- 1). Notice the general appearance of the beauceron. This well-balanced breed is a solid dog and is well-muscled without being heavy and coarse. While demanding respect, he should be discerning and confident. The breed is an intelligent breed and is very loving and loyal to its known humans. The males are 25 1/2 inches to 27 1/2 inches at the withers, while the females are 24 inches to 26 1/2 inches. The medium sized beauceron is built with no exaggerations in height or length. The length of the body should be about the same as the height of the withers in males. Females may have a slightly longer body.
- 2). Make sure the long, well-chiseled head has harmonious lines. It is measured from the tip of the nose to the occiput and is about 40 percent of the wither height of the dog. The skull and the muzzle are equal in length. The gaze should be alert and confident, emanating from dark brown, oval-shaped eyes. The ears may be cropped or natural. If the ears are cropped, they are carried upright and point slightly forward. Natural ears are half-pricked or dropped. The nose is always black, and should be in line with the upper lip when looking at the beauceron in profile.
- 3). Look at the rest of the body, starting at the muscular neck. The neck should be of a good length and, while standing in an alert posture, allows the head to be carried quite proudly. This breed sports a wide, deep chest that descends all the way to the point of the elbow. The girth of the chest is 20 percent more than the height at the withers. The tail is strong at base and is carried down. It should descend at least to the point of the hock and will form a slight “J.” The tail should not stay to the left or the right. When the Beauceron is in action, the tail may be carried higher, and becomes an extension of the topline. The Beauceron should never have a docked tail, and the tail should not be carried over its back.
- 4). Notice the fore- and hindquarters. The way the forequarters are constructing determines the breed’s ability to wok effortlessly without getting tired. The forearms are muscular and the large feet are round and have compact black nails. The hindquarters are balanced with the forequarters. They are powerful and provide flexible movement. The wide thighs are well-muscled. The large rear feet are compact and the toes turn slightly out. This breed must have double dewclaws on each rear leg.
- 5). Feel the dense outer coat. It should be 1 1.4 to 1 1/2 inch long, lay close to the body and should feel coarse. The coat is smooth and short on the ears, lower legs and head, though the hair is a bit longer on the neck. The short undercoat is fine and dense, and has a mousy gray color. It does not show through the outer coat. The beauceron has two color markings: black and tan and harlequin (gray, black and tan). In the black and tan, the tan markings are squirrel red and the black should be a pure black. The tan markings should be located as dots above the eyes, fading off on the cheeks, on the sides of the muzzle and two spots on the chest. The throat, under the tail and markings on the legs that extend from the feet to the pasterns are also tan. The leg markings should not be more than 1/3 of the leg. The harlequin colored dogs have a black and tan base with a blue-gray pattern of patches evenly distributed over the body. It is balanced with the base color. There should not be too much gray, nor should there be gray on one side of the body and black on the other.
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