History of the Beauceron

Little is known about the Beauceron prior to the XIXth Century. The foundation of the race dates back directly to the Canis familiaris palustris, otherwise known as the "Peat Dog" (Chiens des Tourbières), where its existence has been documented to the Stone Age (Neolithic Period), and is the oldest European dog. Remains of the "Peat Dog" have been found in the lake dwellings of Switzerland and France. The "Peat Dog" seems to have transmitted to its descendants a type common to the herding breeds. The origins of the Beauceron are similar to those of most herding breeds from Continental Europe.

In the ancient times, the shepherd used the dog to protect its flock. The animal was rather solid, powerful, courageous and distrustful.

The origins of the herding dog appear to date back to the XIIIth Century, in the Scandinavian Islands. Its use spread to the British Isles during the XVth Century and did not become widespread in Continental Europe until the end of the XVIIth Century.

After the disappearance of the wolves, the plains became safer; the flocks expanded without the fear for the safety of the animals. The protection dog became less popular, except in the mountainous regions and other hostile areas where it was still useful. The herding dog was essentially developed in the plains; its use became necessary as soon as the land became subdivided and cultivation became more widespread.

It was during the XIXth Century that the idea of specific breeds of shepherds was developed. Before that, since shepherds were only used by farmers, they tended to avoid notice due in part to their geographic isolation. Since the farmers bred their own dogs, they exercised rigorous selection, culling out all puppies in the litters that did not meet their needs; they tended to keep the puppies that looked like the parents, which then created some homogeneity within the breeds. This also served to develop shepherds that were resilient and could withstand the harsh terrain and climate, work all day, as well as protect the flocks and the farm.

In 1889, the Veterinarian Pierre Mégnin, who was a member of the Academy of Medicine, described the four different types of shepherds in the publication "L'Eleveur". One of them was described as follows: "Old French breed, also known as the dog from Beauce": Bold and wild looking, but upon closer look, we discover some elegance. He is of medium build and well proportioned, the head slightly elongated, with a narrow muzzle, a high and wide forehead, indicating intelligence; its eyes are small, round and yellowish with a sharp look; its ears are short and upright. Its legs and feet are strong; its body is covered with coarse hair, black or grey on the top of its body, and often yellowish under the belly and on the inside of the legs and at times having white on the back of the rear legs. The tail is bushy, hanging down with the point curved up.

In 1893, the first Beauceron was registered with the LOF (Livre des Origines Français). It was a female, Bergère de la Chapelle, (# 2 339), breeder and owner, M.Georges Derossy. Bergère was born on November 15th, 1891, from Sultan and Fidèle. We know that she measured 65 cm (25.6"), had coarse hair, semi-long, and black in colour with red markings on the head and the legs. Bergère received numerous prizes at the Paris dog shows.

It was in January 1896 that the differentiation was made between the two types of shepherds. The short haired variety was named "Beauceron" and the long haired variety kept its name "Berger de Brie" (Briard). It was stipulated that the names had nothing to do with their Region of origin, but strictly as a means to distinguish between the two. The French Club of Shepherds (Le Club Français du Chien de Berger) was created that same year with Emmanuel Boulet as president. An official bulletin was published, and a periodic journal was also published in an effort to encourage breeders to strive for the amelioration of the breed. This was the first written standard for the Beauceron. The real selection of the Beauceron breed began. The original breed standard did not specify any colours, but only listed some colours of preference. In the breed standard from 1911, even though there were only 6 coat colours listed, there were as many as 10 different colours being presented at the shows. It was not until the early 1920's that the standard in regards to the coat colours was being enforced. In 1969, the breed standard only included two coat colours, and those are the two that we know today: the black and tan, and the Harlequin. From the beginning, the black and tan had always been the preferred colour and is by far the most prevalent, even today.

It was on April 24th, 1911, under the impulse of a well-known cynologist, Léon Siraudin, and two Veterinarians, MM. Héroult and Mégnin, that the Club des Amis du Beauceron was created. Siraudin published a lot of material on the breed and his writings are still currently being used as a reference. World War I saw the numbers of Beaucerons drastically reduced, as they were used on the battle fields to carry messages and to pull stretchers. After rebuilding their numbers, they were again decimated by World War II, where their services once again proved to be invaluable. It was not until after WWII that their numbers began to steadily increase, due to the efforts of the Club des Amis du Beauceron. The Beauceron remains a popular breed in France, where it is valued for its intelligence and versatility.