The Berger Picard (bare ZHAY pee CARR) or Picardy Shepherd is one of the oldest French herding breeds. With World War I and World War II being fought in the Picard's home territory of northern France, the Berger Picard nearly became extinct and is still rare today. This delightful medium-sized dog is people oriented, loyal, and can make a good family pet if properly socialized.
The 2005 release of the movie Because of Winn Dixie introduced America to the Picardy Shepherd. The movie producers wanted a dog that looked like a mixed breed mutt, but needed several that looked alike so that production could continue smoothly, thus they decided on this rare purebred dog. It is this breed's rustic tousled appearance that has fooled many people into thinking "Winn-Dixie" is just a mixed breed. We are proud to be "Before Winn Dixie" owners - we purchased Valentine before the movie came out, and the excitement began.
Like any breed of dog, the Berger Picard is not for everyone, and much thought must be devoted to choosing the right dog. Do you really want a companion who will live 15 + Years? As more Picard puppies are slowly being imported to the U.S. from France and other countries, it is important that owners and breeders remain responsible, we must test for the conditions threatening our precious breed and publish the recommended health test results on the offa.org website. The breeders who test (as well as those who don't) will determine the fate of this breed in the United States.