Do Beaucerons Make Good Pets? Care Tips & Owners Guide

A Beauceron is both loyal and protective, which makes this breed an excellent watchdog and guard dog.

The Beauceron is a quick learner, and intelligent plus needs a lot of exercise. They make loyal companions with a stable temperament but are extremely gentle with their family members, especially children.

The Beauceron is a wolf type or lupoid dog. It’s a French breed, and the breed dates to 1578 bred for originally hunting wild boar. Now, the Beauceron is used to herd sheep and cattle on French farms and is the preferred choice of a dog on French farms.

There aren’t any foreign crosses in breeding even to this day. This breed is known for having a strong drive to do its job and work hard.

Does Beauceron Make Good Pets?

When you are considering a Beauceron for a pet, remember these are big dogs. A male will range in weight between 66-85 pounds and a female about the same.

Males are about 27 inches at their withers, while females are about 26 inches.  Their coats are short and are colored black with tan, black or black and white or blue merle.

Their coats have low grooming needs with brushing needed about two times a week except during the shedding season. These dogs also have double dewclaws on their hind legs and a long tail.

Beaucerons are a steady-tempered, serious, and confident dog. But they need a lot of exercise so just walking once around the block isn’t going to be enough.

This breed needs hard exercise, such as running, hard play, and fetching. If you confine this breed too long or too much or don’t give him enough exercise, he can become destructive out of boredom.

If you have a large enclosed yard or live on a farm, that would be perfect.

So, if you would like a dog that is handsome, large, athletic but stern and imposing. Plus, has a short easy to care for coat and makes an excellent watchdog, then a Beauceron would be perfect for you.

What Is Their Temperament Like? Are They Aggressive?

The Beauceron is a dog that is intelligent, calm, and courageous. The breed is known for being loyal and only wants to protect and please his family.

If you want a protective breed, then this breed makes an excellent guard dog. However, he may not get along with strange other dogs. A Beauceron will get along with other pets in the family if introduced to them at a young age.

Another trait of a Beauceron is their herding instinct. Your Beauceron may try to herd young children.

Beaucerons were bred to be herding dogs, so poking people and other animals is an attempt on their part to gather them together or move them along.

A Beauceron has an independent mind and can be very dominant. You will need to prove to a Beauceron that you can make him listen with respect to training. These dogs are very capable of learning a great deal but aren’t a pushover for you to raise and train. The breed enjoys a challenging activity that will wear him out physically and mentally.

These dogs are usually excellent with pets in their own families. But they may become aggressive or dominant towards strange dogs of the same gender. Also, some Beauceron has a strong prey instinct and will chase cats and other small animals such as squirrels and rabbits.

Some temperament and personality traits would be, while your Beauceron would be protective, he wouldn’t be aggressive.

He isn’t afraid of much and would go into running into new territory for some excitement. Although in his younger years, a Beauceron is a bit slower to learn, with their intelligence, he can learn anything after three years new you want to teach him.

As a guard dog, he would protect you and your family with his life. All in all, a Beauceron is pretty laid back, who won’t get over-excited.

What Are the Key Difficulties of Caring for a Beauceron? 

When you are training your Beauceron, it will require more work than training other dog breeds.

Up until your dog is three, his brain isn’t fully developed, so be patient when training. But once he’s three and his brain is fully developed, then teaching him new things should be easier.

A Beauceron has the temperament that will require you to both mentally and physically challenge him. He’ll need lots of outdoor exercises and spend time outdoors to meet those challenges.

He would love to herd farm animals, run and even pull a cart, whatever you want him to do, he’ll do it.

This breed has some health issues that are prone to Beaucerons but has fewer health concerns than most other breeds. Your dog could develop gastric torsion, which is a life-threatening bloating condition if not caught early.

There is also the possibility of hip dysplasia, but most breeds are liable to develop this condition. Too, the average life span is between 10-12 years for a healthy Beauceron.

Pros and Cons of Owning a Beauceron

There are pros and cons to owning a Beauceron. They are beautiful dogs and loyal to their family. Some of the pros and cons are:

Pros:

• A Beauceron is a handsome and athletic dog that has a rugged build and is large in size. His coat is somewhat short and very easy to care for, although they will shed. This dog breed will make an excellent watchdog, is vigilant and imposing.

Cons:

• A Beauceron will require immense amounts of exercise and can be rowdy and jump on everyone and everybody when young. He could become destructive when bored or doesn’t get enough exercise. Your Beauceron could be aggressive towards other animals and fearful of strangers if he doesn’t get enough socialization.

He has a strong-willed mind and will require you to show him who is the boss. This breed will always chase things that move and he most likely will nip. This breed has a high price tag and a waiting list at breeders.

Beaucerons as Puppies

First, the price of a Beauceron puppy is between $1,200 to $1,500, so do your research about the breed. Then you will need to find a reputable breeder to find the best puppy for you and your family.

A responsible breeder will have a health certificate to give you because his dogs have been tested to screen out potential problems.

A quality breeder will give you the answer about your puppy’s temperament, personality, behavior, and health issues.

But, the breeder should ask you about how you plan to raise your pup, take care of him, and what you’re looking for in a Beauceron. You should start your search on national kennel or breed clubs for a good breeder.

Breeders who belong to breeding clubs all abide by a code of ethics. They won’t allow puppies to be sold to backyard breeders or pet stores.

If all the breeder is interested in is your money and getting rid of a puppy, look elsewhere. Also, if you find a breeder online who will ship a puppy to you, steer clear because if the puppy isn’t what you wanted, it’s doubtful you’ll get your money back.

Always buy a Beauceron puppy from a top-quality breeder. Finding a puppy through the American Beauceron Club is a useful resource.

You will find out everything about the breed and what you should know before purchasing a puppy. Most of the breeders on this site specialize in the Beauceron breed.

Another alternative is to check local adoption centers and rescues. If you are adopting, it is more likely that you’ll find a dog rather than a puppy.

But it could be a while before one is up for adoption in your area because Beauceron is an uncommon dog breed.

Beauceron Vs. Doberman

A Beauceron and a Doberman have a slight resemblance in appearance, which could mislead a person not familiar with the dog breeds. Some of the most essential characteristics of each breed are listed below:

Doberman Info

The Doberman is extremely intelligent with fast thinking and high alert. But even though they are close to their owners, Dobermans can be a terrifying sight to a stranger.

A purebred male Doberman stands between 25-28 inches with a female being between 24-26 inches. So, a Doberman is considered a medium to a large-sized dog.

The Doberman has a square framed body, which means it measures the same in height as in length. Plus, their necks, head, and legs are proportioned to their bodies.

A Doberman’s chest is square-shaped and large with a small round waist. Doberman’s range in colors of red, blue, fawn, and black. But there are albino Dobermans too.

The tails are docked, and ears cropped of Dobermans are to make them look meaner.

But if left natural, the ears would look like the ears of Labradors, and the tails would be long. Dobermans were developed in Germany in 1890. They are one of the most intelligent dog breeds around.

Beauceron Info:

Beaucerons, due to being so athletic, fearless, and intelligent, are essential as herding and guard dogs.

This breed is categorized as a working dog that was originated in Northern France. The Beauceron is a long-lived dog breed.

A medium-sized dog with heights between 26 to 27 inches and weight that ranges about 66-85 pounds.

Their coat is doubled with a soft inner coat and a rough outer coat. A purebred Beauceron comes in only two colors of black with tan or tan with gray.

A Beauceron is a calm and gentle dog that makes them excellent pets. A Beauceron undergoes a slower physical and mental development until they are three years of age.

Then after his brain is fully developed, teaching him is easier.

Differences between the breeds

A Doberman was bred for guarding property and people, but the Beauceron was bred for herding.

A Doberman’s coat is smooth, but a Beauceron has a rough coat, plus a Doberman have their ears docked, and their tails cropped, but a Beauceron does not.

Although a Beauceron is intelligent, the Doberman is more intelligent. Also, Dobermans are extremely common to find, but a Beauceron is rare to find.

The Doberman does not have a double dewclaw on the hind leg, but a Beauceron does have one. The speed at which the development of physical and mental features is faster with a Doberman than a Beauceron.

What to Feed Your Beauceron

One thing that the Beauceron loved to do it to eat, which can cause him to bloat.

So you need to monitor what your dog eats and split them into two or three meals instead of one big meal.

Being sure your Beauceron eats a diet of vegetables, grains, and lean meats will go a long way to promoting his good health.

When buying food, choose a high premium food to keep him healthy and fit through all his life stages. Don’t buy foods that contain wheat, corn, or soy.

Don’t but dog food, which contains sugars, artificial flavors, sweeteners, cheap fillers, colors, and preservatives. Be sure that the first ingredient is real meat, then followed by vegetables and fresh fruit.

This is because higher quality food will result in stools that are smaller and less waste because the food is more easily digested.

Plus, to boost brain development and taurine, which are rich in DHA and will also promote a healthy heart.

For stronger joints, bones, and teeth, add phosphorus, glucosamine, and calcium. When probiotics are added, they will improve the digestive tract, help prevent health issues later on in life, and reduce gas.

Owning a Beauceron is to own a unique dog breed, the unusual qualities of this breed will make a good pet as long as he gets what he needs.

Exercise, discipline, and letting him know who the boss in the home is important. If you have any questions about this breed, the video below should help with those:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbm1ordAPHQ

References:

https://www.terrificpets.com/articles/10273165.asp