Berger Picard: how to recognise a Picardy Shepherd
Tall upright ears, a shaggy weatherproof coat and bushy eyebrows give the Picard a look of its own. Upload a photo to see which breeds your dog is closest to.
Also known as: Picardy Shepherd, Berger de Picardie, Picard
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About the Berger Picard
The Berger Picard is a rustic sheepdog from Picardy in northern France, one of the oldest French herding types and still a rare breed. It came close to disappearing after the two World Wars and was rebuilt from the few dogs that remained. The FCI lists it in the sheepdog group, and the AKC recognised it in 2015. Picards are lively, sensitive and loyal, with a sense of humour and a stubborn streak. They respond best to calm, varied training and enjoy long walks, tracking and dog sports.
How to recognise a Berger Picard
- Harsh, crisp, semi-long coat that looks tousled rather than groomed, over a dense undercoat; never soft, silky or curly.
- Colours: fawn from light to dark, sometimes with darker shading, or grey shades: grey, black-grey, blue-grey and red-grey.
- Large ears set high, carried naturally erect and slightly rounded at the tips, strikingly big for the head.
- Rough eyebrows that do not hide the eyes, a light beard and moustache, and a sturdy body slightly longer than tall.
- Tail reaches the hock and ends in a slight J-shaped hook; carried low at rest, never curled over the back.
Photo tip. A head-on photo with the ears up shows their unusual size and the eyebrows; add a side-on shot to show the coat texture and the hooked tail.
Berger Picard or look-alike?
Belgian Shepherd Laekenois
Smaller, neatly triangular ears, a squarer frame and a darker muzzle. A Picard’s ears look oversized for its head, and its body is clearly longer than it is tall.
Briard
Another shaggy French sheepdog, but with a much longer coat that falls over the eyes, ears hidden in long hair, and double dewclaws on the hind legs like the Beauceron.
Rough-coated shepherd mixes
Many wiry shelter dogs with upright ears get called Picards. A true Picard has very large, high-set ears, no curl in the coat and no white beyond a small chest mark.
Berger Picard mixes
Picards are rare, so true Picard mixes are uncommon; most dogs labelled “Picard cross” are rough-coated shepherd or terrier mixes. When the breed does show in a cross, the big upright ears, the harsh coat and the fawn colour are what come through. On a mixed dog the identifier will often also list Belgian or German Shepherds and other rough-coated breeds; only a DNA test can confirm Picard ancestry.
Health and care
- Eye conditions, including progressive retinal atrophy, are known in the breed; ask for recent eye exams on both parents.
- Hip dysplasia occurs, as in most herding breeds; ask the breeder for official hip scores on the sire and dam.
- Needs daily exercise and mental work: long walks, running, tracking or agility. A bored Picard becomes vocal and inventive.
- The rustic coat is low-maintenance: brush every week or two and never clip it. Check the ears and beard after walks.