Berger Picard Grooming

The Berger Picard has a pretty unusual coat: it's medium-length and double-layered, often with longer furnishings on the face and head--and the coat has very little oil content, so it's crisp or even "crunchy" to the touch. These dogs are pretty clean and won't need frequent grooming, though they do shed seasonally and will require more brushing during those shedding periods.

See below for details on maintaining the Berger Picard coat, including plenty of info about brushing and bathing.

In addition to its coat, your Picard will need regular maintenance in other areas. Brush the dog's teeth 2-3 times per week using a regular toothbrush and canine toothpaste; clean the ears monthly using canine ear cleaning solution; and trim the nails every couple of months with standard nail clippers.

Find answers here to all your questions about Berger Picard grooming!

Berger Picard grooming is only moderately time-consuming overall--and a lot of the work will involve maintaining these dogs' crisp, double-layered coats. The coats shed a fair amount for most of the year, and more heavily during the spring and fall shedding seasons, so consistent brushing will be necessary to help collect dead hairs and minimize tangling. Otherwise, though, Berger Picard grooming is pretty easy.

Unless it's shedding season, Berger Picard brushing doesn't need to happen frequently; once every 10 days or so is usually fine. To brush: first wet the coat with water mist from a spray bottle. Then, use a pin brush to go through the coat section by section, brushing in the direction of hair growth. If you run across a tangle, first try separating it with your fingers, then if needed continue working it out with the end teeth of a greyhound comb. If necessary, you can also use the comb to smooth out the longer facial furnishings.

During shedding season, brushing 3-4 times per week is best. It's also a good idea to use a de-shedding tool once a week or so during these periods (and maybe once a month the rest of the year) to help with dead hair collection.

A Berger Picard bath will only be needed every few months--unless, of course, the dog gets especially dirty or stinky and an "emergency bath" is called for. When bathing a Berger Picard, be sure to use canine shampoo (and in particular, a brand formulated for wiry coats), as the kind made for humans has a different pH and can irritate the dog's skin. Also take the time to rinse the shampoo completely from the coat; leftover soap residue will cause further skin irritation.

And no Berger Picard haircuts are required. Shaving these dogs' coats short is not recommended, either! A shaved Berger Picard will lose its ability to stay cool in summer and warm in winter, and the shaved coat won't shed any less either--plus, when the coat does grow back it'll be uneven, and will lose most of its crisp texture.

Though owners can certainly learn to perform all aspects of Berger Picard grooming themselves, it's a good idea to take the dog to a professional groomer at least once. The groomer can give the dog a nice makeover, and provide tips on how to groom a Berger Picard at home.