Beauceron FCI Standard

FEDERATION CYNOLOGIQUE INTERNATIONALE (AISBL)

SECRETARIAT GENERAL: 13, Place Albert 1er B – 6530 Thuin (Belgique)

______________________________________________________________________________

19.09.2023/ EN

FCI-Standard N° 44

BERGER DE BEAUCE

Beauce Sheep Dog (Beauceron, “Red-Stocking”)

TRANSLATION: John Miller, Raymond Triquet. Official language

(FR).

ORIGIN: France.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICIAL VALID

STANDARD: 01.08.2023.

UTILIZATION: Sheepdog and Guard Dog.

FCI-CLASSIFICATION: Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle

Dogs (except Swiss

Cattle Dogs).

Section 1 Sheepdogs.

With working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: “Beauce Dog”, “Beauceron”

and “Red-Stocking” were the names chosen at the end of the XIX

century to designate these ancient French Sheepdogs of the plains, all

of the same type, with smooth hair on the head, a harsh, short coat

and ears normally cropped. The body had tan markings, notably at

the extremities of the four legs, which led the breeders at that time to

call these dogs “Red-Stockings”. The coat was commonly black and

tan but there were also grey, entirely black and even wholly tan dogs.

These dogs were bred and selected for their aptitude to conduct and

guard flocks of sheep.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: The Beauce Sheepdog is big, solid,

hardy, powerful, well built and muscular, but without lumber.

IMORTANT PROPORTIONS: The Beauce Sheepdog is medium

in all its proportions. The length of the body from the point of the

shoulder to the point of the buttock should be slightly greater than

the height at the withers.

The head is long: 2/5 the height at the withers. The height and width

of the head are slightly less than half its total length. The skull and

muzzle are of equal length.

St-FCI n°44/ 19.09.20233

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT: Frank approach and self-

assured. The expression is candid, never mean timid or worried.

The character of the Beauceron should be gentle and fearless.

HEAD: The head is well chiselled with harmonious lines. Seen in

profile, the toplines of skull and muzzle lie roughly in parallel

planes.

CRANIAL REGION:

Skull: Flat or slightly rounded from one side to the other. The

median groove is only slightly marked, the occipital protuberance

can be seen on the summit of the skull.

Stop: The stop is only slightly pronounced and is equidistant from

the occiput and the end of the muzzle.

FACIAL REGION:

Nose: Proportionate to the muzzle, well developed, never split and

always black.

Muzzle: Neither narrow or pointed.

Lips: Firm and always well pigmented. The upper lip should overlap

the lower without any looseness. At their commissure, the lips

should initiate a very slight pouch which should stay firm.

Jaws/Teeth: Strong teeth with a scissor bite.

EYES: Horizontal, slightly oval in shape. The iris should be dark

brown, and in any case never lighter than dark hazel even if the tan is

light coloured. For the harlequin variety, wall eyes are admitted.

EARS: Set high. Ears are half-pricked or drop-ears. They should

not be plastered against the cheeks. They are flat and rather short.

The length of the ear should be half the length of the head.

NECK: Muscular, of good length, united harmoniously with the

shoulders.

St-FCI n°44/ 19.09.20234

BODY

Topline: The back is straight. The loin is short, broad and well

muscled. The croup is only slightly inclined.

Withers: Quite visible.

Chest: The girth of the chest is greater than the height at the withers

by more than one fifth. The chest is well let down to the point of the

elbow. It is wide deep and long.

TAIL: Whole, carried low, it reaches at least to the hock, without

deviating, forming a slight hook in the form of a “J”. When in

action, the tail can be carried higher, an extension of the topline.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS: Upright when seen from the front or in profile.

Shoulder: Sloping and moderately long.

Forearm: Muscled.

Feet: Large, round, compact. The nails are always black. The pads

are hard but nevertheless resilient.

HINDQUARTERS: Upright when seen from profile and from

behind.

Thigh: Wide and muscled.

Hock joint: Substantial, not too close to the ground, the point situated

roughly at ¼ the height at the withers, forming a well open angle

with the second thigh.

Metatarsals (Rear Pasterns): Vertical, slightly further back than the

point of the buttock.

Dewclaws: By tradition, shepherds are much attached to the

conservation of double dewclaws. The dewclaws form well

separated “thumbs” with nails, placed rather close to the foot.

Feet: Large, round, compact.

GAIT / MOVEMENT: Supple and free. The limbs move well in

line. The Beauce Sheepdog should have an extended trot with long

reaching movement.

St-FCI n°44/ 19.09.20235

COAT

Hair: Smooth on the head, short, thick, firm and lying close to the

body, 3 to 4 cm in length. The buttocks and the underside of the tail

are lightly but obligatorily fringed. The undercoat is short, fine,

dense and downy, preferably mouse grey, very close, and can’t be

seen through the top coat.

Colour:

a) Black and tan (Black with tan markings): “red stockings”. The

black is pure black and the tan, red squirrel coloured. The tan

markings are distributed as follows:

• Spots over the eyes.

• On the sides of the muzzle, diminishing gradually on the

cheeks, never attaining under the ear.

• On the chest, preferably two spots.

• Under the neck.

• Under the tail.

• On the legs, disappearing progressively while rising,

without covering in any case more than 1/3 of the leg

and rising slightly higher on the inside.

b) Harlequin (blue-mottled with tan markings) : grey, black and tan,

the coat being black and grey in equal parts, the spots well

distributed, with sometimes a predominance of black. The tan

markings are the same as for the black and tan.

A faint while spot on the chest is tolerated.

SIZE:

Height at the withers: Male: Female: from 65 cm to 70 cm.

from 61 cm to 68 cm.

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be

considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be

regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect

upon the health and welfare of the dog.

St-FCI n°44/ 19.09.20236

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:

• Aggressive or overly shy.

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural.

• Size outside the standard limits.

• Too light-boned.

• Eyes too light, or wall eyes (except for harlequins).

• Split nose, of a colour other than black, with unpigmented

areas.

• Overshot or undershot with loss of contact, absence of 3 or

more teeth (the first premolars not counting).

• Natural ears carried totally upright and firm.

• Rear feet turned excessively to the exterior.

• Simple dewclaws or absence of dewclaws on hind legs.

• Shortened tail or tail carried over the back.

• Coat: Colour and texture other than those defined by the

standard. Complete absence of tan markings. Shaggy coat.

Well defined, quite visible white spot on chest. For the

harlequin variety: too much grey, black on one side and grey

on the other, head entirely grey (absence of black).

N.B.:

• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles

fully descended into the scrotum.

• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed

typical conformation, should be used for breeding.

https://www.fci.be/nomenclature/standards/044g01-en.pdf