Dog breed profile

Beauceron

Beaucerons rate 3 of 5 for affection with family, 3 with young children and 5 for energy on the AKC breed scale. Shedding is high and trainability is moderate.

KidsEnergySheddingTrainability

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Beauceron dog
Photo: zenera, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr

Temperament and care ratings

The American Kennel Club rates every breed from 1 to 5 on the traits below. They describe how the breed tends to be, not a promise about one dog.

Affection with family3/5Independent to Lovey-Dovey
Good with young children3/5Not Recommended to Good With Children
Good with other dogs3/5Not Recommended to Good With Other Dogs
Openness to strangers2/5Reserved to Everyone Is My Best Friend
Playfulness3/5Only When You Want To Play to Non-Stop
Energy level5/5Couch Potato to High Energy
Trainability3/5Self-Willed to Eager to Please
Mental stimulation needs3/5Happy to Lounge to Needs a Job or Activity
Adaptability3/5Lives For Routine to Highly Adaptable
Watchdog / protective4/5What's Mine Is Yours to Vigilant
Barking3/5Only To Alert to Very Vocal
Shedding4/5No Shedding to Hair Everywhere
Coat grooming3/5Monthly to Daily
Drooling1/5Less Likely to Drool to Always Have a Towel

Coat: Smooth coat, short.

A Beauceron suits

  • Runners, hikers and active households (energy 5 of 5)
  • Anyone who wants a natural watchdog (protective nature 4 of 5)

Think twice if

  • You are out most of the day: energy is rated 5 of 5
  • You want a tidy house: shedding is 4 of 5

What the ratings mean day to day

An energy score of 5 and mental stimulation needs of 3 mean plenty of daily exercise plus training games or puzzle feeders. With barking at 3 of 5 and a watchdog score of 4, expect some barking at the door. Grooming at 3 of 5 means weekly brushing.

Popularity

In 2020 it ranked 121.

Breeds with a similar profile

Closest matches across all 14 trait ratings:

Compare: Beauceron vs Bouvier des Flandres · Beauceron vs Alaskan Malamute · Beauceron vs Akita

Frequently asked questions

Are Beaucerons good with kids?

The AKC rates the Beauceron 3 out of 5 for being good with young children. Supervise early meetings and teach kids how to handle a dog.

Do Beaucerons shed a lot?

Shedding is rated 4 out of 5 (high), and coat grooming 3 out of 5.

Are Beaucerons easy to train?

Trainability is rated 3 out of 5 and mental stimulation needs 3 out of 5.

How much energy does a Beauceron have?

Energy is rated 5 out of 5 and playfulness 3 out of 5.

Ratings: American Kennel Club breed pages, compiled February 2022 (AKC Beauceron page). 2025 ranking: AKC, published August 2026. How we check.

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