The Temperament of the Beauceron
The Beauceron is known as a "country gentleman"; he is rustic, serious and dedicated to his work, which he loves to do, and gets deeply attached to his master. When a Beauceron walks by, he rarely goes unnoticed, and his proud bearing and self-confidence will draw the attention. It is a sight to behold, to see a Beauceron standing proudly, calmly and quietly watching his surroundings. He is a dog that will not deceive, and his proud appearance truly reflects his inner character. The frank expression in his dark eyes will mirror that of his calm confidence and strength, and his love for his master will be readily apparent. It can be somewhat unnerving for the un-accustomed person to have a Beauceron calmly staring into his eyes with an unwavering look; this is characteristic of the well balanced Beauceron that is comfortable with who he is.
As a guarding herd dog, he is very hardy, vigilant, courageous, calm and obedient; he is also expected to take some initiatives. He has an excellent memory and instinct to guard the home and all persons in the family. The Beauceron is very intelligent and his quick comprehension makes him an ideal working or sporting dog. He can be so sensitive to his master's moods that some people have called it a "psychic" bond. But behind that calm presence is a very powerful dog that will protect his master, family and property, and can be weary of strangers. Years ago, this had earned him the reputation in his homeland as being a dangerous dog that could not be trusted. A reputation that was not deserved, as behind his intimidating appearance is a big baby who seeks the company of people and loves to be hugged and petted, especially by children. The Beauceron has often been called a "velcro dog" by his owners.
Raising a young Beauceron is no easy task, as they can be very demanding. As a high energy dog, their exuberance can be overwhelming for the novice handler, and their energy needs to be channeled through lots of exercise and basic training. Caution must be observed around small children and elderly or frail people, as a young Beauceron can easily knock them over unintentionally. The first 2 years of the Beauceron's life can be challenging for his owner, due not only to his high energy, but also to his tendency to dominate; this, coupled with his intelligence, makes him prone to boredom; and a bored Beauceron can be destructive. They demand a lot of time, attention and training, and therefore are not recommended for the busy families. They are also not recommended for a first time dog owner or a person unable to assert his authority, as the Beauceron's strong personality will compel him to become dominant if allowed to do so. But the time spent early on will be very rewarding and the results well worth it, as the Beauceron will become a pleasure to live and work with.
When raised in a loving environment, the Beauceron will develop such a deep attachment to his first master that he will never completely overcome a change of owner.
The Beauceron differs from other working dogs in that unlike other breeds, he will work for the sole purpose of pleasing his master. That loyalty and absolute devotion has to be earned, though. The Beauceron will not tolerate any kind of harsh treatment from an adult, whether physical or verbal. He is much more tolerant of children if he has been raised with them. It has often been said that the Beauceron has to be handled with a firm grip inside a velvet glove. The Beauceron is so loyal to his master that he will respond to his every command and do anything that is asked of him in order to please him. This, coupled with his love of work, makes him a perfect working dog.
The Beauceron is, and has to remain, a flat terrain dog capable of herding big flocks (Intelligence, sensibility, self-control, sociability), of guarding it (attentiveness, courage, judgment), and of defending it (lack of fear, brazenness, efficiency). The breed standard specifies that the Beauceron has to be "sage-hardi", which in English, means "wise and brazen". Those two words alone sum up the essential mental elements of a guarding herd dog; even though the Beauceron is hardly used for that purpose anymore, the mental elements have remained unchanged, and are still listed in today's breed standard.
In France, the Club des Amis du Beauceron has developed a test to evaluate the temperament and emotional stability of the Beauceron. This test is mandatory for all Beaucerons attempting to obtain a Cotation higher than 1. There are four components to the temperament test:
- Attitude at the dog's initial contact with the judge.
The dog is held on a loose leash as he and the handler calmly approach the judge; a few friendly words are exchanged, and the behavior and sociability of the dog are assessed. The handler is not to show any encouragement to the dog. The brazen and well socialized dog is curious, comfortable and will approach the judge. The nervous dog will attempt to flee or seek protection from its master. The aggressive dog will not seek contact, but will attempt to bite the judge. He will have to be held back by its owner.
- Attitude when the two gunshots are fired.
The gunshot was chosen, as it was the easiest to reproduce of the various violent noises that the dog may face in everyday life. For this test, the dog is held on a short leash by its handler and two gunshots are fired by the judge, from a distance of no less than 20 meters. The dog may show surprise, but not fear. He may show aggression if he has been trained. In this test as well, the handler is not to show any encouragement or give orders to his dog. The wise and brazen dog does not show any anxiety; he may jump at the first shot, but immediately re-composes itself. The nervous dog will again seek the protection of its handler, or may attempt to flee and even panic at the sound of the first gunshot. The aggressive dog will be difficult to control for its handler, and will want to bite everything that moves.
- Attitude when the dog is threatened with a stick.
This test is not an aggression towards the dog, nor is it an incitation for it to bite. "Threat" means intimidation, whereas "aggression" means a brutal and unprovoked attack. For this test, the dog is again held on a short leash, and its handler must remain passive and not encourage or give any orders to his dog. The objective of the test is to evaluate the protectiveness of the dog towards its handler when threatened. The first attack with the stick will be mild and from a distance of no less than 2 meters. The dog must remain between its handler and the threat in a protective fashion. The trained dog will be pulling at his leash, wanting to tackle the threat, but will await his handler's orders. The untrained dog that is wise and brazen will not know what to do and will look at his handler, seeking direction, but he will remain in between his handler and the threat. He will neither attack, nor flee; it is the best dog. Let's not forget that the tester is not an aggressor, therefore, a well balanced dog will not be anxious or worried by the mimics of the tester. In reality, a true aggressor will give out certain signals (adrenaline) that the dog will pick up on and will then react in a defensive manner. The nervous dog will seek refuge behind or beside its handler or attempt to flee. The aggressive dog will attempt to attack the threat in an aggressive fashion, and its handler may have problems controlling his dog.
The second attack with the stick will be much closer, just out of reach of the dog. This time, the wise and brazen dog will no longer be looking to its handler for direction: the threat is very close, so he moves into action and defends himself and its handler. In no case does the stick ever make contact with the dog.
- Reading of the tattoo.
Three or four people stand around the dog and its handler, talk to the handler and pet the dog. The emotions and threats now removed, the dog must return to his calm state. The trained dog knows that the exercise is over and is calm. The wise and brazen dog is also calm, and allows people to pet him, although he may still show some suspicion towards the judge that held the stick. The nervous dog will still be attempting to flee and the reading of its tattoo will be difficult, but nevertheless possible. The aggressive dog is still being held back by its handler and the judge will be unable to read the dog's tattoo; the dog may still be attempting to bite the judge, or even its handler.
The description of the temperament is obviously only the image of the "ideal" Beauceron. It does not imply that every Beauceron will be as described above. Careful screening and evaluation must be done on the dog and their ancestors, as well as the environment, especially when shopping for a puppy. The temperament tests described above were put in place to assist both buyers and breeders in making better choices.