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Beauceron

faithful / gentle / obedient
Herding Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

25.5-27.5 inches (male)

24-26.5 inches (female)

Weight

70-110 pounds

Life Expectancy

10-12 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    60% 60%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    80% 80%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    60% 60%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    40% 40%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    79% 79%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    100% 100%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    60% 60%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    80% 80%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    60% 60%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    40% 40%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    79% 79%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    100% 100%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The Beauceron is imposing and muscular, but also incredibly intelligent, lively, and adaptable as a herder. Imagine the brain of a Border Collie in a 100-pound body. Women adore them as courageous but sympathetic partners and protectors.
Beaucerons are powerful, tough, and huge, reaching up to 27.5 inches at the shoulder, but they are also graceful and well-balanced. Their glossy black coats have attractive squirrel-red accents, particularly the red feet that earned the breed the French appellation Bas-Rouge (‘red stockings’). They can also be seen wearing a black-gray-tan coat. The long head is nicely sculpted, and the rich brown eyes portray a direct and confident demeanor, according to breed fanciers. They are not for inexperienced owners who may wind up being owned by their dominant dog rather than the other way around. However, well-trained and socialized Beaucerons are calm watchdogs and guardians, especially with the young, small, and vulnerable.
What To Expect When Caring For a Beauceron

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

Bloat, a sudden and potentially fatal stomach disease, can affect any large or deep-chested dog. Owners of Beaucerons should educate themselves on the symptoms to look for and what to do if they occur. Responsible breeders will examine their breeding stock for hip dysplasia, heart disease, eye problems, and allergies. As with all breeds, a Beauceron's ears and teeth should be checked on a regular basis.
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Hip Evaluation
  • Thyroid Evaluation
  • Cardiac Exam
  • Ophthalmologist Evaluation

Grooming

The Beauceron has a short, dense double coat with a tough, waterproof outer coat that protects the soft undercoat. It doesn't need much grooming, although it does shed. A lot. And this is especially true twice a year during shedding season. Brushing weekly, or daily during shedding season, with a medium-bristle brush, a rubber grooming mitt or tool, or a hound glove removes dead hair before it falls onto the furniture and promotes new hair development. The Beauceron's nails, like those of all breeds, should be clipped on a regular basis because extremely long nails can cause pain as well as issues walking and running. Remember to cut the two dewclaws on the back legs.

Exercise

The Beauceron is a strong, athletic, and intellectual breed that requires plenty of physical and mental stimulation. This is not a breed for inexperienced dog owners. They require a range of outside places and types of exercise on a daily basis and are best suited to an experienced, active owner who can give the mental and physical stimulation they require. Although the Beauceron was not developed to herd sheep like other shepherd breeds, he can be trained to compete in herding events, Schutzhund (protection work), and agility trials, as well as sports like carting, mushing, and skijoring (pulling a person on skis).

Training

For this breed, socialization and obedience training are essential. Beaucerons are highly clever, loyal, and devoted to their owners, making training them quite simple. They do not respond well to rigorous training methods, especially physical punishment. Training and handling that is firm, fair, and consistent is usually highly successful. They are noted for their enthusiastic behavior, such as leaping on people and grabbing people and objects with their lips; these habits are frequently the focus of early training sessions.

Nutrition

The Beauceron should do well on a portion of high-quality dog food, whether commercially manufactured or home-prepared under the supervision and consent of your veterinarian. Any diet should be tailored to the age of the dog (puppy, adult, or senior). A working Beauceron can have high nutritional needs, so make sure to check on him on a frequent basis to ensure his diet is enough. Some dogs, on the other hand, are prone to becoming overweight, so keep an eye on your dog's calorie consumption and weight level. Treats can be a valuable training aid, but feeding too much can lead to obesity. Discover which human foods are suitable for dogs and which are not. If you have any concerns regarding your dog's weight or diet, consult with your veterinarian. There should be clean, fresh water available.

History

The French shepherd dog known as the Beauceron often referred to as the Berger de Beauce or the Bas Rouge gets its name from a wide agricultural area southwest of Paris.

The Beauceron has served in a variety of capacities since its birth in the late Middle Ages, including a soldier, bodyguard, rescuer, rival, companion, and unrivaled livestock mover. The breed has gained popularity along the road on both sides of the Atlantic thanks to its lovable demeanor and diverse range of working abilities.

Two distinct groups of French shepherd dogs were named in the 19th century as Beauceron and Briard. At the 1863 Universal Exposition in Paris, there were dogs on display that were easily identified as Beaucerons thanks to their upright ears, dark coats with rust streaks, and wolflike builds. They had coarser coats and narrower noses than the contemporary kind.
The French shepherd dog was categorized in 1896 by eminent experts. The dogs with shorter coats were named Beaucerons, while those with longer hair were called Briards. The Club des Amis Du Beauceron, a breed organization in France, was created in 1922.
The Beauceron is a dog with both strength and sensibility in spades. Unlike herders like the Australian Shepherd that labor up close to their charges, this upright type works wide of the herd or flock. Sheep can be worked into without being startled by the Beauceron method of herding, which is quiet and composed. This adaptable and shrewd breed has a background in K-9 work for the military and police. The British War Museum has a photograph of a Beauceron leaping over a trench—a French dog employed by Germans to penetrate the British line—which shows how valuable they were in the trench warfare of World War I.
Along the way, the dog-loving French populace learned about the Beauceron, including Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873–1954), better known as simply Colette to countless generations of devoted readers worldwide. Her Beauceron was “one of those rare companions who remain silent when it is appropriate, respect our work and our sleep, howl for our own tears, and close their eyes with a bitter discretion in the face of anything—the kiss of a lover, the tender hug of a child—that deprives them of our fickle human friendship,” she wrote.