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Berger De Picard Puppies for Sale
Berger De Picard
(Berger Picard) (Bacardi Shepherd)
(Berger de Picardie) (Picardy Shepherd)
Cousteau
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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. |
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Temperament |
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 along with daily pack walks. 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. Intelligent, the Picard learns quickly but if the handler is not displaying a natural authority the dog will become stubborn and may not always want to learn. Meek or passive owners will most certainly run into behavior issues. It is a real task to train
Picards for any kind of dog-sport.
These dogs are very sensitive to the voice so being harsh with them is not necessary. One needs to be patient, calm, but firm, confident and consistent. Making the rules clear and sticking to them. 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 like to bark
and do so frequently unless the humans communicate to the dog that barking obsessively is an unwanted behavior. Without this proper communication between the human and the dog the barking can become a problem if you live surrounded by neighbors. Contact with other animals is not generally a problem. Energetic, alert, loyal and
sweet-tempered with children. It is a fine sheep and cattle herder, and a good
farm guard.
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Height, Weight |
Height: 21.5-26 inches (55-66 cm.)
Weight: 50-70 pounds (23-32 kg.) |
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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) |
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Living Conditions |
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. |
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Exercise |
Lots of exercise is required for this breed,
including a
long daily 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. |
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Life Expectancy |
About
13-14 years. |
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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. |
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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 Briard
and Beauceron, while others believe it shares a
common origin with Dutch and Belgian
Shepherds. Although the Berger 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. |
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Herding |
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Recognition |
CKC, FCI, UKC, NKC, APRI, ACR |
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CKC = Continental
Kennel Club
FCI = Fédération
Cynologique Internationale
UKC = United Kennel
Club
NKC = National
Kennel Club
APRI = American Pet Registry Inc.
ACR = American Canine Registry |
Photo Courtesy of Heike Fox.
Photo Courtesy of Christian &
Monika Janes, Berger des Pyrénées and Berger
Picard.
Photo Courtesy of Heike Fox.
Photo Courtesy of Heike Fox.
Photos Courtesy of Heike Fox.
Photos Courtesy of Heike Fox.
Photos Courtesy of Heike Fox.
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