Beauceron

Beauceron

The Beauceron
Other names	French Shorthaired Shepherd Beauce Shepherd Berger de Beauce Bas Rouge (Red Stocking)
Country of origin	France
Traits Weight Male 80–110 lb (36–50 kg) Female 70–100 lb (32–45 kg) Height Male 25–28 in (63–71 cm) Female 23–26 in (58–66 cm) Coat Harsh outer coat with woolly, fluffy undercoat Color Black with tan markings, or black and mottled grey with tan markings Life span 10-13 years
Classification & standards FCI Group 1 Section 1 #044 standard AKC Herding standard KC (UK) Working standard UKC Herding dog standard
Notes
Also registered in the USA by the North American Beauceron Club - NABC.

The Beauceron is a herding dog breed from the plains region, between the Seine and Loir rivers, surrounding Paris, France, known as La Beauce. It is also known as Berger de Beauce, Bas Rouge or French Shorthaired Shepherd.

Appearance

This breed stands 61 to 70 cm (24 to 27.5 inches) in height and weighs 30 to 38.5 kg (66 to 85 pounds). Its standard colouring is black and tan as well as black, tan and grey (harlequin). Other colours, such as the once prevalent tawny, grey or grey/black, are now banned by the breed standard. The coat is short, close and smooth except on legs, tail and flanks, where there is a slight fringe.

Although most breeds may or may not have dewclaws (many owners remove dewclaws, especially if the dog is used for field and hunting), an important feature of the Beauceron is the double dewclaw. A beauceron must have double dewclaws, which form well separated “thumbs” with nails on each rear leg, anything less will result in disqualification.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Temperament

This muscular breed is described as intelligent, friendly, very calm, protective of children, and fearless. They are perfect for both inside and outside the house and can be trained for different activities. It was known all around France as a protection dog which increased its popularity.

History

A French herding breed known for centuries in western Europe, the Beauceron is noted as one of the breeds used to create the Doberman Pinscher.
The regional names are somewhat misleading. The breed was found throughout northern France, rather than just in the Beauce. Although quite different in appearance, the Beauceron and the long-haired sheep dog, the Briard, stem from similar ancestral stock, sharing the trait of double dewclaws on the hind legs. Like the Beauceron, the Briard is found throughout northern France, and despite implications from its name, also did not come exclusively from the Brie region.

In 1809, Abbé Rozier wrote an article on these French herding dogs, in which he described the differences in type and used the terms Berger de Brie and Berger de Beauce.

In 1893, the veterinarian Paul Megnin differentiated between the long hair Berger de la Brie and the short hair Berger de Beauce. He defined the standard of the breed, with the assistance of M. Emmanuel Ball. In 1922, the Club des Amis du Beauceron was formed under the guidance of Dr. Megnin.

In 2008, the Beauceron made its debut in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

Wikinews has related news: Four new breeds in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

History as a working breed

A Beauceron

A very versatile breed, the Bas Rouge (“Red Stocking”) was once used to herd sheep and protect the animals from wolves. The breed served in both World Wars as messenger dog, supply transport dog, detection of land mines and rescue of the wounded. In addition, the Beauceron has strong herding traits and capability.

References

1. ^ Breed Standard
2. ^ Standard du Berger de Beauce
3. ^ Nouvelle page 1

• Vous et votre beauceron (French), written by Pierre Boistel, published by Editions de l'Homme, January 8, 1991, ISBN 2761909003, 166 pages
• Les Berger Francais (French), written by Philippe De Wailly and Alain Dupont, published by Solar, September 12, 1999, ISBN 2263026584
• Beauceron, written by Meg Purnell Carpenter, published by Kennel Club Books, May, 2007, ISBN 9781593783716, 160 pages
• Le Beauceron (French), written by Monique Reverdy, published by Artémis, May 21, 2003, ISBN 2844161812, 144 pages

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Beauceron

• (French) Club des Amis du Beauceron
• American Beauceron Club
• Beauceron Club of Belgium
• About Beaucerons
• Beauceron Club UK