OVERALL APPEARANCE:
The Beauceron is a large dog, solid, rustic, strong, well-built and muscular, without signs of lymphacity (heaviness, roughness).
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:
Beauceron is proportionate in all proportions. The length of the body from the front projection of the scapula to the hump of the ischial bone should be slightly greater than the height of the withers.
The head is long: 2/5 of the height at the withers. The width of the skull and the height of the head are slightly less than half the length of the head. The braincase and nasal part are the same length.
NATURE / TEMPERAMENT:
A dog with a direct and confident expression. The expression is natural, never shy or overly frightened. The character of the beauceron must be prudent and fearless.
HEAD:
The head is well modeled with harmonious lines. In profile, the lines of the parietal and nasal parts are basically parallel (parallel)
STOP:
The stop is only slightly indicated, it is halfway between the crown of the head and the tip of the nose.
SKULL:
Flat or slightly arched from one side to the other. The frontal furrow is barely visible, the parietal bump is visible on the top of the skull.
NOSE:
Proportional to the nose, well developed, never cleft and always black.
MUZZLE:
Neither narrow nor pointed.
LIPS:
Firm and always well pigmented. The upper lip overlaps the lower lip without any freedom. It forms a light fold in the corners, which must remain closed.
JAWS/TEETH:
Strong teeth with a scissor bite
EYES:
Horizontally placed, slightly oval. The iris must be dark brown and in no case lighter than dark hazel, even if the tan is lighter. For the harlequin variety, grins in the eyes are allowed.
EARS:
High stakes. Semi-erect or prone. They should not fit the cheeks. They are flat and rather short. The length of the ear should be equal to half the length of the head.
NECK:
Well-muscled, of good length, harmoniously connected to the shoulders.
HULL
TOP LINE
The back is straight. The loins are short, wide and well muscled. The butt is slightly sloping.
FAUCET:
Well marked
CHEST:
The chest circumference exceeds the height at the withers by more than 1/5. The chest reaches to the elbows. It is wide, deep and long.
TAIL:
Complete (not shortened), worn low, reaches at least to the top of the heel, is not deflected to the side and forms a slight hook in the shape of a “J”. In movement, it can be carried higher, in the extension of the upper line.
LIMBS
FRONT LIMBS:
Straight when viewed from the front and in profile.
SHOULDERS:
Sloping and medium length
FOREARMS:
Muscular
PAWS:
Strong, round, compact. Claws are always black. The pads are hard but elastic.
HINDQUARTERS:
Straight when viewed from the profile and from behind.
THIGH:
Broad and muscular.
JOINT:
Pronounced, not too low, approximately 1/4 of the height of the withers, the knee and femur form a well-open angle. The heels are almost vertical, set slightly behind the axis lowered from the buttock.
PAWS-BACK:
Strong, round, compact.
FOOTSTOOLS:
According to tradition, shepherds maintained the preservation of double wolf claws. The claws form well-separated thumbs with claws, placed close enough to the paw.
MOVEMENT:
Flexible and spacious. Limbs move in line. The Beauceron has an extended trot with a good stride.
COATING:
COAT:
Smooth on the head, strong, short, dense, firm and close to the body, 3 to 4 cm long. There are inconspicuous but necessary flagella on the thighs and underside of the tail. The undercoat is short, fine, dense and dusty, preferably in mouse gray, very tight, which does not show through the cover coat.
COLOR:
a) black with tan (black with tan signs): red stocking . The black color is very rich, the tan is the color of a squirrel. Burnt characters are distributed as follows:
– bruises above the eyes.
– on the sides of the muzzle, they gradually disappear towards the cheeks, never reaching below the ear.
– on the chest, two separate spots are preferred.
– under the neck.
– under the tail.
– on the limbs, they gradually disappear upwards, in no case do they cover more than 1/3 of the limbs, they reach a little higher on the inner sides of the limbs.
b) harlequin (blue spotted with tan markings): grey, black with tan, the proportion of black and gray is the same, the spots are well distributed, sometimes blacker than grey. The location of the tan characters is the same as in the black with tan variant. A discreet white spot on the chest is tolerated.
HEIGHT:
Height at the withers: dogs: from 65 to 70 cm. , bitches: from 61 to 68 cm.
MISTAKES:
Any deviation from the above must be considered an error, which will be penalized according to its degree of seriousness.
EXCLUDING ERRORS:
– aggressive dog or very shy
– height outside the limits of the standard
– too light skeleton
– too light or spotted eye (with the exception of harlequins)
– cleft nostril, its color other than black or spots on it
– overbite or underbite with loss of contact, absence of 3 or more teeth (1st premolars (molar teeth) are not included in this number).
– natural ears quite upright and firm
– excessive twisting of the hind limbs
– simple paw pads or their absence on the hind legs
– tail shortened or twisted over the back
– fur: color and texture other than specified in the standard. Complete absence of burn marks. Shaggy fur. A bright white spot clearly visible on the chest. Harlequin variant: too much gray, black on one side, gray on the other, head completely gray (no black).
Any dog with obvious physical or behavioral abnormalities will be disqualified.
Note: Dogs (males) must have two apparently normally developed testicles fully descended into the scrotum.