| Meet the Picard |
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A Brief History
Thought to be the oldest of the French Sheepdogs, the
Berger Picard was brought to northern France and the
Pas de Calais in the 9th century by the Celts.
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 breeding stock of the Berger Picard, or Picardy
Shepherd, as it is known in some countries, was
decimated by the ravages of World War I and World
War II. With its population concentrated on the farms of
northeastern France, trench warfare in the Somme
reduced the breed to near extinction.
The Picard's easy care and happy, though mischievous,
temperament have started the breed back on the road
to recovery. Nevertheless its numbers are still limited,
even in its native country. Today, in France there are
approximately 3500 dogs and in Germany
approximately 500 of this breed.
The Berger de Picard was recognized by the United
Kennel Club on January 1, 1994.
At present there are fewer than 100 Berger Picards in
the United States and Canada.
General Description
The Berger Picard is a medium-sized, well-muscled
dog, slightly longer than tall with a tousled yet elegant
appearance. Their ears are naturally erect, high-set and
quite wide at the base. Their eyebrows are thick, but do
not shield their dark frank eyes. Yes, they really do
smile! Their natural tail normally reaches to the hock and
is carried with a slight J-curve at the tip.
Their weather proof coat is harsh and crisp to the touch,
not excessively long with a minimal undercoat. Coat
colors fall into two basic colors: fawn and gray with a
wide range of shade variations including light fawn, dark
fawn, gray, gray with black highlights, blue gray, gray
red, and brindle.
Temperament
The Berger Picard's attributes include a lively, intelligent
personality and a sensitive and assertive disposition
that responds quickly to obedience training. By and
large Picards are laid back and mellow but they are
known for having a stubborn streak and being reserved
towards strangers.
Picards are energetic and hard working, alert, loyal and
sweet-tempered with children. They are happiest when
they have a job to do. They also have a protective
nature, making them a good guard dog. However, they
are not excessive barkers.
The breed also has a well developed sense of humor
making them an endearing companion, and they
continue to be used very effectively as both sheep and
cattle herder in their native land and elsewhere.
Thought to be the oldest of the French Sheepdogs, the
Berger Picard was brought to northern France and the
Pas de Calais in the 9th century by the Celts.
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 breeding stock of the Berger Picard, or Picardy
Shepherd, as it is known in some countries, was
decimated by the ravages of World War I and World
War II. With its population concentrated on the farms of
northeastern France, trench warfare in the Somme
reduced the breed to near extinction.
The Picard's easy care and happy, though mischievous,
temperament have started the breed back on the road
to recovery. Nevertheless its numbers are still limited,
even in its native country. Today, in France there are
approximately 3500 dogs and in Germany
approximately 500 of this breed.
The Berger de Picard was recognized by the United
Kennel Club on January 1, 1994.
At present there are fewer than 100 Berger Picards in
the United States and Canada.
General Description
The Berger Picard is a medium-sized, well-muscled
dog, slightly longer than tall with a tousled yet elegant
appearance. Their ears are naturally erect, high-set and
quite wide at the base. Their eyebrows are thick, but do
not shield their dark frank eyes. Yes, they really do
smile! Their natural tail normally reaches to the hock and
is carried with a slight J-curve at the tip.
Their weather proof coat is harsh and crisp to the touch,
not excessively long with a minimal undercoat. Coat
colors fall into two basic colors: fawn and gray with a
wide range of shade variations including light fawn, dark
fawn, gray, gray with black highlights, blue gray, gray
red, and brindle.
Temperament
The Berger Picard's attributes include a lively, intelligent
personality and a sensitive and assertive disposition
that responds quickly to obedience training. By and
large Picards are laid back and mellow but they are
known for having a stubborn streak and being reserved
towards strangers.
Picards are energetic and hard working, alert, loyal and
sweet-tempered with children. They are happiest when
they have a job to do. They also have a protective
nature, making them a good guard dog. However, they
are not excessive barkers.
The breed also has a well developed sense of humor
making them an endearing companion, and they
continue to be used very effectively as both sheep and
cattle herder in their native land and elsewhere.
FEDERATION CYNOLOGIQUE INTERNATIONALE SECRETARIAT GENERAL: 13, Place Albert I B6530 THUIN (Belg.) FCI-Standard No 176 PICARDY SHEEPDOG (Berger Picard) TRANSLATION: Mrs. Peggy Davis. ORIGIN: France. DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE VALID ORIGINAL STANDARD: 31.10.1964. CLASSIFICATION FCI: Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs) Section 1 Sheepdogs With working trial. GENERAL APPEARANCE: Medium sized dog of rustic yet elegant appearance in its shapes, vigorous, well muscled, well structured, intelligent face, lively wide awake, characterized by his appearance resembling the Griffon. SIZE : 23 ½ to 25 ½ inches (60 to 65 cm) for the male 21 ½ to 23 ½ inches (55 to 60 cm) for the female. Penalization : Up to an inch (2 cm) above the maximum. Disqualification : Below the minimum, even in the young classes. More than an inch (2 cm) over the maximum limit. HEAD : Without being massive, must be in proportion with the size. Very slight stop, at equal distance from the tip of the nose and the summit of the skull; skull quite broad, without exaggeration. Hair about 1 ½ inches (4 cm), eyebrows well marked without ever veiling the eyes. Penalization : Stop too pronounced, or insufficient. Hair too short or too long, eyebrows absent or too marked. Disqualification : Lacking in type, disproportionate, without furnishings or too hairy. FOREHEAD : Seen from the front, must look flat but slightly vaulted with a light furrow between the frontal sinuses. Penalization : Insufficiently or too vaulted, furrow too accentuated. Disqualification : Skull flat or domed, forehead too flat or too steep. CHEEKS : Must not be too strong but without being flat, must have a certain roundness. Behind the cheeks the hair has the same length as that on the body. Penalization : Cheeks too full, flabby or lacking muscles. MUZZLE : Strong and not too long, must not end in a point. Nose always black, lips lean and well closed, the bridge of the nose is straight. Slight moustache and small beard. Penalization : Too long, weak or too strong, snippy or too square; nose small, spotted with pink; corner of the lips thick, lippy; convex nasal bridge lack of moustaches and small beard (it must be remembered that the hair on the head must be of about 1 ½ inches (4 cm) and that the moustache and small beard must stand out clearly). Disqualification : Disproportionate at the skull, pendulous lips, nose of any other color than black, de-pigmentation of the mucous membranes. JAWS : Powerful, closing perfectly without being over- or undershot. Penalization : Very slightly under- or overshot; absence of two premolars does not allow any CAC nor reserve. Absence of four premolars : no "excellent"; decayed (caries) teeth depending on importance; broken or cut canines. Disqualification : Absence of more than four teeth, distinctly over- or undershot. EARS : Of moderate size, broad at their base, set rather high, the base resembling the ear of a sheep, always carried naturally erect, the tips slightly rounded; the slightly divergent carriage is tolerated. Length 4 inches (10 cm). Never more than 5 inches (12 cm) for a male of maximum size. Penalization : Ear too big or similar to that of the Belgian Shepherd, set too low or too close together. Disqualification : Ear not carried correctly. EYES : Of medium size, not prominent, dark in color, neither light nor wall eye; color more or less dark according to the coat color (in every cases never lighter than hazel). Penalization : Everything which does not correspond to the description. Disqualification : Wall eyes, slanting, dissimilar, color too light. EXPRESSION : Must not be vicious, nor suspicious. Disqualification : Haggard expression, shifty look. NECK : Strong and muscular, of great length, carried erect in action and set well free of the shoulders, with proud head carriage. Penalization : Neck long and weak, short and thick, rising too abruptly from the shoulders, loose skin. BODY : Chest deep without exaggeration, must not be deeper than the elbow level; the thoracic perimeter taken immediately behind the elbows must be superior by 1/5 of the height at the withers, the length of the body slightly superior to the height at the withers; back straight; solid loin; the ribs well sprung at their upper third, then gradually flattening up to the sternum; belly slightly tucked up; the rump merges progressively with the thigh; bone structure visible without exaggeration. Penalization : Depending on the importance of the fault; body too heavy or too light, too long, high on the legs or too close to the ground; ribs too flat or too sprung (barrel shape); built like a Bouvier (herder); rump too straight or falling away. Disqualification : The above mentioned faults too accentuated. TAIL : Hairy, the hair is of the same length as that of the body. At rest the tail must reach the point of the hock and hang straight with a slight curve at the tip; in action the tail may be carried higher without ever being carried over the back. Penalization : Rat tail or too hairy, too short, deviated, carried badly. Disqualification : Continuously carried over the back; carried low as a result of a correcting operation (niquetage); rudimentary or tailless. FOREQUARTERS : Shoulders long and oblique giving great freedom of movement, muscular without being heavy; the legs straight and vertical; lean bone structure; joints are evident without giving the impression of malformation; pasterns slightly inclined from back to front giving suppleness in the leg and thereby facilitating the sudden halts. Penalization : Shoulders too long (like a Greyhound) or too steep (like a Bouvier), weak or heavy, loose or impeding movements; bone structure weak or too strong; weak joints or giving the impression of being distended; pastern too straight or too inclined carrying foot too forward. Disqualification : The above mentioned faults too accentuated. HINDQUARTERS : Thighs long and well muscled. The upper part rather long, the articulation of the stifle strong; the dog must not be straight behind nor stand too far back; standing neither close nor wide. There must not be any lack of harmony between the thigh and the rump, the whole must dissolve into a pleasant curve. Legs solid supporting the hindquarters without weakness, but with suppleness; bone structure pronounced without exaggeration. Hockjoints moderately angulated, neither spread nor too close, not set to high; a good angulation of the hock is absolutely essential in our Sheepdog. Hocks robust and lean, perpendicular to the ground when the dog is standing true; the legs seen from all sides are vertical and parallel. Penalization : Depending on the importance of the faults. Disqualification : Hindquarters generally faulty. FEET : Rounded and short, close-cupped, arched; nails strong and dark in color. No dewclaws or extra toes; a dog with dewclaws is not disqualified but penalized. Firm pads, with a certain suppleness, the pad being a plantar cushion must absorb part of the jolts. Penalization : In accordance with the fault. Disqualification : Double dewclaws on the four legs. COAT HAIR : Hard, semi-long, not curly, not flat, must be harsh and crisp to the touch. The length is 2 to 2 ½ inches (5 to 6 cm) on the whole of the body including the tail. Undercoat fine and dense. Penalization : Hair less than 1 ¾ inches (4 1/2 cm), not sufficiently harsh, tendency to be curly or flat. Disqualification : Hair less than 1 ½ inches (4 cm), more than 2 ½ inches (6 cm), curly or very flat, soft or woolly. COLOR : Gray, gray-black, gray with black highlights, gray-blue, gray-red, light fawn or dark, or a mixture of these shades. No big white patches permitted, a slight white marking is tolerated on the chest and on the tip of the feet. Penalization : White patch on the chest forming a "shirtfront", white all over the toes. Disqualification : Black, white, harlequin, pied, too much white on the chest, feet completely white; white in the coat elsewhere than on the parts indicated. FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree. N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. |
