Page 242 - Showsight January 2013

First and foremost the
Beauceron is a herd-
ing dog and must be of a
structure that would give
the impression they could
herd a large flock of sheep
all day long. The Beauceron is a well bal-
anced dog, well muscled without heavi-
ness or coarseness. Dogs are characteristi-
cally larger with a larger frame and heavier
bone than bitches. Bitches are distinctly
feminine but without weakness in sub-
stance or structure. The Beauceron should
be confident with no trace of timidity.
Although they can be reserved with
strangers they should be easily approached
without showing signs of fear.
Size
Males 25½-27½" and Bitches 24"-26".
Disqualification: Over or under size.
Proportion: “Medium” in all proportion.
Length of body slightly greater than
height. Bitches can be slightly longer
than dogs.
Substance: Powerful, well built, well
muscled, without sign of heaviness or
clumsiness. Dogs lacking substance should
be severely penalized.
Head
Long and well chiseled, in proportion
with the body. The length of head is about
40% the height of the dog. The height of
width of the head are slightly less than half
the total length. The skull and muzzle are
of equal length. Seen in profile, the top
lines of skull and muzzle lie roughly in
parallel planes.
Skull: Flat or slightly rounded near side
of head. Stop: Slightly pronounced and
equidistant from occiput to tip of nose.
Muzzle: Proportionate, not narrow,
pointed or excessively broad.
Ears: Set high. May be cropped or
natural no preference to be given to one
style over the other. Natural ears are half
pricked , ½ the length of the head.
DQ: Natural ears upright and rigid.
Nose: Proportionate to the muzzle, well
developed, never split and always black.
Eyes: Horizontal and slightly oval,
dark brown, never lighter than dark hazel.
Walleye (blue, light blue, particolored)
acceptable in harlequin. DQ: Yellow (bird
of prey) eyes, walleye in black/rust dogs.
Lips: Firm and well pigmented. Slight
but firm flews
Teeth: Scissor bite preferred, level toler-
ated. DQ: Overshot or undershot with loss
of contact. Absence of 3 or more teeth, first
premolars not to count.
Neck: Muscular and of good length,
united harmoniously with shoulders.
Topline & Chest
Topline: Straight and strong. Withers
are well defined. Loin is broad, short and
muscular. Croup is slightly sloped in direc-
tion of tail attachment.
Chest: The chest is wide, deep , long and
descends to the point of the elbow. Girth
of the chest is greater than the height at the
withers by 20%. (In Europe they measure
the dogs and record in a written critique).
Ribcage extends well back with long, flex-
ible and moderately curved ribs.
Body & Legs
Body: The length of the body from the
point of the buttock is slightly more than
the height of the dog at the withers.
Forequarters: Legs are vertical when
viewed from front or in profile, shoulders
are moderately long with good layback,
feet are large, round and compact. Nails
are black.
Hindquarters: Angulation balanced
with forequarters, vertical when viewed
from rear or side,upper thigh broad and
muscular, hock at a point roughly ¼ of the
height at withers , forming well open angle
with lower thigh. Metatarsals are verti-
cal, slightly further back than the point of
the buttock.
When viewed from behind, metatar-
sals are perpendicular to the ground and
parallel to each other. Feet are round and
compact, toeing out slightly. (A French
judge once showed me that if you measure
around from the inside dewclaw to the
outside toe, the center of that measure-
ment of the foot is what points forward.)
Dewclaws: Double dewclaws on each
rear leg. Two separate toes with nails
placed close to the foot. (When examining
for the dewclaws if they can be clearly visu-
alized it is not necessary to handle them
as one would “feel” for them on a Briard.)
DQ: Anything less than 2 dewclaws on
each rear leg.
Tail
In repose the tail is carried down and
descends at least to the point of the hock.
It forms a slight “J” without deviation to
JUDGING THE BEAUCERON
By Karla Davis
238 • ShowSight Magazine, January 2013