Boseron dog

History of origin

Many thousands of years ago, when mammoths still walked the Earth, and people lived in caves and hunted with stone axes, ancient hunters were accompanied by medium-sized sharp-eared dogs, semi-wild, intelligent and independent – peat dogs (the bones of these animals were first found in peat deposits ). They were semi-wild, and they not only served man, but coexisted with him on an equal footing.

Centuries passed, millennia changed, and dogs changed with them, mutating, interbreeding with others, but retaining the same primordial ancient gene. Today, a number of breeds boast similarities to their Ice Age ancestors, and one of them is the Beauceron French Shorthair Shepherd Dog.

The first mention of black and tan shepherd dogs dates back to the XNUMXth century – these direct descendants of wolves grazed herds of sheep not only in the French province of de Bos, from which they got their name, but throughout the country. However, in those days there were no exterior criteria whatsoever, and the main thing for a dog was its working qualities, but one way or another, certain signs were fixed for the dogs, and in the XNUMXth century the Beauceron breed was officially recognized.

To this day, Beaucerons are quite small in number, but these noble dogs always have fans. In our country, they first learned about them in the 60s, when a French costume epic based on the novels by Anne and Serge Golons about the adventures of Angelica appeared on Soviet screens. There, in the films “Angelica in Anger” and “Angelica and the King”, a smart Beauceron bloodhound named Sorbonne is shown.

Breed description

At first glance, the Beauceron resembles a slightly smaller copy of a Doberman, or a half-breed of a Doberman and a Rottweiler. However, this shepherd dog has nothing to do with either, it is lighter and taller than a Rottweiler, and more massive than a Doberman.

The muzzle is rather long, the look is attentive and intelligent, the back is straight, the paws are powerful, the tail is long, kept lowered. The ears are naturally semi-pendulous (the tips sag on the cartilage), but if desired, they can be stopped by making them erect, like a Doberman. However, if you do not subject the dog to this painful procedure, nothing terrible will happen – modern standards allow uncropped ears.

The coat resembles that of a Rottweiler – not the shortest, but not long, thick and silky shiny. The color is black and tan (tans are red, yellow, red) or marbled and tan.

Photos

Character

If you open any atlas of dog breeds, you can find a mention of the viciousness of the Beaucerons. However, this is not entirely true. Yes, these dogs are direct descendants of domesticated wolves, so they retained a lot of the special character of a wild animal – independence, intelligence, hierarchy, but this does not mean that the Beauceron will rush at everything that moves. With the right upbringing, this is an excellent family friend, a devoted comrade and a reliable protector. The dog can become a nanny for children, support for the owner and support for his wife. He is distrustful of strangers, but he will not mindlessly attack, however, he will not let uninvited guests into the house.

Care and maintenance

Like all semi-wild dogs, the Beauceron is very unpretentious. He easily tolerates any climatic conditions, rarely gets sick and is able to run many kilometers a day. Of course, life in a private house would be ideal for him, where this Frenchman could run as much as he likes (the main thing is not to put him on a chain!), but he will also feel quite comfortable in an apartment, provided that they will be with him to walk alot.

You need to constantly be in contact with the Beauceron – talk, communicate, even in household chores, he must take part. It is in such conditions that not an aggressor will grow out of a puppy, but a true loving friend of the family.

Education and training

The Beauceron is a breed that needs compulsory education, and it must be started from early childhood. The sooner you start working with the puppy, the better. This is an incredibly smart dog, so start teaching him commands and discipline from the first minutes of your acquaintance. Be prepared for the fact that by 4 months the teenager will begin to look for his place in the pack and may stop obeying and begin to insist on his own – this is the transitional age. It is during this period that it is very important to show the puppy that it is you, and not he, who is in charge in your pack. Overdo it, but in no case resort to violence if you do not want an uncontrollable aggressor to grow up in your home. Remember that a dog is always angry out of fear and insecurity. A little life hack: if your dog does not want to obey, no matter what you do, do not rush to give up or – even worse – resort to violence. Make it easy: bite your puppy on the nose. Yes, yes, just bite. Not too hard, but sensitive – it is important that he sees and feels your teeth. That’s what a potential leader of a wolf pack would do. Seeing that you are able to show your teeth, the puppy immediately recognizes you as a leader.

If you have become the proud owner of a small beanie, do not neglect early socialization. Let him communicate with people and other animals, let the children stroke the puppy and feed him from his hands. And then you will grow a completely adequate and friendly dog ​​- no matter what numerous reference books say about this breed.

Health and disease

Like all heirs of wild dogs, Beaucerons rarely get sick. They are extremely hardy and unpretentious, so they can live in the yard without fear of hypothermia or overheating. Of course, some diseases can also occur in them, for example, hip dysplasia or allergies, but this is purely individual and is not a breed trait.

However, this does not mean that annual vaccination and parasite prevention can be neglected, because Beaucerons leading an active lifestyle can easily pick up ticks or fleas both in summer and winter.

Word to the breeder

Elena Lobanova, breeder from Perm: “The Beauceron is a comprehensively developed dog, characterized as a guard dog, a shepherd and a companion! Many people underestimate Beauceron, so they are not so popular in Our Country.”

Anastasia Griendeks, breeder: “Beaucerons are rather large dogs, tall, strong, but at the same time graceful, not overloaded. They are very people-oriented, for them the world revolves around the owners, the family. They are wary of strangers, distrustful, but without excessive aggression, assess the situation around for danger, “graze” their own and protect. An affectionate little kitten with his own and a big serious beast with strangers.

There are few Beaucerons in our country, but the breed is gaining popularity.”

Nadezhda Solnyshkova, breeder from Sortavala: “Beaucerons are an aboriginal dog, not spoiled by man! They are naturally distrustful of strangers, at the same time they idolize the owner! This dog, which almost always tries to please the owner and works for him!

“Bosses” are very beautiful, smart, hardy. With the right upbringing, this is an excellent companion, a shepherd dog, a nanny and a formidable watchman! Our dogs are engaged in sports, protection, there are therapy dogs … “

Anastasia Verkeeva from Minsk, cynologist, head of the sports team “IRON WILL” and the nursery of beaucerons and Alaskan malamutes “ROYCELAND”: “The Beauceron is designed to work in tandem with its man. Universal in its purpose: from rescue to defender, from herding to agility and frisbee, sledding, search, freestyle – the Beauceron can do everything and is given to work completely. The character is strong and independent for others and affectionate and gentle in the circle of his family. Beauceron is not a slave and in life he will not obey through coercion and fulfill a senseless whim of a person, but he is an ideal companion and partner who will give all his best if the goal and task are correctly explained to him. Very mobile, active, requires physical and necessarily mental stress. Created for self-sufficient self-confident and positive people leading an active lifestyle.

In our country, the breed is practically unknown and not popular, which has a very good effect on its quality, as it makes its commercial use unprofitable.”

Vladimir Deev, owner of the Beauceron nursery “Countryfolk” from the village. Morozovka, Moscow Region, Honored Breeder of the RKF ( Cynological Federation): “The Beauceron is a family dog, very human oriented, companion. She gets along with children of all ages and other animals (including cats) as she considers them family members.

The breed is quite old and has a rich history, but little known in Our Country. Black and tan Beaucerons are often mistaken for Doberman or Rottweiler mestizos, and harlequins (the second color of the Beauceron) are not recognized.

The Beauceron’s personality ranges from soft to hard, but it’s definitely not a vicious guard dog.”

Popular questions and answers

We talked about the maintenance of Beaucerons with zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina.