Beldar the Berger Picard

Beldar's mom says: Until the recent pet food recall, our lives were full with our two rescue dogs -- Foxy, a 14-year-old corgi/Sheltie mix, and Bentley, a four-year-old Irish wolfhound/German shepherd mix. But sadly, Bentley became one of the victims of the melamine in the pet food. We were devastated. He was unique in looks and personality, and our house was empty without our 120-pound "talking dog." We remembered a dog we had seen in a movie, Because of Winn-Dixie, who bore some similarities to Bentley: scruffy hair; big nose; direct brown eyes with eyebrows that stood out; ears that were large, upright, and almost comical; and a personality to match. We did some research, discovered the movie's dog was a Berger Picard, a breed known in France but still rare in the U.S. But luck was on our side, as we were able to locate one of the very few breeders in North America several states away. She had two litters of pups and agreed to let us purchase one of her male puppies. The Berger Picard is a solidly built, medium-sized breed, 50 to 70 pounds, 21 to 25 inches tall, with upright ears, and a semi-long, harsh overcoat with a fine, dense undercoat. Their natural coat is low maintenance and they are not heavy shedders. The demeanor of the Picard is the breed's most endearing quality. Despite their independence, they are sweet-natured and loving animals. They are good with children and make wonderful friends. We've only had Beldar two weeks but he is already a personable, funny, and loving pup. We hope to train him as a therapy dog so he can work in special education with his human dad.