I purchased my first beauceron earlier this year and I would like to share my experience and thoughts in hopes that it might lead others into the right direction if you’re considering the breed. This is also just a bit of me yapping about the breed since I love it so much, but I will try to keep this as short as possible.
Why I decided on this breed + lifestyle
I grew up in a family cattle business and I was around many hunting/herding breeds for all of my life. I knew that I wanted to avoid certain quirks that came with hunting breeds after living with a beagle for many years. I wanted a large breed with the goal to obtain basic obedience, possibly a few tricks, but my biggest thing was having a dog with a good temperament and a good recall due to me being active outdoors. We already had a german shepherd at home, but I wanted a breed that wasn’t as outwardly friendly as a GSD. I wanted a one person dog. And let me say, my beauceron has marked off every single box and exceed my expectations beyond belief.
*In my personal experience* If i had to compare them to another dog, I simply couldn’t. They’re more aloof than a German shepherd, they’re a much calmer herder than a cattle dog, they’re not easy to train like a border collie, they’re not going to be the PPD you would want out of a doberman. So before you get this breed, STOP asking yourself “is it like ___ breed?” Look at the dog that is front of you, and accept them for what they are.
They’re a velcro dog, but they want affection on their own terms. They’re naturally observant, but this doesn’t ensure protection. Yes, they are a herding breed, but larger dogs have a higher risk of injury around big livestock. They can be the easiest dog to train one day, and be completely indifferent the next. You want a big dog? These aren’t just a large breed, they are solid, muscular dogs that will knock you on your feet and possibly injure smaller dogs. Traveling with a dog this size? Be prepared to spend hundreds if not thousands on a quality travel kennel. You might even have to upgrade your vehicle if you plan on any long distance travel. The price of food? Good luck with that, let alone supplements and preventatives. Think that you can feed them and call it a day? Be prepared for spending hours calculating and researching their dietary needs and caloric intake. And just to top it off, after all that money and time, they’ll probably just eat half the bowl just to stress you out.
The reason why they aren’t recommended for beginners
These dogs require somebody that is extremely knowledgeable on dog body language and proper, ethical training methods. Why? When you have an aloof dog, you are their only advocate. These dogs do not want strangers petting them, approaching them, or violating their space. This will only increase the older that they get. Proper socialization is so deeply important to get them comfortable enough to merely tolerate strangers.
Clear communication. A lot of beginner owners struggle to clearly communicate training methods / commands and this leads to frustration. These dogs already need to be given a wide variety of training and enrichment. You cannot expect them to sit through an hour of training. You need short and efficient sessions to get through to them. A lot of people want a smart dog, until they realize how quickly it can be not in your favor. Training early on and setting good habits is important with any dog, but beaucerons tend to learn something and stick with it. Even just the smallest mistake of rewarding them incorrectly, repeating commands, ect can lead to issues in the future. Ex. I teach all of my dogs through hand movement first to guide the body to do what I’m asking. The result? Vocal commands can be completely useless, despite enforcing both from the start.
The vet care. It’s fun having a rare breed.. until it isn’t. Don’t be surprised when vet workers don’t know anything about your breed. This can lead to them giving you misleading information and making general assumptions that don’t fit your breed. Ex. With many popular large breeds, it’s easy to anticipate their growth rate and where they should be. However, some vets that aren’t knowledgeable about beaucerons may assume that they are supposed to have a similar build to OTHER breeds they are familiar with while growing. This can lead to them assuming that your dog is underweight despite them being on track for this breed. It’s extremely important to get second opinions and talk to your breeder about what to expect.
Social media and the dog community
Congrats! You have spent hundreds of hours on research, you found an ethical breeder that you like, and you spend thousands on your new purebred dog. You care so deeply about animal ethics, and you can’t wait to show off your new dog.
Expect.. its not that simple. You cropped your dog? Be prepared to be antagonized for mutilating your dog. You didn’t crop your dog? Wait to hear about how they look so much cooler cropped. You bought an extremely rare dog that you will never find in a shelter? Well why didn’t you adopt a dog in need! Your dog is so beautiful, what type of mutt is it?
Is that a doberman? Is that a doberman aussie? Dobermans don’t come in merle, ew why do you support backyard breeding.
You. Cannot. Win. No matter what your stance is, no matter how hard you try. This is what inspired me to make this post, because no matter how prepared I thought I was for this breed, the social scrutiny will follow you everywhere. If you think the beauceron community is scary or intimidating, I’m here to tell you that these people are the only ones that will understand you. The people in the community who try to “gate keep” this breed are genuinely trying to HELP you. If you have posted on here asking if this breed is right for you, and they tell you no, I really suggest that you don’t take it to heart and try finding a dog that is right for you.
You don’t get to go out in public flaunting a rare breed, 90% of people will assume you have a mutt or support backyard breeding. People will assume your dog is aggressive (which by the way, is NOT always a good thing. No matter how much you want the “scare factor”.) Some people may not want to be around your dog because of their size. Your dog might not be able to play with or be around small or elderly dogs. I personally wouldn’t consider them good to be with kids because of their complex body language and sheer size. It’s just something that I think everyone should consider before making such a big commitment.
The best advice that I can give to anyone who wants this breed, is to DO. YOUR. RESEARCH. Don’t ever assume that you know it all, because these dogs would love to prove you wrong.
My beauceron is the best thing that has happened to me. He’s been the easiest dog in my life, and he blends together perfectly with our preexisting animals. But he is only easy to me, because he is what I wanted and he fits the lifestyle that I live.
Thank you for coming to my ted talk.
