The Berger des Picard (also called Picardy Shepherd) , named after the Picardie region in France, is a medium size French dog of herding group. It is one of the oldest herding breeds in France. The breed was breed was almost extinct during the first and second World Wars and is still rare even in its country of origin.
The dog has a rustic appearance which is a main cause of this breed not being so popular. The head of Berger des Picard is free of wrinkles and proportional to the body size. The skull is broad and slightly doomed with a slightly tapered muzzle. The hair on muzzle form a distinct mustache and beard. The nose is large and black. Brown colour eyes are medium and oval. The hair above the eye fall forward forming rough eyebrows but are not too long or thick to obscure the eyes. High set and always erect ears are of moderate size. They are broad from the base and slightly round at the tips. The long neck is strong and muscular and blends into well-laid-back shoulders. The head is carried erect. Forelegs are straight and strong while hind legs are long and well muscled. The body is slightly longer than tall with well moderately deep chest. Ribs are well sprung. Back is strong and straight. The tail is uncut, thick at the base and tapers to the tip. It forms slight J-curve at tip. The shaggy, rough double coat of Berger des Picard is a distinct feature of this dog. It is 2 to 2 1/2 inches long all over the body except for head and comes in varying shades of two colours; fawn and brindle. The height and weight of this dog is between 22-26 inches and 50-70 lbs respectively.
The dog is NOT recognized by AKC but FCI, CKC and UKC recognize this dog. AKC FSS (Foundation Stock Services) which is an optional recording service for purebreds that are not yet eligible for AKC recognition, also recognizes this dog.
