Petzlover
Berger Picard is originated from France but Taigan is originated from Kyrgyzstan. Berger Picard may grow 17 cm / 6 inches shorter than Taigan. Both Berger Picard and Taigan are having almost same weight. Both Berger Picard and Taigan has almost same life span. Both Berger Picard and Taigan has almost same litter size. Both Berger Picard and Taigan requires Low Maintenance.
In the Picardie region of northeastern France saw visiting Celts/Franks enter the region along with a shepherd dog. They arrived in the Pas de Calais in 800 AD and might be the oldest shepherd dog of France. Named for Pacardy, the Berger Picard is certainly one of the most ancient of today’s French breeds. Some believe this shepherd comes from the lines of Dutch and Belgian Shepherds, while other insist he is related to the Beauceron and Briard.
Never popular as a show dog due to its shaggy appearance, even though it was entered in Frances first dog show in 1863, the breed was almost extinct following the second World War. Currently there are a little under 5000 left in the world with most of them, 3000, in France. The Picard is a good herding dog and loved by the shepherds of the Picardy region. The United Kennel Club recognized the rare breed in 1994, but the AKC did not recognize it until 2016.
The Berger Picard is a loyal, people-oriented dog, good with children and families if socialized as a puppy. In 2006 the Berger Picard Club of America was formed as more and more dogs are being imported from France. There was a genetic study done this year that proposes that 7 breeds of shepherd all descended from a European herding dog that was all over Europe before 1859. This dog was the father of the Berger Picard, the German Shepherd, The Bergamaso Shepherd, the Lupino de Gigante, the Cane Paratore, the Cane da pasore della Lessinia e del Lagorai , and the Pastore d”oropa. After recognition, the Picard was shown for the first time at Krufts in March 2016. They followed that with a best of breed win by Gabby, Guess V.D. Benedicks
Known also as the Kyrgyzdyn Taighany, the Taigan is a sighthound dog from Kyrgyzstan. Today the dog is recognized by a number of kennel clubs,and more recently by the FCI.
It was after 1991, when Kyrgyzstan became independent, that the role of the dog changed and t became a working dog again.
It was about in 1995 that a new breed standard was adopted, and since 2005 a national kennel club has existed in Kyrgyzstan.
The Berger Picard is a muscular, medium sized, faithful companion. He is especially great with an owner who is athletic and energetic. They have a rugged constitution, slightly longer back, and full tail. The coat is thick, strong and harsh. They are never overweight or bulky. This gives the Berger Picard the look of a mixed breed dog. They have erect ears and thick eyebrows. This lanky looking dog is alert and lively. Movement is efficient, free and tireless. They have strong bones with a sturdy build and a take charge personality.
They have a strong rectangular head that is not massive. His eyes are oval and medium sized, never round or protruding. Eye color should be dark and never yellow. Cheek muscles are strong, and muzzle is smooth, ending abruptly at the nose. Scissors bite, deep chest and round feet. There should not be any dewclaws on the back legs.
The Taigan is a large dog, looking much like a Grehound. He stands at between 55 and 82cm in height and weighs about 25 - 34kg.
He has that typical slender body and slender head of the greyhound. The coat of the dog is medium length and somewhat curly and can be many colours, sometimes even bi-colored – cream, black and white, brown, grey or yellow.
During the Winter the coat can become long and thick. The ears are floppy and covered with wavy fur. The tail is long and a distinguishing mark of the dog is the way the end of the tail coils up into a ring.
These dogs can’t be kept in small city properties – they are used to wide open spaces.
An intelligent breed, the Taigan will readily learn some basic commands to make him well mannered and obedient. He is strong willed and independent, so it will be beneficial to have him trained.
He also makes a good watchdog. He is an even-tempered dog and he enjoys human companionship although he is somewhat reserved with strangers. Even so, he will still need a strong, firm owner as he is strong-willed and independent and likes to go his own way.
He is able to get along well with children in the home and other pets. Being a fairly large dog, and one that likes to run, he is better suited to large properties in the countryside as opposed to living in the city.
The Berger Picard needs to be a part of a pack with an owner who is clearly the pack leader. This is an intelligent, friendly, and sensitive to harsh voice scolding. They are not easy to train, and you need to be calm and patient when working with him. The Picard has a tendency to be stubborn with an owner who appears to be weak. If raised with or socialized to children and other animals, they will live fine with them. They are best in a rural environment rather than a close neighborhood. They are very quiet dogs, but they need a job and they excel at work.
The Berger Picard is not a heavy or extra-large dog, but they still can have hip dysplasia, though it is not nearly as prevalent as it is in larger breeds. Eye infections can present in puppies more than adults and hereditary eye issues such as PRA and RD are all too common. (Progressive Retina Atrophy and Retinal Dysplasia)
Any dog, no matter how healthy they may appear to be, can encounter any one of the many common dog illnesses there are. It is highly unlikely that your Taigan will experience these health issues but it’s good to be aware of some of them -
Also known as osteosarcoma, bone cancer is more commonly seen in large dogs of any breed. It’s a cancer which spreads rapidly through the body and it is terribly sad that the prognosis for your dog is poor.
You might notice swelling, joint pain and lameness and your dog will appear to always be tired. Sometimes you might see a growth. Your vet might do x-rays and if you catch it early, you can give your pet a longer lease on life.
This is an athletic and active breed with a lot of energy. They need a high-quality food that is full of nutrients and not empty calories. Don’t overfeed him as some will have a tendency to become obese. They should be fed twice a day in equal proportions. Treats are good when training but don’t overdo it.
Since the Berger Picard has not been overbred, there are not a lot of genetic disorders in the breed. They do have some
You should have your puppy certified by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and then the Canine Eye Research Foundation that they do not have these issues and if they do, resolve them. The results of these tests should be published in the OFA registry. This breed is also a participant in the Canine Health Information Center. This means their eyes and hips have been checked and the results published. Their blood is being stored for DNA purposes and one of the following have been evaluated: heart, elbows or thyroid. There is an OFA Berger Picard health survey whose results are available to anyone who asks. This does not track individual dogs but the breed as a whole.
This is a breed that needs a lot of exercise. She likes to swim, take long walks, take runs with you on your bike. They love to jog with you as well. Agility, obedience and any other type of competition will appeal to your Picard. However, don’t expect them to excel at competition because they are not consistent performers. But if they don’t get enough exercise and fun they will become very destructive. Barn hunt and non-competitive herding activities are perfect for the Picard.
If you feed him one of the commercially manufactured dog foods, make sure its for a large, active dog breed and that it has a good list of ingredients. There are bad packaged dog foods and you want to avoid these. They are devoid of vitamins and minerals.
Read the packaging to see how much food to give. Also try and give your dog some home-made food too. Make sure it isn’t spicy, exotic foods. Stick to simple, wholesome foods such as boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta, sweet potatoes, spinach and carrots. Chop the food up and mix it into the dry kibble twice a week or so as a treat.
