Beauceron is a large strong French shepherd with developed muscles and a powerful physique, but possessing mobility and agility in movement. She is characterized by calm equanimity and calm. Beauceron will not be overly fussy and intrusive, which makes this breed popular among those who prefer well-bred dogs that lend themselves to training.
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Breed description
In fact, the description of the breed has remained unchanged since the first mention of its existence. The only, outdated standard required to stop ears. Now this is no longer necessary, however, in France, this practice is still maintained with the aim of preventing otitis media.
- Dogs are 65–70 cm tall and females 61–68 cm tall. The body weight of males is 32–45 kg, and that of females is 30–39 kg.
- All representatives of the breed have a proportionately folded body with well-developed muscles, but without excessive massiveness.
- The dog's head has clear lines that are clearly visible due to the short coat. When looking at the profile, parallelism of the skull and muzzle is noticeable.
- The ears are high set. Their length is equal to half the head, which is a sign of cleanliness of the breed. They hang or have a semi-standing position, but do not cling to the head.
- Despite the fact that the dog is a shepherd, its tail is not docked. He calmly hangs down, and during movement he rises slightly, but not above the line of the back.
- The neck is characterized by developed muscles and a light natural transition to the withers.
- The sternum of the dog is powerful, deep and wide.
- The limbs are straight with red hair at the ends. It is on this basis that the breed got its name bas-rouge - “red stockings”.Dogs have black claws and soft paw pads.
- Color can be black with tan or harlequin. Both colors are the norm. Black dogs have red tan marks in the area of the eyebrows, as well as on the sides of the muzzle, chest, neck and at the ends of the paws. Harlequins are characterized by gray-black wool with red tan.
A distinctive feature of such dogs are gray-blue spots distributed over the body, the area of which is inferior to black wool. The standard allows for a bright spot on the chest.
The eyes of black dogs are dark brown. In harlequin, one eye may be lighter, but no more than a shade of dark walnut.
The nature and behavior of the French Shepherd
Beauceron dog has all the qualities to become a protector and companion. She never shows obvious malice, let alone open unreasonable aggression. At the same time, the breed is known for the courage of its representatives, because it is a shepherd. Such dogs were bred to graze sheep, and also to help guide them during the transitions between pastures. The nature of the pet allows him to be trained to perform security, search and official tasks.
The Beaucerons are smart dogs that do not tolerate their master's ignorance. But in parallel with this, the lack of firmness in communication with the dog can lead to a loss of respect.
The nature of beauceron is suitable for communicating with children, but the main thing for the dog should remain one of the adults. The child will not be able to raise a docile animal from the puppy.
Standard and choice of puppy
When choosing a puppy, of course, first of all, you need to pay attention to his health. This should not be the weakest dog in the litter. Characteristic signs of mismatch to the breed are not always visible, however, if the puppy has erect ears, an unnatural color or nose with a cleft, this indicates an impurity of other blood. In addition, you can not take for breeding puppies with different or bright eyes, as well as a strong eversion of the hind limbs.
Maintenance, care and feeding
The dog is unpretentious, therefore suitable for those who are not able to deal with their dog every day in addition to providing a standard list of his needs. A smooth-haired French shepherd dog needs to be combed out, which must be done at least once a week. It is worth noting that a characteristic sheep smell emanates from it, so the breed is more suitable for keeping in an aviary than for a cramped closed apartment.
The dog is energetic, so he needs to run. In this regard, during the walk it should not be driven, but given the opportunity to move independently. Ideally, provide the dog with the opportunity to walk for 3 hours a day, but in exceptional situations it is sometimes possible to limit the run time to 1 hour.
The breed is not picky about food. Many owners choose a natural diet for her, but you can do with dry feed. When choosing regular feeding, you need to monitor the presence of lean meat in the diet. Poultry and beef are well suited for this. Dogs love boneless fish, cereals, raw and cooked vegetables. When feeding puppies, it is necessary to monitor the high content of calcium in the diet. To do this, you can simply choose ready-made dry food for puppies or add bone meal to natural food.
Dog's purpose
Character traits, the sense of smell and strength of the dog allow it to be used in various directions:
- security;
- grazing sheep;
- search for items;
- companion.
Representatives of the breed can often be found among service dogs. Any Beauceron is wary of strangers, making him a great choice for security.
In addition, the dog is in no hurry to take food from the wrong hands, even if he is hungry. However, if the owner conducts the correct socialization, then he may well accustom the puppy to indifference to the attention of passers-by and calmly walk with the ward along busy streets.
Beauceron education and training
Dog handlers note that French Shepherd puppies have a slow psychological growth. In this regard, they lag behind other breeds, so the duration of the training is slightly delayed. Adult trained dogs, having learned the team, will not forget it, and most importantly they will begin to fulfill it with pleasure.
Since this is a shepherd breed of dog, her instincts are characteristic of the pack. In this regard, pets have pronounced leadership qualities. Therefore, the owner must show that he is the main one and not give slack. The Beaucerons do not tolerate gross pressure, let alone physical punishment. Training should be carried out gradually, without screaming and fuss. The dog may dislike the rude owner, and not feel proper affection for him. To return the location of the offended dog is very difficult.
Beaucerons are worthy animals for home keeping. But those who want to get a representative of this breed should study its needs and features in detail, adequately assess their strengths and capabilities, and only after that acquire a pet.
