So I spent some time doing real-world stuff last night. So I reposted a review of an old book. I'm still going to do a new, current Petfinder Post.
Next on the list of dog breeds the Meddlers' Union want to render extinct is the Beauceron. In this case it's easy to see why people are bothered by these dogs. A Beauceron dog makes it very clear that, if provoked, it'd be a lethal weapon. It's a herding dog, described as a Border Collie brain with a Doberman look in a 100-pound body.
Obviously a "shepherd" dog bigger than the Alsatian or German Shepherd is going to be too much dog for the majority of humans. One hundred pounds is average for this breed. They can be smaller--or bigger. If you had to take the dog to the vet, how would you go about carrying 110 or 120 pounds of dog in a crate that could hold it? If you weigh only 150 pounds, and the dog bolted while walking with you, would you be able even to slow it down?
So it's a good thing that this breed is not common in the United States. People do live with these dogs and love them. Those people are also an uncommon breed. Even breeders admit that these dogs can "own" and dominate their humans, but, they say in the dogs' defense, they are usually loyal, gentle, and protective of weaker lifeforms--including humans who aren't up to the challenge of owning an extra-large herding dog.
"Beauceron" is a French name meaning "from a place called Beauce." La Beauce is the plains area in France where wheat and beets grow, claimed as the origin of the dog breed. The place name sounds like "bos" with a long O and strong S, the dog name like "Bo-sir-ron" with that nasal French ON sound if you can do it.
For a large breed they have a fairly long life expectancy--up to twelve years. Susceptibility to hip, heart, and eye problems run in the breed, and all big dogs are vulnerable to "bloat," but with regular veterinary care they are generally healthy. The coat is predominantly black above, tan to red-squirrel brown below, sometimes with gray or white patches. The feet are usually brown. In French they're also called Bas Rouge, "red socks," and Bas de Beauce, "Beauce socks." The hair is short, but it sheds abundantly during two "shedding seasons" each year, and less effusively the rest of the year; regular brushing can reduce the amount of loose hair a dog sheds. Ears tend to flop a bit and need to be lifted up, and claws tend to grow fast and need to be trimmed.
Beaucerons were bred to guard, not guide, sheep but they need a lot of exercise--mental and physical--to stay healthy and well-mannered. They can tow a cart, sled, or skier, easily. They tend to be cheerful and exuberant, likely to jump on people and knock them over, or grab things and people in their formidable jaws. They need good positive training. (They don't take physical correction well. They're stronger than men, could kill a man in a fair fight, and know it.)
Shelters that accept Beaucerons will probably challenge people to make sure the dogs are being adopted by people who can cope with them. This is reasonable. If the relationship between this kind of dog and its master goes sour, the human's only recourse may be to shoot the dog--so you need to be a person whose relationship with a dog will not go sour.
However, there aren't a lot of Beaucerons in shelters. There are some crossbreeds with known or suspected Beauceron ancestry, and there are a lot of German Shepherds, the most popular breed of police dogs, which are big and energetic enough for a reasonable person. Very few Americans have much trouble with sheep-stealing wolves. German Shepherds often stand taller than Beaucerons, though they're lighter-framed, and intimidate almost any attacker or intruder.
Actually, our first photo contest winner, the only Beauceron crossbreed listed in a New York shelter in the Petfinder network, is a compromise: mostly German Shepherd and a lightweight at that, only 41 pounds, a reasonable introduction to owning a large, potentially aggressive dog.
Zipcode 10101: Kaizer from Texas by way of Hartford
Those white socks would show that he was a crossbreed even if he'd grown to Beauceron show-standard size, which he probably never will do. Kaizer weighed 41 pounds when his web page was set up and they don't expect his healthy weight to be much more than that, ever. His super-power is intimidating people you don't want to deal with while being a cuddly pet at home. He is young and likes long walks, any active game, and just running around the yard to burn off adolescent energy. He is not a house pet and has not been "house trained."
Clawapatra from South Carolina by way of NYC
This little Queen Cat has claimed one Loyal Subject and Follower in the shelter. If you could adopt them together, that'd be peachy-keen. They think she was probably born some time last year--she's officially listed as a young adult cat but described as a kitten. Other photos on her web page show that she has a normal body shape but they weren't able to catch her in a pose that showed it clearly. She's full of energy and doesn't have much patience with posing.
Zipcode 20202: Archie from Columbia
His web page: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/archie-f105a6df-ca05-4d65-9464-9278e0b0723f/md/columbia/charm-rescue-md553/details/
At the time his web page was set up Archie was just eight weeks old. His mother, they note, weighed only 37 pounds so they don't expect Archie to reach full Beauceron size. He's a puppy; he likes to run and play and eat and sleep like any other pup. Beaucerons are not house pets. He needs a big yard and high fence. But he does like to snuggle up beside a human and sleep--puppies normally sleep in heaps.
Gypsy Rose Lee and Mama Rose from DC
"I'm a pretty girl, Mama!" the dark, skinny daughter finally admitted...Mother and daughter are tortoiseshell cats, on the small side, compatible with each other. They can be adopted together. (You can see Mama's ear and flank in the photo; at the web page other photos show both cats' faces.) You'll always be able to tell them apart because Gypsy has an orange blaze down her nose and Mama has a black one. They are just young cats; not much more is known about them yet.
Zipcode 30303: King from Perry
King doesn't have a very professional writer handling his public relations. He's another mixed breed, though he does have light "red socks" and is small-Beauceron size. He is described as friendly. He has the same needs for a big yard and lots of mental and physical stimulation as a purebred Beauceron.
Alternate: Bagel the Boxer from Atlanta
Weighing 68 pounds at age 5, Bagel presents many of the same challenges as a small Beauceron: size, energy, appetite, even the ears that aren't really floppy but do tend to lop a bit. His is one of those stories that make you say "People!" He was rescued from the county shelter when people said they wanted to adopt him, then found a chance to adopt a "purebred, pedigreed" Boxer instead of this mixed breed and just left Bagel without a suitable cage to be locked back into. The organization wants to place him in a foster home so, if you think you can handle a big strong energetic dog, but have no experience doing it, here's your chance to get to know one on a trial basis.
Queenie from Atlanta (or Chattanooga)
Her web page: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/queenie-2d002933-557d-4d07-ac69-db770ebe496e/ga/atlanta/your-local-fur-mama-tn1052/details/
This stubby-legged Tortie had a large litter of kittens. All the kittens were adopted. Queenie has not been adopted. Those legs are a defect, but she won't be breeding more of it into the pool. She just needs a safe place to be a house pet.
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