauceron'', written by Meg Purnell Carpenter, published by Kennel Club Books, May, 2007, , 160 pages *''Le Beauceron'' (French), written by Monique Reverdy, published by Artémis, May 21, 2003, , 144 pagesExternal links
{{Authority control FCI breeds Herding dogs Dog breeds originating in France Rare dog breeds