Berger D'auvergne
- Medium
The Berger d'Auvergne is a rare, rustic herding dog from central France. Intelligent and assertive yet kind, this medium-sized worker thrives on an active life with plenty of outdoor time alongside its people.
- Height
- 20 to 26
- inches at the shoulder
- Males 22.5 to 26, females 20 to 24 in
- Weight
- 26 to 66
- pounds, adult
- Life expectancy
- 10 to 12
- years, median 11
- Senior from
- 8.2
- years, about
Senior starts in the last quarter of a breed's expected lifespan, following the 2019 AAHA canine life stage guidelines. Individual dogs vary.
About the breed
- Origin
- France
The Berger d'Auvergne is an intelligent, versatile working dog. Medium-sized, solidly built, and rustic in appearance, it carries the look of a true farm shepherd.
Assertive but friendly, these dogs are confident and kind, and they like spending time with their people. Some can be reserved or wary of strangers.
The breed comes from the Auvergne region of central France, where these hardworking shepherds were popular sheep herders through the 1980s. When local ranchers began importing Border Collies, the breed's popularity faded, and by 2010 it was so rare that some considered it extinct.
Auvergne locals set out to save the dogs. With the support of a veterinary professor from a national veterinary school, they gathered the remaining Berger d'Auvergnes from farms to re-establish the breed. Today these dogs remain extremely rare, but committed breeders continue working to preserve them.
Care
The routines that matter most for this breed. Open one at a time.
Nutrition
An adult Berger d'Auvergne should receive complete, balanced food suited to its life stage, activity, and body condition. Each serving should be measured, with weight and body condition monitored so intake can be adjusted as needs change. Age, body weight, and physical activity should also inform food choice, while a home-prepared ration or food change should be planned with veterinary advice. Every treat should be included in the calorie total for the day, with meal calories lowered to compensate and treats capped at 10 percent.
Fresh, clean drinking water should remain available and be changed each day. Unexpected weight changes, diet choices, medical conditions, and major or nontraditional diet changes should be discussed with a veterinarian.
Grooming
The Berger d'Auvergne's grooming needs are relatively minimal. Weekly brushing removes loose fur and dirt and keeps the coat in good shape.
Regular nail trims belong in the routine too, since overgrown nails cause pain and can make running or walking difficult.
Professional cleanings combined with regular at-home teeth brushing help keep your dog's teeth and gums healthy.
Exercise
Daily activity for an adult Berger d'Auvergne should include both physical exercise and mental stimulation. Daily walking belongs in the routine, with its amount chosen for the individual dog. Slow walks that allow time to sniff can add mental activity. Play and brain games bring variety, but play should not replace walking.
Search activities can include a treasure hunt or hide-and-seek. Outdoors, the dog should remain under effective control on a lead or, when off lead, only while the person in charge stays aware of what the dog is doing and the dog returns reliably and promptly on command.
Training
An adult Berger d'Auvergne should have clear everyday household rules, with stop and recall practised as safety priorities. Training should use reward-based methods. A skill such as recall can be taught by cueing the behavior, marking the wanted response, and reinforcing it with a toy, treat, or another suitable reward. Methods that cause injury or unnecessary suffering should never be used. A canine club is one place to seek more help with training.
During the first three months, a Berger d'Auvergne puppy can meet varied people and animals and experience different stimuli and environments at a safe pace. Excessive fear, withdrawal, or avoidance signals that the exposure should be reduced.
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