Picardy Lurcher

[darbo 4,774]

These 2 are harder than winn dixie

 

[spindolero 1,111]

are there actually working picardie's? i.e is the stud dog a grafter in the UK, if so is farm work?protection work?

[darbo 4,774]

The only thing ive read about them is that they are the oldest herding breed in france.

[keeganrees 196]

Dog in my avatar is 1/4 Picardy so I told .. Full breeding off her is 1/2 grey 1/4 deer 1/4 Picardy but got a hunch thee Picardy side has Beardie as well ... But just finishing her first season I agree with a lot off what skycat has just said

 

She is defo a one man dog very very wary off other humans ... Very protective over me .. Great prey drive and good strong feet .. As for boys saying best thing they've had on teeth mine was probably entered to young (my fault) and will run them but won't take any bites ... Had a massive problem with sheep when was young but that is know sorted .. But so did her litter mates and I'm guessing picardy side as I've never seen it any other dog ..

 

But to rate her overall I'm over the moon with progress and can't wait till next season ..

[skycat 6,173]

The film producer wanted a scruffy mongrelly sort of dog to play Winn Dixie, and he found what he wanted in the pure Picardies, which was important because he needed several dogs that looked identical. Turned out that there were two that played the part of one dog: one did the action stuff and the other did the more tricky bits: that's what I've read anyway. They certainly aren't just a herding breed, more of a general purpose farm/herd/guarding type, and although the pure breeders play down the hunting instinct, I reckon it is very strong indeed. I think anyone else who has these lurchers would agree.

 

keeganrees: I've seen plenty of dogs that were bad with sheep, of all types and breeds. Collies apparently can be worse than any other: I think that if you take a strong hunting instinct combined with some sort of pastoral blood then you are more than likely to have a dog that is harder to stock break: but of course it depends on the rearing as well. Dogs that see sheep every day are a lot easier to stock break than those which only see them now and again.

[keeganrees 196]

aww she seen them everyday .. was fine untill the teenage kicked in to chase .. she is fine with them know... same for littermates they seen them everyday just the drive i think doesnt help and not understanding really what a picardy brought to the table ..again my fault but we live and learn...

 

but like i said she has progressed and has taken some good bags in my opionon for a young dog and i am more than happy with her .. she has a great strike and looks like shes been doing it alot longer than she has .. has certainly taken her chances

[keeganrees 196]

on the right with the ears

[keeganrees 196]

litter sisters

Edited March 29, 2013 by keeganrees

[skycat 6,173]

From what I've seen and heard, the strike is inbuilt: very hard driving dogs: I remember Roo when she was young, she'd go up to a squatter and do this sort of goal keeping dance, this way and that, freaked the rabbits out. She isn't the fastest dog in the world, but once she had that rabbit up and running I often heard them start squealing before she'd even picked them up, like they knew they were history. My OH has written a few words about what he feels about them: they're his dogs, not mine. I'll type it out on here when I get a moment.

[keeganrees 196]

shes very simular with squatter will not run in .. not to the extent off a stalk but tries to anticipate the move off the bunny ... and i love watching it shows the dog useing abit of brain i think

[Bosun11 537]

 

As far as pastoral blooded dogs go, these are very interesting. I've been wondering when they'd crop up on here again. I do hope this thred stays informative and 'sane'!

Ever the optimist ,,,,lol

If I wasn't mate, I'd have buggered off long ago.... I have faith..!!!

 

One of the things that sits right with me, is that they are a French breed and to my tiny mind, the French are a no nonsense people, unbound by the bullshine we have to put up with. I'd guess that in their own country, a working breed like the Picardy must still work and ain't a show dog?

 

Skycat, can I ask as to why you ain't enveloped 'em yourself and you and your OH, keep and run different dogs, without going into the in's an out's of your marital status, you both tred your own paths as far as lurchers are concerned. I understand that it must make for a far better dog loving household with more varied breeds and types at home but as you run your own bred dogs, what is it about the Picardy that ain't made you jump ship?

[inan 841]

 

 

Long dog ,,, that looks like skycats fellas dog,,, is it related

think so mark tread wells line skycat no,s the dogs parents best on teeth i ever had and its his first session .

ATB long dog

wouldthis be skycats bloke one .

ATB long dog

PS PENNY HOPE YOU DONT MIND ME PUTTING THIS UP

Penny's partner is taller than that, and I think he wears glasses nowadays.

[Bosun11 537]

Apologies Skycat, you answered my question a few posts back....!

 

[spindolero 1,111]

so they sound like they would be ideal daytime? finding, running and catching their own game.?

[skycat 6,173]

Bosun: you'd be best off speaking to Shirley, who as far as I know, imported the first Picardies into the UK. She is a very no nonsense woman, and although she doesn't work her dogs, she is striving to improve the breed. If you are genuinely interested in the dogs I'll ask her if I can give you her email address.

 

Apparently they almost died out after World War 2: other breeds were introduced to open up the gene pool. Not sure which ones, and there is a bit of hush-hush involved, as there always is in such cases! There are various problems within the pure breed which do not seem to have carried over into the lurchers they produce: in the pure breed there is poor fertility, lack of libido, spontaneous abortion: all due to inbreeding.

 

I can't say exactly what it is that doesn't float my boat about the Picardy lurchers. In the same way I might find a particular person attractive or not, there's a chemistry that either works or doesn't; it is the same with dogs. Long before I had an Airedale, I loved what I'd read about them, the real old-fashioned working types, but I never knew about the American working Dales until I saw Dill's sire at a show, just after he had come out of quarantine at a year old. I was struck by the dog's aura of power and his calm temperament, totally unfazed at finding himself at a country fair after spending his formative months in a quarantine kennel. That really impressed me.

 

When I first saw Mark Treadwell's pure Picardy at a show, I saw first: the feet which most people would say were unbreakable: that's the first thing I noticed, and funnily enough, one of the first things I also noticed about the Airedale. Secondly, the strength and solidity of the body of the Picardy, at the same time as not being cloddy or heavy, and lastly the unusual colouring and the ears!

 

I do find some pastoral blooded dogs mildly irritating in their temperament and manner: Bear in mind that we are not in close contact with the Picardy lurcher breeders, nor do I see these dogs out working on a regular basis, but we've noticed a big difference in the temperament of the straight Picardy cross and those with Beardie in them as well. The ones with Beardie in seem to have what is to me that irritating collie side: squeaky before going out, vocal, over excited: not vocal when working I hasten to add.

 

I'm a very stressy person, so need non stressy dogs: one thing I can't stand is a whiney squeaker I do think that opposites attract, so the calm aura of power from the Airedales is exactly what someone like me needs. On the other hand, Andy, my OH, is the most laid back person on the planet, so if my assumption that opposites attract works for him and me, then it stands to reason that he won't be affected by the somewhat Collie nature like I am. The two Collie types I have are very calm, strangely enough, though they are Border and not Beardie blooded: and here I go a-rambling aren't the Borders supposed to be the more hyper of the two types? God knows! I could drivel on endlessly about what certain types are supposed to be like, or not: I guess its just as well we like different types of dogs as that way there is no hidden competition between us

 

Just read your last post: oh well, I'll post this anyway