Dog Training and Dog Care advice from UK Professionals

Beauceron Dog Breed Profile

The Beauceron can easily kill a wolf and this incredible breed was used as a war dog in both World Wars.

Other Names: Berger de Beauce, Bas Rouge, Red Stockings

K9Obedience Breed Profile

Origin: France

Breed Purpose: Herding and guarding.

Kennel Club Dog Group: Working

Height: Both 64-71cm.

Weight: Both 32-50kg.

Lifespan: 10-13 years

Exercise Needs: The Beauceron does not just need plenty of exercise, it also needs to work. Ideally exercise should be in the form of participating in one of the canine sports such as Schutzhund, Ring Sports, and Dog Agility or Dog Obedience trials. The dog needs plenty of off-lead exercise and a constant training regime. The Beauceron’s talents include tracking, herding, guarding, and police and military work. Do not expect this dog to be content with a quick walk to the shops and back!

Feeding Needs: The Beauceron is a hearty country dog with a large appetite to match its working abilities. They thrive on a natural home prepared diet and will eat 600gms of meat; 300gms rice or pasta, 300gms of vegetables and a juicy bone or kitchen scraps and this is a daily amount. Quantities given should reflect the dog’s lifestyle with working or highly active dogs receiving more.

Common Ailments: This is a robust breed that has no common health issues. The Beauceron has double dew claws on the hind legs that enables better movement on soft ground. Some owners opt to have these surgically removed as they say the claws act as a hook and can tangle up in long grass.

Physical Description: The overall appearance of the Beauceron is one of a tall country dog of solid, powerful proportions. The Beauceron is well built and muscular without being too heavy. Even the Doberman is hard pressed to match the physique of the Beauceron in muscle and jaw strength. The head is long with a flat skull and a slight furrow between the eyes. The muzzle is in equal length to the skull. The eyes are dark, oval shaped and horizontally placed with a direct and fearless stare. The ears are quite long and drop though in some countries they are still cropped. The neck is muscular and carries the head proudly. The body is powerful with a straight topline, a broad chest and deep, well-sprung ribs. The loins are muscular with a slightly sloping croup towards the tail. The female has a slightly longer body than the male. The legs are muscular and straight with a moderate angulation. The feet are strong and rounded with hard pads and double dew claws on the hind legs forming ‘thumbs’. The tail is carried low and reaches the hock and is slightly feathered. The Beauceron’s coat is thick and short with slight fringing on the back end. They have a dense undercoat. The coat colours are deep black and tan. The colour can also be harlequin (tri colour) or black/grey/rust.

Beauceron K9 Obedience Dog Breed Summary:

The Beauceron is a dog with courage and an assertive character. They are an extremely challenging breed to own and are definitely not for the average family. This dog has remained a rural creature and does not do well in towns or cities. They barely tolerate other dogs or any other household pets. The Beauceron will be either distant and reserved towards the family’s children or totally adoring but for certain he will not tolerate being pulled around or teased. This dogs powerful protective instincts will never let any harm come to its family and will almost certainly be overtly aggressive towards anyone coming near the home. If the potential owner is laid back, indecisive or in any way timid the Beauceron, even as a young dog, will quickly take advantage of the owners weakness and develop behavioural problems, namely he will take over the place and everyone and everything within it!

The owner of a Beauceron must be a person of natural authority with a dominant personality stronger than the dog’s as this dog is more dominant than any other breed in our experience. They will only submit to an owner that has gained their respect. Even as a young puppy the Beauceron will be constantly testing its owner and has a knack of staring with a fixed steady gaze, just waiting to detect any signs of fear, weakness or indecision on the owner’s part. However if this dog accepts the owner’s authority it will become affectionate, loyal, obedient, devoted and trustworthy. Another issue with the dog is its low boredom threshold. These dogs need to be constantly challenged. They are not your average dog that will perform a trick time and time again. Once they know a command they expect to move on and learn something new and exciting. The owner must be of a similar adventurous nature that can keep pace with this intelligent dog. A word of warning: the Beauceron is very much a one-person or one-family dog who will have complete trust in its owner and cannot adapt to changing hands and accepting a new family. Anyone wanting to own this magnificent animal must be totally committed to having the dog for life.

Probably the single most impressive breed in our editor’s experience. It’s a case of ‘always wanted one’ but STILL not fully ready for one, mostly due to work commitments and many other dogs to train. If and when I get one of these, it will be a time when I can enjoy every single one of the many qualities this breed carries (probably in retirement!) and at the same time, being able to control its immensely protective nature. A breed for which words simply do not suffice. Get this dog wrong and you can have a loaded gun in your house. Get it right and you can have the most rewarding dog owning experience I believe is possible. Probably the MOST serious decision you will ever take, so please do NOT take it unless you are absolutely clear on just how big a responsibility this is. Spend at least a year researching, visiting other owners, and reading…PLEASE!