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Picardy Sheepdog Breed Summary
Loyal, Energetic, Intelligent, Friendly and Affectionate
Picardy Sheepdogs, also known as Berger Picards, are an extremely rare and ancient breed, native to northern France. They are medium in size but boast large ears and have gentle and loving brown, oval-shaped eyes.
These guys also have a waterproof double coat, that assisted them in their duties of being herding dogs. This allows them to work in harsh terrain and weather to the best of their ability!
Fun Fact: This breed have the unusual ability to hold eye contact with other hoomans and other dogs for an exceptionally long period of time, which is thought to be a way of communicating or showing interest, though it has been constructed as a negative sign of aggression
Kennel Club Group | Pastoral |
Lifespan | 12–14 Years |
Height (at the withers) | Males 61cm – 66 cm, Females 56cm – 61cm |
Weight | Males and Females 23kg – 32kg |
Coat | Moderately Long, Coarse and Crisp to the Touch |
Colour | Fawn and Brindle |
Eye colour | Dark |
Common health issues | Elbow dysplasia, Hip dysplasia, Lupoid onychodystrophy, Multifocal retinopathy, Progressive retinal atrophy |
Other Names | Picard, Berger de Picardie, Picardy Shepherd, Picardy Sheepdog |
These dogs are discussed as being extremely loyal in nature, and always by your side no matter what! Additionally, they make excellent pets as they get along with everyone, whether that be dogs, hoomans and children! However, they do need plenty of socialisation as they are prone to becoming territorial if they're not exposed to meeting new people. Though they don't have high prey drives, their instinct to herd may mean they try to herd up both animals and children! However, they are very quick to learn new things, and so long as they receive lots of training with use of positive reinforcement, they should grow into happy and well-rounded dogs! They are also very active and so would do best in a home where they have lots of space to run around and a large garden to stretch their legs! They are sometimes prone to developing separation anxiety if left alone for too long, so would do better with a family where at least one person was at home for most of the day.
It's thought that Picardy Sheepdogs may be one of the oldest breeds of French herding dogs although it is still unclear on their origins. This is because continental shepherds have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years and it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when they became distinct breed in their own right. However, it is probably thought that they are closely related to both the Briard and Beauceron. Many believe that their ancestors arrived in France during the 9th century with these dogs evolving to the different regions of France that they ended up in. Picardy's are thought to have originated from an area just North of Paris, which is also coincidentally where they were granted their breed standard. They gained Kennel Club recognition in the 1920's though they were not a hugely popular breed. WW1 and WW2 also had a hugely negative impact on the breed, and they were almost extinct by the mid-20th century. Breed enthusiasts have slowly tried to bring the numbers up although there are less than 400 registered in France even today!