Character of the Beauceron
EXTRACT FROM THE BOOK OF RENÉ SAUVIGNAC, EDITIONS DE VECCHI, 1984
"Country gentleman," is how the great Colette drew in two words the portrait of her beauceron. This definition is still valid and it seems difficult to find a better one.
Gentleman, it is to the end of the nail of his double ergot. It is necessary to see him proudly encamped to better watch his flock or defend his household, in order to realize his nobility. It is a dog "that does not lie" and his appearance of pride really reflects the depth of his character. He is also a countryman by his rusticity, his reserve, his deep attachment, his seriousness, his love of work.
The Beauceron is the largest of the dogs of the first group (group which, at present, gathers all the dogs of shepherd). By his size, power, and expression, he appears to be the formidable defender of his masters, his flock, his property. His dark eyes are frank, loyal, severe, even hard, which may have earned him a reputation as an aggressive dog in some areas. Yet this great black dog becomes "stupid" with children to whom he does not know how to show his affection. In his demonstrations, his contact is sometimes rough. For a dog of some fifty kilos who wants to "make a hug", and for that climbs on your knees, poses some problems. A good education and his natural wisdom will enable him to " To approach the children and the fragile grandmothers with all the necessary sweetness. Of course, it is difficult to imagine when a baby Beauceron makes its appearance in a family, that this adorable puppy will be ten months later a dog of adult size, and that it will still be only a "big" baby. Ten months is short and it is during this period that the puppy must learn life.
In matters of dressage, but of simple education, it is imperative that during these few months your companion learns the basic principles that govern the house. For each, the prohibitions are different: for some the lawn is sacred, for others it will be the dining room ... all the community life must be determined during the first months, the Beauceron can become an unbearable gallop, Or an irreplaceable companion.
It should never be forgotten that the Shepherd of Beauce is a proud dog, proud of character; Any undue hardship will be unacceptable. On the other hand, if his master is equitable with him, he will always do his utmost to satisfy him. A caress will be the most beautiful of rewards. The Beauceron is the dog of a single master, that does not mean that in a family it is attached only to one of its members, but when it has been adopted and adopted a family , It has enormous difficulties to change. Thus, a Beauceron who had changed her master at eleven months spent more than six months to rehabilitate herself. And what is most astonishing is that once a year, the first master coming back say hello to his former pupil, Was perfectly integrated into his new family and reserved a delusional welcome. All her relatives recognized that she did not show them so much joy. After each visit, the Beauceron remained depressed without practically taking food for nearly eight days. She died at thirteen, without ever having forgotten her first master. These examples are numerous and it would be easy to cite several. If the expression "country gentleman" corresponds well to the portrait of the Shepherd of Beauce, the adjectives: wise and bold say everything about his character.
Sage, it is: when one sees a Beauceron, it is obvious that we are not dealing with a "funny". He is serious, he does not let himself be told, he has a duty, a mission - to keep his house, his children, his masters or his flock, or find at the end of a trail the runaway child or Sheep lost. He will do it with all his strength, all his intelligence, but also with all his measure, all his wisdom.
Hardy, it will be in all the actions that require to go forward, to take responsibility and it will solve with all the rigor of which it is able the problems that will present themselves. He has another quality of which there is little talk, it is the regularity of his character. During his life, as an adult, his behavior will remain the same. If he has been an agreeable companion for four or five years, he will not suddenly become an aggressive dog, suddenly without reason, who bites the children he has washed for a few years.
Like some men who often do not speak more than necessary, the Beauceron is a dog that barks little and only wisely. The master who knows his dog well will be able, without going out of his house, to know who is approaching his home; Between the arrival of the car of a stopping pet, a passing dog or a stranger, there will be as many distinct barking as different events.
When we speak of a dog, we quote his qualities: he keeps well, he is faithful, he is nice, he hunts well ... everything that makes a watchdog, hunting or companion Dog dreamed. We may also cite his faults in order to choose in full knowledge the breed that may best suit you. We will list the prestigious ascendants to convince and convince ourselves of the great quality of the dog.
But there is one thing that we rarely talk about: health. Fifty years ago, the majority of the Beauceron herd was in the hands of the shepherds, and for them the dog was not a toy or merely a complement to family life. It had to be a reliable and efficient work tool. They could not keep a dog incapable of providing hard work every day of the year (some still have to travel more than one hundred kilometers per day), and this in all weather. The dog, at that time, did not represent a venal value, so he could not be traded "and end his life on a sofa in a well-heated house sheltered from the weather, as the shepherd could not keep a dog useless, Of soup dog,
We are still benefiting from this wild selection which over the years has suppressed the sickly, fearful, aggressive, weak, unintelligent, etc. subjects, to retain only the solid, calm, courageous and intelligent subjects who are the ancestors of our beauceron.
There is nothing sadder than seeing his proud companion aged prematurely and begin to decline towards the age of six or seven, become deaf, blind, atrabiliar. The Beauceron, of course, must die one day, but in most cases it will remain until the last weeks, even until the last days, the dog that you have always known and loved. His passing time near you and his work finished, he will turn off but will never leave you a memory of fallen dog.