Official Standard for the BERGER PICARD COURTESY THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
General Appearance: The Berger Picard is an ancient breed developed by the farmers and sheep herders of the Picardy region of northern France. They are medium-sized, sturdily built & well-muscled without being bulky, slightly longer than tall, with distinctive erect natural ears, wiry coat of moderate length, and a tail reaching to the hock and ending in a J-hook. Movement is free and easy, effi- cient, and tireless to allow them to work all day on the farm and in the fields. They are lively and alert, observant, quietly confident, and can be aloof with strangers, but should not be timid or nervous. This is a rustic, working shepherd’s dog, without exaggeration or refinement. Size, Proportion, Substance: Size – Males 23 ½ to 25 ½ inches, females 21 ½ to 23 ½ inches at the highest point of the withers. Up to 1 inch above or below limits shall be faulted. Disqualification - males under 22 ½ or over 26 ½ inches, and females under 20 ½ or over 24 ½ inches. Proportion - Measured from the point of shoulder to point of rump, the Picard should be slightly longer than the height at the highest point of the withers. Bitches may be slightly longer than dogs. Body length should be about 10 percent more than height. The distance from the withers to the elbow equals the distance from the elbow to the ground. Substance - Bone should be sturdy and strong, and this framework is well- muscled without ever being bulky or ponderous. Must be sufficient to support work in the field all day, but not so massive as to interfere with free, efficient, light-footed movement. Head: Head - Strong, without being massive; rectangular overall and narrowing slightly from ears to the eyes, and again from eyes to nose when viewed from above. The cor- rect length of head, measured from occiput to nose, should be about the same length as the neck. Muzzle and topskull should be of equal length, and form parallel planes when viewed in profile, separated by a slight, sloping stop. Expression - Alert and observant, spirited, confident, pleas- ant. Eyes - Medium size, oval shaped and turned forward; neither round nor protruding. Eye color is medium to dark brown, but never lighter than hazel. Darker eye color is preferred. Eye rims are tight-fitting and fully pigmented. Disqualification - Yellow eyes. Ears - Moderately large (4 to 5 inches long), broad at the base, tapering to a slightly rounded tip, and set rather high on the skull. Always car- ried naturally erect, and turned forward. Viewed from the front, carriage should be perpendicular or turned slightly out from perpendicular, at the 11 & 1 o’clock position.
Coat on the ears should be short to moderate in length, not obscuring the shape of the ears. Ears tipped forward are to be severely faulted. Disqualification - Ears not carried erect or not standing. Skull - Width is slightly less than the length, and very slightly rounded. Coat on the top of the skull is naturally shorter and gradually becomes longer at sides of skull and on cheeks, which makes the skull appear to be flat when viewed from the front. Cheek muscles are moderately strong and slightly rounded. There is a slight furrow between the bony arches over the eyes. The hair above the eyes falls forward, forming rough eyebrows that are not trimmed, nor are they so thick or long as to obscure the eyes. Stop - Slight, gradual stop between the parallel planes of the muzzle and skull. Furrow between
brow ridges blends smoothly into upper plane of muzzle. Muzzle - Viewed from above, the muzzle tapers slightly from the stop to the nose, ending bluntly. It is pow- erful and never snipey. In profile, the bridge of the muzzle is straight, and paral- lel to the skull. Lips are thin and tight, with dark pigment. The hair on the muzzle forms a distinct moustache and beard, which is not overly long or bushy. Planes - Viewed from the side, the muzzle and skull are in parallel planes. Nose - Large, and always black. Bite & Teeth - A com-
plete set of evenly spaced, white teeth set in strong jaws, and meeting in a scissors bite. Three or more missing molars or premolars is a severe fault. Disqualification - Undershot or overshot bite with loss of contact between upper and lower incisors. Neck, Topline, Body: Neck - Strong and muscular, moder- ately long in length, blending smoothly into the shoulders and carried erect with a slight arch. Skin should fit cleanly without any dewlap. Topline - Strong; level to descending very slightly from the withers, over a well-developed loin, to a slightly sloping croup. Body - Chest deep but not exag- gerated, reaching to the level of the elbow but not beyond. Prominent prosternum blends smoothly into the sternum. The lowest point of the sternum is at the level of the elbow, and from that point, the sternum slopes gradually up towards the loin to give good depth and length to the ribcage. Ribs are well sprung from the spine for the upper one-third, then flattening as they approach the sternum, neither slab-sided nor barrel-shaped. Belly slightly tucked up. Loin strong but not overly long. Tail - Strong at the base and tapering to the tip, flowing smoothly from the slightly sloping croup. At rest, hangs straight and reaches to the point of the hock, ending in a slight crook or "J" at the tip without deviating toward the right or left. When
316 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , N OVEMBER 2017
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