Breeds / Large
Berger Picard puppies
A shaggy French herding dog, lively, observant and quietly stubborn. They are warm with their own family, reserved with strangers, and they need a great deal of daily exercise and something to think about.
The facts
- Size class Large
- Country of origin France
- Adult weight 22.7 to 31.8 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 50 to 70 lb
- Adult height 55 to 65 cm
- Energy level High
- Grooming Low
- Coat type Medium wiry
- Shedding Moderate
- Typical lifespan 12 to 13 years
- Good with children Fine with supervision
- Good with other dogs Fine with supervision
About the Berger Picard
The Berger Picard is a French herding dog from Picardy, a plain working breed that came close to disappearing after the world wars. They stand 55 to 65cm and weigh 22.7 to 31.8kg, with erect ears, a shaggy wiry topcoat over a soft insulating undercoat, and a scruffy, good humoured expression. They are lively, observant and quietly stubborn, affectionate at home, wary with strangers until properly introduced, and rated mid scale with children and other pets.
Picards are high energy dogs with real stamina, so plan on at least one long walk every day plus hikes, fetch, swimming or a dog sport. Grooming is undemanding: a brush roughly monthly for most of the year, then every day or two during the moult, with baths kept rare so the topcoat stays crisp. The breed is sensitive and slow to trust, so socialisation has to start early. A bored Picard turns destructive, and that is the complaint new owners raise most often.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Berger Picard puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Progressive retinal atrophy, detectable by DNA test on breeding stock
- Hip dysplasia, screened by hip evaluation and x-ray
- Inherited eye disease including retinal dysplasia, screened by an ophthalmologist evaluation
Your Berger Picard puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Berger Picard.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 22.7 to 31.8 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 31.8 kg; chew toys made for large breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.
Buying guides for this
Other large breeds
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.
Sources
- akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
- fci.be for country of origin
- Health notes from Berger Picard breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/berger-picard/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Photo: Pleple2000, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.