Picardy shepherd dogs: description of the breed and conditions of keeping dogs

The Picardy Sheepdog belongs to the group of French herding dogs. It is a friendly and loyal animal that loves children and has a strong affection for a person who is recognized as a master. Representatives of the breed are wonderful watchmen and companions. But such a pet is not suitable for every owner, so you should study its features.

In France, the species was bred by crossing French shepherds of the Briard and Beauceron breeds, but, according to other sources, the Picardians were bred by breeding Belgian and Dutch shepherds. At the moment, the number of these animals in the world is 4300 individuals. They live mainly in France, but are also found in Canada and the United States.

Characteristic features of the animal's appearance:

• average body size;
• muscular, slightly elongated torso, but not devoid of elegance;
• the growth of males is 60–65 cm, females can be either lower or higher than males: 56–67 cm;
• the weight of an adult dog varies from 22 to 33 kg;
• the animal has a rather large head with a wide skull, medium cheekbones, a forehead along which an almost imperceptible strip runs, which makes it seem flat;
• the dog has a straight nose, a moderate length beard and mustache, dry compressed lips and a scissor bite;
• the eyes are usually dark, of medium size;
• the ears are not very large, set high, with rounded tips, reach 10 cm in length and are usually raised;
• the neck is strong, muscular, the chest is wider than the height at the withers;
• the limbs are rather long, muscular, and the legs are short, rounded in shape with dark strong claws and hard pads.

The length of the coat is 4 cm at the muzzle, on the body - 6 cm, including the tail, which hangs down or bends at the end. The standard provides for the following colors:

• Gray;
• gray with rust;
• gray with black;
• gray-blue;
• pale yellow.

Spots on fingers and chest are acceptable. Large white blotches reduce the value of the individual. Due to the shaggy coat, the dog loses its decorativeness, but this does not prevent it from remaining graceful, energetic and athletic in its own way, which is preferred by many lovers of these animals.

Sheepdog has innate watchdog skills, knows its territory well and is ready to fearlessly defend it. Despite a share of stubbornness and a certain degree of independence, her behavior is distinguished by balance, lack of aggression, sociability, therefore long separation from the owner can lead to depression and melancholy... The Picardy Shepherd Dogs do not trust strangers, but they adore family members, especially children.

French herding dogs have strong immunity, which allows them to avoid many diseases caused by bacteria and viruses. However, they have a number of genetic pathologies and hereditary predispositions that, with improper care, can provoke such ailments as:

• disorders of visual function: cataract, residual embryonic membrane of the eyes, dystrophic changes in the retina, retinal dysfunction due to multiple injuries (multifocal retinopathy);
• diseases of the endocrine system, in particular, functional decrease in the secretion of the thyroid gland, inflammation of the organ of autoimmune etiology;
• congenital dislocation of the hip joint, which increases the risk of dislocation of the femoral head;
• sometimes cardiovascular disease occurs.

Often, females suffer from changes in hormonal levels, as a result of which problems with reproductive function occur. The harmless birth defects include distichiasis - an additional second row of eyelashes, which does not harm health in any way.

It is advisable to protect young individuals up to a year from hypothermia and drafts, which can cause illness. But the older the animal, the less likely it is to become seriously ill. In good conditions, representatives of the Picardian breed can live from 13 to 15 years.

Despite the fact that historically the dog is adapted to a free village life, Picardian shepherds can easily adapt to urban living conditions if the owner organizes their active rest and walks. You should think about this before bringing your puppy home: the animal is very energetic, and if its needs for movement are not satisfied, then it is capable of spoiling things and furniture. Adults behave more calmly and can peacefully wait for the owner for hours.

But walks and physical activity are not the whole list of requirements for the content: the dog needs psycho-emotional communication. And also the Picardians love to swim, run next to a person, play for a long time or perform tasks that are interesting for them, and this must also be taken into account. There are other important points when caring for an animal.

• Daily brushing... Dog hair is prone to tangling and tangling. With seasonal shedding, the amount of hair loss increases moderately. In this case, you do not need to cut your pet.
• The shepherd will need to regularly cut its claws, especially if she doesn't move a lot and doesn't grind them down on her own.
• The ears are cleaned as needed. Eyes are rubbed with special compounds to avoid inflammation caused by particles of dust, dirt or microbes.
• Brush teeth and remove tartar The picardian shepherd dog can be done independently or by visiting the veterinarian's office. For home use, there are special cleaning products on sale: sprays and pastes, for example, "Tropiklin" based on natural plants.

Shepherd dogs are bathed quite rarely, only if the wool is heavily soiled: about once every 3 months. Dry shampoo can be used more often. We must pay tribute to the breed: the coat of dogs does not exude a strong peculiar smell, since the skin and hair shafts of the animal contain a minimum amount of natural fat.

Unfortunately, even the most spacious apartment cannot replace the dog with a place in the open air in the aviary, which is better for both the shepherd and the owner... However, animals feel great in the city, provided that the owner constantly pays attention to them.

The feeding habits are due to the fact that an obedient and unpretentious dog may be selective in relation to food. It is best to find her a daily menu in consultation with a veterinarian. Rules to be followed:

• feeding assumes the same hours, puppies up to 3 months are given food 4 times a day, up to 7 months - 3 times, adults are fed twice a day;
• most of the diet is boiled meat, sea fish;
• and also the animal should be given rice and oatmeal porridge, cooked in broth;
• vegetables (carrots, cabbage, beets and greens) are chopped and added fresh (at least 120 g daily).

And also nutritional supplements such as fish oil, calcium, yeast, liquid vitamins are needed. The puppies are given calcined cottage cheese. You can give the shepherd dog and ready-made high-quality food from well-known manufacturers, which already contain all the ingredients important for the animal. Once the dog is accustomed to its diet and specific menu, feeding problems usually do not arise in the future. Therefore, you need to pay attention to this aspect while the pet is in puppyhood.

For the characteristics of this breed of dog, see below.