page_title: Beauceron
section_title: Appearance
hierarchical_section_title: Beauceron / Appearance
caption_attribution_description: Polski: Owczarek francuski beauceron na wystawie krajowej psów rasowych w Raciborzu English: Dewclaw / Beauceron during dog's show in Racibórz, Poland Deutsch: Wolfskralle
context_page_description: The Beauceron is a herding dog breed originating from the plains of Central France. The Beauceron is also known as Berger de Beauce or Bas Rouge.
context_section_description: This breed stands 61 to 70 cm (24 to 27.5 inches) in height and weighs 30 to 45 kg (66 to 100 pounds). The Beauceron has a hard outer coat and a woolly undercoat that grows thick in cold weather, especially if the dog sleeps outdoors. Its standard colouring is black and tan (the latter colour referred to in French as rouge ecureuil, squirrel-red) or grey, black and tan called merle. Other colours, such as the once prevalent tawny, grey or grey/black, are now banned by the breed standard. The merle coats should have more black than gray with no white. In the black and tan dogs the tan markings appear in two dots above the eyes, on the sides of the muzzle, fading off to the cheeks, but do not reach the underside of the ears. Also on the throat, under the tail and on the legs and the chest. Tan markings on the chest should appear as two spots but a chest plate is acceptable. Ear cropping is no longer allowed in Europe.
  Although most breeds may or may not have dewclaws (many owners of other breeds remove dewclaws, especially if the dog is used for field and hunting), an important feature of the Beauceron is the double dewclaw. In order to be shown, a beauceron must have double dewclaws that form well-separated "thumbs" with nails on each rear leg; anything less will result in disqualification from dog shows.
  When it comes to grooming, the Beauceron is an easy keeper thanks to his short, double coat. A bath every three to four months with a mild shampoo is all that is needed. Brush his sleek coat with a natural bristle brush or rubber hound mitt several times a week to remove dead hair.
  The Beauceron sheds small amounts year-round and more heavily in spring and fall. He will need more frequent brushing during seasonal shedding periods to control the amount of loose hair floating around your house.
caption: Double dewclaws are a characteristic of the Beauceron.
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