DOB: September 05, 2018
SIRE: CH Gribouille Des Falaises D'Fort Les Bans
DAM: GCH CH Mignonette De La Vie En Rose
BREEDER: Erica Henner Max
Picards at a Glance
Pronunciation: bare-ZHAY pee-CARR
Country of Origin: France
Group: Herding
Ideal Height:
Males: 23.5 - 25.5 inches
Females: 21.5 - 23.5 inches
Average Weight: 50 - 70 lbs
Colors & Markings:
Fawn: True fawn (fauve) or dark/charcoal fawn (fauve charbonné)
Brindle: Brindling with various base colors including: fawn, brown, gray, silver
Life Expectancy: 12 - 14 years
The Berger Picard was added to AKC's Herding group on July 1, 2015!
Life with a PicarD
There is truly nothing like sharing your life with a Picard. Berger Picards are a unique and complex breed; they are not the right breed for everyone. They are loyal and affectionate toward their people and are best known for their goofiness and sense of humor. Their temperaments and personalities are sometimes described as primitive with an independent attitude which often makes them challenging for first-time dog owners. They are sensitive, soulful, and emotional dogs with a heart of gold and a mind of their own.
Jump to: Exercise | Socialization | Training | Temperament | Grooming
Exercise
Like any herding breed, Picards require both mental and physical exercise on a daily basis. This is a breed that has been bred to work independently in the fields for long hours, leaving them with no shortage of energy and a never-ending enthusiasm for activity. They make excellent jogging or hiking companions. Picards are versatile and can make fun sport dogs. There are Picards training and/or competing in just about every sport available including (but not limited to): conformation, herding, agility, Rally, obedience, scent work, barn hunt, dock diving, and coursing events. Due to their independent nature, they may not be the most competitive dog in any sport, but if you want to have fun and learn a lot along the way, a Picard is usually willing to try anything when properly motivated.
Socialization
Socialization is important for any breed, but it is absolutely crucial for Picards and it should continue throughout the dog's lifetime. Providing your Picard puppy with consistent and positive socialization to many novel items and environments will assist in having a well-adjusted dog that is enjoyable to bring out to public places and events. Due to their nature as Shepherds, Picards tend to be very sensitive to their environments, especially environmental changes. This can unfortunately lead to reactivity if not approached proactively. A well-organized puppy obedience class will help set your puppy up for success. A good breeder will begin socialization well before the puppies are allowed to go to their new homes.
While adequately socializing your puppy is important, so is recognizing your dog's limits and not pushing them to a point where they become overwhelmed. As they are incredibly sensitive, they tend to imprint negative experiences very easily, which can lead to long-term issues if they do not recover. Picards tend to hit their fear periods quite hard, making it essential to avoid any potentially traumatic experiences and to help your puppy navigate the world during those times.
Training
There is no doubt that Picards are a very intelligent breed. However, they are not your typical biddable and handler-oriented herding breed. Finding something that motivates them can be a task in itself. They are intuitive and independent thinkers. In a lot of ways, a Picard simply will not do what a Picard does not want to do. They tend to get bored easily and generally dislike repetition, so it is important to keep training sessions short, dynamic, and fun. Clear and consistent boundaries and fair expectations should be established as soon as a Picard joins your family. I find that most Picards have very little interest in working for you, but are generally pretty happy to work with you if given clear guidance and sufficient motivation.
Temperament
The Berger Picard is a lively, alert dog that is goofy and affectionate toward its people. They should be appropriately sensitive to their environments without being overly timid, fearful, or lacking confidence. I often find them best described as opinionated, cautiously curious, and somewhat skeptical. They are very inquisitive and observant by nature. Their personalities and traits are considered to be more primitive than other breeds. Picards are generally aloof toward strangers, but should never be aggressive.
They are considered stubborn by many, but are generally responsive to clear and consistent training. Picards are somewhat protective by nature and will bark to alert their people of something that concerns them. They otherwise do not tend to be a vocal breed.
Grooming
The Picard's coat is truly low maintenance. Coat length and texture can vary, some requiring more care than others. Their coat is ideally 2-3 inches long with a crisp wiry texture. The coat is described as wash-and-wear. Many Picard owners rarely bathe their dogs or bathe them only as needed. Depending on the coat length and texture, regular brushing should be done weekly to monthly. The coat should never be cut or trimmed. The only area of the coat that is hand-stripped is the ear to remove any "fringe" that could obscure the natural shape of the ear. Most Picards have coats that are low-shedding.
Nails should be trimmed regularly. Picards are notorious for having sensitive nails and being intolerant to nail trims. Many owners have success using scratchboards and/or working with their Picard on counterconditioning and desensitization.
