"Country Gentleman" is how the great Colette drew in two words the portrait of her beauceron. This definition is still relevant and it seems difficult to find a better one. Gentleman, he is to the end of the nail to his double dewclaws. It must be seen proudly camped to better watch his flock or defend his household, to realize his nobility. It is a dog "who does not lie" and his appearance of pride really reflects the essence of his character. Country Gentleman: he is also rustic, his reserve, his deep attachment, his seriousness, his love of work. The beauceron is the largest of the dogs of the herding group (group which, at present, gathers all the dogs of shepherd). By his size, his power, his expression, he appears as the formidable defender of his masters, his flock, his property. His dark eyes are frank, loyal, severe, even hard, which may have earned him in some areas a reputation for aggressive dog. Yet this big black dog becomes "all stupid" with children to whom he does not know how to show his affection. In his demonstrations, his contact is sometimes rough. Because a dog of some ninety pounds who wants to "hug", and for that goes on your lap, poses some problems. A good education and natural wisdom will enable her to approach fragile children and grandmothers with all the necessary sweetness. Of course, it's hard to imagine when a baby Beauceron makes an appearance in a family, that this adorable puppy will be ten months later an adult-sized dog, and that he will still be a "big" baby. Ten months is short and yet it is during this period that the puppy must learn life. In non-dressage but simple education, it is imperative that during these few months, your companion learn the basic principles that govern the house. For everyone, the prohibitions are different: for some the lawn is sacred, for others it will be the dining room ... all community life must be determined in the first few months, the beauceron can become an unbearable rascal, or an irreplaceable companion.
It must never be forgotten that the Berger de Beauce is a proud, proud dog of character; any unjustified constraint will be unacceptable to him. On the other hand, if his master is fair with him, he will always do the maximum to give him satisfaction. A caress will be the most beautiful reward. The Beauceron is the dog of a single master, that does not mean that in a family it is attached to only one of its members, but when it was adopted and that it adopted a family he has great difficulty in changing them. Thus, a Beauceron who had changed masters at eleven months took more than six months to readapt. And what is most surprising is that once a year, the first master returning to say hello to his former dog, this dog who had perfectly integrated into his new family was an exuberant welcome. All her relatives recognized that she did not show them so much joy. After each visit, the Beauceron remained depressed without practically taking any food for nearly eight days. She died at thirteen, without ever having forgotten her first teacher. These examples are numerous and it would be easy to cite many. If the expression "country gentleman" corresponds well to the portrait of the Berger de Beauce, the adjectives: wise and bold say everything about his character.
Well-behaved it is: when we see a beauceron, it is obvious that we are not dealing with a "funny". It's serious, he does not let it be said, he has a duty, a mission- to keep his house, his children, himasters or his flock, or to find at the end of a runway the runaway child or the child. lost sheep. He will do it with all his strength, all his intelligence, but also with all his measure, all his wisdom. Hardi, he will be in all the actions that require to go ahead, to take responsibility and he will solve with all the rigor of which he is capable the problems that will arise. He has another quality of which we speak little, it is the regularity of his character. During his life, as an adult, his behavior will remain the same. If he has been a pleasant companion for four or five years, he will not become, suddenly, without reason, an aggressive dog who bites children he has washed with a lick for years. Like some people who often do not speak more than necessary, the beauceron is a dog that barks little and only wisely. The master who knows his dog well can, without leaving his house, know who is nearing his home; between the arrival of the car of a pet that stops, a passing dog or a stranger, there will be as many separate barks as different events. When we talk about a dog, we quote his qualities: he keeps well, he is faithful, he is kind, he hunts well ... everything that makes a watchdog, hunting or company the dreamed dog. One may also mention its faults in order to choose in all knowledge the race that can best suit you. Prestigious ascendants will be listed to convince and convince themselves of the high quality of the dog.
When we talk about a dog, we quote his qualities: he keeps well, he is faithful, he is kind, he hunts well ... everything that makes a watchdog, hunting or company the dreamed dog. One may also mention its faults in order to choose in all knowledge the race that can best suit you. Prestigious ascendants will be listed to convince and convince themselves of the high quality of the dog. But there is one thing that we rarely talk about: health. Fifty years ago, the majority of the Beauceron herd was in the hands of the shepherds, and for them the dog was not a toy or simply a pleasant complement to family life. It had to be a reliable and efficient work tool. They could not keep a dog unable to provide hard work, every day of the year (some have to travel more than one hundred kilometers a day), in all weathers. The dog, at that time, did not represent a venal value, so it could not be traded "and end his life on a couch in a warm house sheltered from the weather, as the shepherd could not keep a useless dog, from soup to dog, he was purely and simply eliminated when he was not fit to work. We are still enjoying this wild selection that over the years has removed the sick, fearful, aggressive, weak, unintelligent, etc., to keep only strong subjects, calm, courageous, intelligent who are the ancestors of our beauceron . There is nothing more sad than to see one's proud companion grow old prematurely and begin to decline around the age of six or seven, becoming deaf, blind, miserable. The beauceron, of course, must die one day, but in most cases it will remain until the last weeks, or even the last days, the dog that you have always known and loved. His time spent near you and his work finished, he will go out but will never leave you a memory of fallen dog.
(Source: le Club des Amis du Beauceron)