Beauceron: breed standards. Standard FCI № 44

Here you will get the detailed information about the standard of the breed Beauceron. Knowledge of the breed standards will help you choose the right puppy.

FCI-Standard №44 / 09.11.2006 / UK

Place of Origin: France

Date of publication of the original valid standard: 25.10.06.

Usage: Shepherd and guard dog

CLASSIFICATION FCI:
Group 1 — Sheepdogs and Kettle dogs (except Swiss Kettle dogs)
Section 1 — Shepherd. With the working class.

Brief historical summary: «Dog Bos», «Beauceron» and «Red Stocking» were the names selected in the late 19th century to designate these ancient French Shepherds from the plains, alike, with smooth hair on the head with a hard, short fur and often cropped ears. On the coat has a brownish-red markings, especially noticeable at the tips of the feet, which gave grounds for breeders to call these dogs «Red Stockings» (bas rouge). Usually color was black and tan, but sometimes there are gray blotches; were individuals with completely black fur and even completely red. These dogs were bred for their ability to graze and guard flocks of sheep.

General appearance: Beauceron — big, solid, strong, well built and muscular dog, but absolutely does not look heavy and clumsy.

Proportions: A Beauceron around the average proportion. Length of body from shoulder to rump should be slightly longer than the height at the withers. Head length: 2/5 of the height at the withers. The height and width of the head is slightly smaller than half its length. Skull and muzzle of equal length.

Behavior / temperament: easy-going, open and self-confident. Character sincere, straight; Beauceron never timid, fearful or anxious. Gentle and brave.

Head: The head is well chiselled with harmonious lines. When viewed from the side profile, the top line of the skull and muzzle lie in approximately parallel planes.

CRANIAL REGION:
Skull flat or slightly rounded on one side to the other. The median groove is only slightly marked, well marked occipital protuberance.
Bridge: moderately expressed and is equidistant from the occiput to the end of the muzzle.

FACIAL REGION:
Nose: proportional to the muzzle, well developed, not Depleted and always black.
Muzzle: neither narrow nor pointed.
Lips: hard and always well pigmented. The upper lip should overlap the lower without debauchery. Expansion joints lips form a very small pocket, which must be kept dry and hard.
Jaws / Teeth: Teeth strong with scissor bite.
Eyes: horizontally placed, slightly oval. The iris should be dark brown eyes in any case not lighter than dark brown, even if the light burns. For Harlequins permissible diversity possible light eyes.
Ears: Set high. Ears semi-erect or pendulous. They should not be pushed to the cheeks. Flat and rather short. The length of the ear should be half the length of the head.

NECK: Muscular, of good length, harmonious transition to the withers.

Body:
Topline: back straight. The loin is short, broad and well muscled. Croup slightly sloping.
Withers: Well defined.
Chest: The chest is greater than the height at the withers by more than one-fifth. Chest broad, deep and long, well let down to the point of the elbow.

Tail Undocked, low set, reaches at least patellar tendon without deviating; forms a small hook in the form of «J». When the dog is in action, the tail may be raised high, the level of the topline.

Extremity

Belt forelimb: Straight, vertical seen from the front or in profile.
Shoulders: Sloping, slanting and moderately long.
Forearm: muscular.
Feet: Large, round, compact. Claws are always black. Paw rigid but nevertheless elastic and resistant.

Hindquarters: Straight, vertical when viewed in profile or from behind.
Thighs: Broad and muscular.
Patellar tendon: strong, are not located too close to the ground, the point at a distance of approximately 1/4 of the height at the withers, forming a well open angle with the lower leg.
Hocks: vertical, go a little further back than the point of the buttocks.
Feet: Large, round, compact.
Dewclaws: By tradition, the shepherds kept Beauceron double dewclaws. Dewclaws form well separated «thumbs» with nails, placed rather close to the leg.
Movement: Soft and loose. The limbs move parallel to the movement. Beauceron should move at a trot with long broad strokes.

Wool:
Smooth on the head, a short, dense, hard and tight to the body 4 to 4 cm in length. Buttocks and the lower side of the tail necessarily slightly longer hair framed. Undercoat is short, thick, fluffy, preferably gray, mouse-colored, must not be visible from under the top coat.

Color:
a) Black and tan (black with red markings): «red stockings». Black color — rich, red tan — like fur proteins. Red marks are located as follows:
• spots over eyes
• on the sides of the muzzle, decreasing closer to the cheeks, should never reach the ear
• chest, preferably two marks
• Reduce neck
• under the tail
• on the legs, disappearing gradually closer to the top, do not cover more than 1/3 feet. Rises above the inside of the leg.

b) Harlequin: color black and gray with red and tan, black and gray spots evenly distributed over the wool may predominance of black. Red markings are the same as in black-and-tan color.
Perhaps the presence of a small white spot on the chest.

Size:
Height at withers:
Males: from 65 cm to 70 cm.
Females: from 61 cm to 68 cm.
Disadvantages: Any deviations above mentioned points must be considered as disadvantages and the seriousness with which the disadvantages are measured should depend on the degree of deviation and their effect on health and welfare of the dog.

Grounds for disqualification:
• aggression or excessive timidity.
• Growth, does not fit the standard; rolling the top or bottom border.
• Extremely lightweight skeleton.
• Too light or different colored eyes (except for harlequins)
• Depleted nose; nose, the color of which is different from the black, the presence of non-pigmented areas.
• Overshot or undershot with waste, lack of 3 or more teeth (excluding P1).
• Natural uncropped ears standing fully erect.
• Overly Out at the hind legs.
• Single dewclaws or absence on the hind legs.
• Short tail or the tail rises above the back line.
• Wool: Wool color and structure, different from the definition of standards. The complete absence of tan markings. Shaggy coat. Are distinctively bright white spot on the chest. For species harlequin — predominance gray gray location on only one side of the body, and black — other. Completely gray head (no black).

Any dog ​​clearly showing physical or behavioral abnormalities shall be disqualified.

NB: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.