Official Standard for the BERGER PICARD CONTINUED
Color: Fawn or brindle. Fawn may be a clear or true fawn with no dark markings, or fawn charbonné (fawn with charcoal), which is fawn with dark trim on the outer edge of the ears and a grey underlay on the head and body. Grey underlay should not be so prominent that it "mud- dies" the overall fawn color. Brindle may be any shade of base color from almost black to light grey or fawn, with stripes or small patches of black, brown, red, grey, or fawn distributed throughout. All allowed colors should be con- sidered equally. A small white patch on the chest or tips of toes is allowed, but not ideal. Toes entirely white or a white patch anywhere on the body must be faulted. Disqualification - Solid black or white, pied, spotted, or harlequin; entirely white foot or white "bib" on chest.
moving, carried as a natural extension of the topline. May be carried higher than the level of the topline, but never curled over the back. Coat is the same length and texture as the coat on the body. Tail curled over the back is a severe fault. Disqualification - Tail absent, docked, or kinked. Forequarters: Shoulder blades are long and well laid back, covered by lean and strong muscle. The length of the upper arm balances the shoulder blade, placing the elbow well under and close in to the body. Forelegs are straight and strong, without being bulky. Viewed from the front, legs are parallel to each other with toes pointing straight forward. Pasterns slope slightly to a compact, rounded foot
with well arched toes and strong, black nails. Pads are strong and supple. Dewclaws may be removed or left on.
Gait: Movement is fluid and effortless, eas- ily covering a lot of ground with each smooth stride. Strong, supple, agile move- ment is essential for a working shepherd’s dog. Head carriage lowers to near the level of the topline when moving. Limbs move in parallel planes when gaiting slowly, converging slightly towards the centerline with increased speed. Temperament: Lively and alert, observant, confident, even-tempered. May be aloof
Hindquarters: Angulation of the thigh and stifle balance the front assembly, and are well muscled, providing powerful, tireless, and effortless movement. Rear pasterns are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground. With a correctly angulated rear, the toes of the hind foot land just behind a perpendicular line dropped from the point of rump. Feet are rounded with well arched toes and strong black nails, as in front. There should be no dewclaws on the rear legs. Coat: Harsh and crisp to the touch, neither flat nor curly, often with a slight wave. Undercoat is soft, short, and dense. The shaggy, rough coat of the Picard is distinctive, and should never be wooly, soft, or so profuse that it hides the outline of the dog. Ideal length is 2 to 3 inches over the entire dog, with coat naturally somewhat shorter on the top of the head. The coat accents on the head and neck which give the Picard its distinct look, known as "griffon- age", include rough eyebrows, moderate beard and mous- tache, and a slight ruff on the front and sides of the neck, framing the head, all of moderate length. Coat length over 4 inches in any location should be penalized, with longer coats penalized more severely than those only slightly longer than ideal. Coat on the ears should never be so long as to obscure the outline, or create a fringed appearance. The Picard is shown in its rustic, rough, natural coat which is not to be sculpted, shaped, or scissored. Dogs whose coat has been altered by excessive grooming must be severely penalized.
with strangers, but should not be timid or nervous. Aggressive or threatening behavior towards people or other dogs is a serious fault. Faults: Any departure from the foregoing description should be considered a fault. Those faults that would inter- fere with the dog’s ability to function efficiently as a shep- herd, guardian, and farmer’s helper should be considered more serious than deviations that are cosmetic or would not alter the dog’s ability to work. Disqualifications: Males under 22 ½ inches or over 26 ½ inches, and females under 20 ½ inches or over 24 ½ inches. Yellow eyes. Undershot or overshot bite with loss of con- tact between upper and lower incisors. Ears not carried erect or not standing. Tail absent, docked, or kinked. Color solid black or white, pied, spotted, or harlequin; entirely white foot, or white “bib” on chest.
Approved December 13, 2011 Effective January 1, 2013
318 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , N OVEMBER 2017
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