Berger Picard breed guide

Loyal, good-natured and observant, Berger Picards have a stubborn streak, so early socialization and positive training are necessary. They are very intelligent and eager to please, which makes training fairly easy.

AKC calls the breed an ideal companion for athletic owners, with a rugged constitution and agility.

Berger Picards live 12 to 13 years. AKC notes that, as in all breeds, a few dogs meet health problems while most stay healthy.

The double coat pairs a soft dense undercoat with a shaggy, wiry, waterproof topcoat. In shedding season, brushing every day or two with a rake and a slicker brush removes dead hair before it lands on the floor and furniture.

Bred to work in the fields, the Berger Picard needs lots of daily exercise and mental stimulation and without a good outlet it may become destructive and unhappy.

France stayed an agricultural nation long after the Industrial Revolution began elsewhere in Europe and French shepherds developed many pasture dogs over the centuries. The Picard might be the oldest.

The rustic herder was reputedly brought to northern France by the central-European Celts who invaded Gaul in prehistory and while not every authority accepts that, all agree the breed is of great antiquity.