Berger Picard

by Amy Tokic

Published: January 29th, 2014

About Berger Picard

Weight

50-70 lb

Lifespan

12-13 years

Group

AKC Miscellaneous Class

Best Suited For

Families with children, houses with yards, farms/rural areas

Temperament

Vigilant, assertive, lively, energetic, intelligent

Comparable Breeds

Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Pyrenean Shepherd

Height

23.5-25.5 inches

Berger Picard Basics

The Berger Picard (pronounced ‘Bare-zhay Pee-carr’) also known as the Picardy Shepherd, is considered to be France’s oldest sheepdog. In fact, its scraggly, mutt-like appearance hides a rich and storied history that dates back to the 9th century. It is a medium-sized, well-muscled dog with a slightly elongated body. Its ears are pointy and erect, and its eyebrows are bushy, but not excessively so that they cover the dog’s eyes. The Berger Picard’s outer coat is rough and scraggly to the touch and covers a soft, dense undercoat.

Like most breeds of sheepdog, Berger Picards are lively, intelligent, vigilant and assertive. They are highly responsive to obedience training and require an owner with a gentle but firm touch. Although still used for herding purposes in their native France, they are also used in dog agility trials, tracking, obedience, showmanship, Schutzhund, flyball, lure coursing, French Ring Sport and herding events. They are also a highly loyal breed of dog and make excellent companions.

Like most breeds of sheepdog, Berger Picards are lively, intelligent, vigilant and assertive.

Origin

First brought to northern France by the Celts during the 9th Century, Berger Picards have been used as herding dogs by the French for centuries. They have also been featured in various tapestries, engravings and woodcuts including that of Clément Delorme, the 1st Master Shepherd of France. Berger Picards were also used to smuggle tobacco and matchsticks across the Franco-Belgian border. These items of contraband were put in goatskin pouches and attached to the scraggly coats of the Picards, where they would not draw any unwanted attention.

When the trench warfare of World War I and World War II reached northern France, the populations of Berger Picards reached an all-time low. The breed saw a partial revival after the end of World War II and has since been featured in various films such as “Because of Winn Dixie,” “Daniel and the Superdogs,” and “Are We Done Yet?”

Pedigree

There are two schools of thought regarding the pedigree of Berger Picards. While some believe that they are descended from the Briard and Beauceron, others believe that they originate from Dutch and Belgian Shepherds.

Food/Diet

Berger Picards are an energetic breed and should be fed on high quality dried or canned foods. Their diet can also be supplemented with occasional raw meats.

Like most other shepherding breeds Berger Picards are highly intelligent and responsive to obedience training.

Training

Like most other shepherding breeds Berger Picards are highly intelligent and responsive to obedience training. However, they can be willful and stubborn when faced with a lack of leadership. Therefore it is important that owners display a calm and assertive style of leadership consistently.

Weight

Berger Picard males can weigh anywhere between 50-70 pounds.

Temperament and Behavior

Berger Picards are considered to be one of the mellower and easier going breeds amongst sheepdogs. They are also highly loyal to their owners and extremely affectionate towards children. Like most sheepdogs, Berger Picards require close human contact to live well-balanced lives and should be made to feel a part of the human ‘pack’. This can be done by taking them on long pack walks each day. Berger Picards can be willful and stubborn if they sense weakness or doubt in an owner. Thus it is important that owners be calm and assertive with setting rules, boundaries and limitations.

Berger Picards generally do not display any great hunting instincts and get along well with other dogs and pets. However, it is advisable to socialize them with other animals early on in life to ensure that problems do not arise as they grow older.

Berger Picards are naturally vigilant of strangers and make good guard dogs. They are however rarely aggressive and will only attack if they feel that their owners are under immediate danger.

Common Health Problems

Berger Picards are generally a very healthy breed of dog. They can sometimes have problems with hip dysplasia. Certain hereditary ailments such as progressive retina atrophy and retinal dysplasia can occur in certain lines.

Life Expectancy

Berger Picards have a life expectancy of around 12-13 years.

Exercise Requirements

Berger Picards are a high energy breed of dog and require a significant amount of daily exercise. They make excellent jogging and hiking companions and will also enjoy a good run alongside a bike. Like most working breeds, they are at their happiest when given a ‘meaningful’ task.

Berger Picards are considered to be one of the mellower and easier going breeds amongst sheepdogs.

AKC

The AKC has this to say about the Berger Picard: “A medium-sized, active and athletic herding dog, the Berger Picard was bred to be a working companion, enthusiastically performing its job while also responding well to training. This breed has a shaggy, wiry topcoat with a short, dense undercoat to produce a weatherproof coat that is overall rough to the touch. The Picards coat comes in shades of fawn with or without gray underlay and trim on the ears as well as brindle. Monthly brushing is necessary to prevent matting, with occasional bathing and hand-stripping of the ears to neaten.” The Berger Picard was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2013.

Coat

Despite its scraggly appearance, the Berger Picard is a relatively low maintenance dog. Their coats shed lightly and only need to be groomed once or twice a month. They also have a very slight doggy odor and do not need to be washed.

Puppies

Berger Picard puppies are highly energetic and should be socialized with various animals and strangers at a very young age.

Photo credit: Cufleadh/Wikimedia

Amy Tokic

Amy Tokic, Editor of PetGuide.com, is a passionate animal lover and proud pet parent of Oscar, a Shih Tzu/Chihuahua cross, and Zed, a Japanese Chin. Her love of animals began in kindergarten, when she brought her stuffed dog Snoopy into class with her every day. Now, she writes about her adventures in pet ownership and tirelessly researches products, news and health related issues she can share with other animal enthusiasts. In her free time, Amy loves perusing used book and record stores, obsessing over the latest pet products available and chasing squirrels with wild abandon (a habit attributed to spending too much time with her pooches).

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Socializing with other pet parents over a cold one, just got easier!

This Farm Offers Cuddle Sessions With A Pack Of Adorable Goldens

For decades,  Golden Retrievers have been one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States – heck, in the world. It’s no secret that Goldens are simply everyone’s favorite! Cute, goofy, and cuddly, these dogs are such a wonder and so much fun to be around. And now, thanks to Golden Dog Farm from Jeffersonville, Vermont, the fans of this famed breed can enjoy a very special experience centered around these adorable furballs.This family-run farm launched a special Golden Retriever Experience – a one-hour session allows guests to enjoy refreshments such as cider and snacks, all in the company of a huge group of cuddly golden retrievers called “happy”. The session is usually called the “happy hour” just because of this, and allows anyone to immerse themselves in the company of “at least '' 10 dogs Umm, sign me up for any activity that includes dogs, especially ten of ‘em! The Golden Dog Farm is run by Doug and Becca Worple and in an interview with  USA TODAY, the couple happily exclaimed that the bookings for the experience sold out incredibly quickly. It was certainly not what they expected earlier this year when they came up with the idea and started it all. Not at all surprisingly, it was COVID that caused the idea to come to fruition. During the height of the virus rampage, Doug Worple’s job, based at a travel-oriented global digital advertising agency, suddenly experienced a major hiccup. Trying to get a bearing at this trying time, Doug said he “used the moment to take a step back and consider what was next.” And, together with his partner Becca Worple – herself a photographer and a media representative at a radio station – Doug decided it was best to sell their home in Cincinnati, Ohio, in hopes of moving to a family cottage in Ontario. It was a time of big changes."Then the border closed," Doug Worple said. "Now we're two weeks out of closing on our house and didn't know where to go, so we decided to buy an RV and traveled to 35 different states, 17,000 miles in the RV with two of the dogs."And during this incredible and life-changing adventure, the couple decided to start a golden retriever-based business, and to finally settle in beautiful Vermont. "We've just always loved goldens and always wanted to have a lot of goldens," Worple said. "With what I was doing, I saw the power of influencers and social media and all that and I joked we need to have an Instagram farm full of golden retrievers, and soon we started looking at what that might look like."And once they arrived at Jeffersonville, Vermont, a sign they were looking for appeared – and they were left speechless. While driving through town, they suddenly spotted a truck full of golden retrievers, driven by Dana Menne of Butternut Goldens. It was a match made in heaven. "(Becca told me), 'If God were to send to me a sign we needed to move someplace, it would be a truckload of goldens,'" Doug Worple said.In no time, their idea about a golden retriever “happy hour” began to take some serious shape. And especially thanks to the Butternut Goldens.  "Collectively both of us wanted to do something like this but they didn't have a place to do it and we didn't have enough goldens," Doug Worple said. "But together we could make it happen."At the moment, their “happy hours” are sold out until Dec. 17, but the Worples have plans to extend the dates to April, giving everyone a chance to enjoy this experience. The one-hour experience runs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and costs $75 for adults and $50 for children."People are so happy when they're here, they have this childlike joy on their faces," Worple said. "People cry because they're so happy."What about you? Would you enjoy an hour cuddling with golden retrievers?

Scientists Uncover Secrets of Extinct "Wooly Dog" Breed

Throughout history, dogs have played several key roles in the lives of people globally. They have hunted, worked, and provided for us, forever weaving them into the fabric of human existence. We often use this knowledge to better understand our modern dogs by reflecting on their original purpose as a breed. Unfortunately, not every breed continues to thrive among us today.The Coast Salish wooly dog was a unique breed, kept by the First Nations people throughout the Pacific Northwest, including Vancouver Island, for its fleece-like coat. A new study reveals insights into the history of the now-extinct breed.Unlike most animals at that time in history, the dog was kept in pens and longhouses. This was done to prevent the dogs from mixing with village and hunting dogs, preserving the breed and the fleece it provided.“They were sheared like sheep, and the wool was woven into blankets,” recounted Eliot White-Hill of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. “Blankets were like currency in our economy prior to contact and some of the most important things you could own and give away as gifts.”The dogs were fed a diet of fish and elk and were seen as beloved family members.“It’s not just a dog – it’s a relative. It has enormous spiritual power, conveyed in its wool,” explained Michael Pavel, an elder of the Skokomish-Twana tribe and one of the study's authors. “Imagine being able to receive the gift of wool fiber, being able to learn to weave that into yarn, into an entity, or a blanket or robe that you could wrap yourself in the coldest of winter and feel the warmth of those prayers. That’s how we look at it, and we can now enjoy a scientific view, as well.”Unfortunately, the breed did not survive colonization. It’s not clear exactly what caused the demise of the Coast Salish wooly dog – the introduction of European dog breeds, rules enforced on First Nations people during assimilation and displacement, or smallpox epidemics being a few of the hypothesized factors.But thanks to the preserved pelt of a wooly dog named Mutton, who died in 1859, researchers can now learn a little more about the unique DNA of the dog, its lineage, and insight into the breeding practices of local Indigenous communities.Researchers compared DNA from Mutton’s pelt to that of a separate non-wooly village dog that lived and died in the same region at approximately the same time.While the information gathered from the study did not offer any conclusive answers about the disappearance of the breed, it did hypothesize that the Indian Act of 1876 played a critical role as it would have directly impacted the ability of Indigenous women to pass on valuable knowledge about caring for the dogs and weaving necessary to its survival.On a positive note, the study did support historical facts shared by First Nations people in that area – a valuable piece of the puzzle as many work to reclaim the traditions of their ancestors.“It brought a large group of people together that reaffirmed for us the history we know,” stated Violet Elliott, also of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. “It was a gift of collaboration with other nations.”

Humans Are Getting Their Pets Sick – Here's What You Need To Know

Zoonosis are diseases that can be transmitted from other vertebrate animals to humans, such as rabies or Lyme disease, and has been around ever since we started domesticating animals. However, recent studies reveal that a new and lesser-known form of zoonose is becoming increasingly common: the reverse zoonose. This is the latest phenomenon, where disease can be transmitted from humans to their pets. Dr. Benjamin Anderson from the University of Florida was amongst the first to warn about the increase of reverse zoonoses. He said that more attention should be paid to disease transmission “in the opposite direction”, and that both pets and their owners can be threatened by it, especially when sharing close quarters with one another.“We’re starting to see a lot of examples of reverse zoonosis. Pets are more susceptible than, maybe, we previously thought,” he said. “Typically, the viruses that I will have as a human are not going to fit into the receptors that a dog or cat has.”This means that reverse zoonoses typically appear when a pathogen in humans mutates and then adapts to a new animal host. In the past, however, it was much rarer for this to happen, because humans and animals have a totally different biology.But now, the viruses like  coronavirus or influenza have a much higher chance of cross-species transmission. This is mainly due to their RNA-based genetic material, which is more likely to mutate or have replication errors. According to Dr. Anderson, there are several diseases that have been documented to transmit from humans to their pets. These include COVID-19, tuberculosis, swine flu, dengue, human-norovirus, and other viral, fungal, parasitic, and bacterial infections.To make matters worse, the highest chances for this to happen is with pets such as dogs, cats, horses, and ferrets, as they have the most genetic similarity to humans, being mammals. “We have to first ask how the pathogen gets into those animals in the first place,” said Dr. Anderson for  Phys.org. “The pathogen doesn’t develop out of thin air in animals before suddenly spilling over into humans. While pathogens certainly can move from animals to other animals and can be picked up from the environment, exposure to humans also plays an important role. It’s this constant back and forth exchange that happens over time, increasing the probability of a mutation taking place that allows the pathogen to infect a new host.”Dr. Anderson also noted the difficulty in tracking reverse zoonoses, as it is a big challenge to link the transmission of diseases between humans and animals. Because of this, Dr. Anderson advises pet owners to be cautious around pets, particularly if they are sick with communicable diseases, like COVID-19 or the flu. Maintain good hygiene around your pets, and avoid direct contact.

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