Collection: Personalised Picardy Sheepdog Gifts

The Picardy Sheepdog is a French breed, both ancient and very rare which originates from northern France. A medium-sized working dog, their physical characteristics are all geared to a life of herding with a tough double coat that protects them from harsh terrain as well as being waterproof.

Rarely for any breed of dog, the Picardy Sheepdog has the ability to make and keep eye contact with a human for an exceptionally long time, not something that dogs usually enjoy and this is seen as an aggressive act from a human but this breed will instigate that behaviour. It is thought to be a form of communication or interest.

Some experts believe that the Picardy Sheepdog is one of the oldest breeds of French herding dogs but it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when this breed became defined from other herding dogs in the region.

They are thought to be related to the Briard and Beauceron and date back to at least the 9th century if not earlier. Competitively shown in the late 1800s, the Picardy remained under the same class as the Briard and Beauceron but were finally granted their own breed standard in Paris and then recognised by the Kennel Club in the 1920s.

Falling out of favour during the 20th century, the two World Wars had a devastating impact on breed numbers. Post-war, the breed has recovered slightly but currently, there are less than 4000 Picardy Sheepdogs registered in France and less than 1% of the breed overall can be found in the UK.

Described as one of the ‘velcro’ breeds due to its ability to glue itself to an owner, the Picardy Sheepdog is intelligent, engaging and fiercely loyal. They can display their innate herding instinct and like to round up children and other animals but that can be useful!

The Picardy Sheepdog is an active breed so does need plenty of exercise and ideally lots of space. They find it easy to get along in lots of different situations and do best if they have lots of socialisation as puppies.