Working Beauceron Association

During his visit to North America as the temperament evaluator for the 2026 Journée du Beauceron, Frédéric Aubry shared some reflections on the Beauceron, character testing, and the importance of preserving the qualities that have long defined the breed.

Following the evaluations, he took the time to explain his perspective on temperament assessment and the approach behind the decisions he made throughout the event.

We thought our members and followers might appreciate the opportunity to read his thoughts, which we are pleased to share below.

Translated to English:

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The Character of Today's Beauceron and the Absolute Need to Preserve Complete Character Testing Protocols, Including the Final Group Gunshot for “Excellent +” Ratings

Today's Beauceron remains a powerful, noble, proud dog, but it is no longer uniform. In today's canine landscape, we still find solid, straightforward dogs with presence and that spark of courage that built the reputation of the Bas-Rouge. At the same time, however, we are seeing a growing proportion of dogs that are sensitive, unstable, hesitant, or defensive.

The signal is clear: the breed is under pressure. Character can no longer be taken for granted.

And when a working breed begins to lose its fundamental qualities—stability, measured courage, self-control, and tolerance for pressure—it loses its identity before it loses its usefulness.

That is why character tests must remain demanding, comprehensive, and consistent. They are not there to hand out compliments. They exist to preserve the Beauceron's most valuable asset: its temperament.

Why Current Protocols Are Essential

A character test cannot be reduced to a simple interaction with an evaluator or a brief walk around a field. A working dog is not selected like a decorative object.

There must be varied situations, surprises, a degree of pressure, structured human interactions, and unexpected stimuli. Not to frighten the dog—but to reveal it.

A stable Beauceron reacts, evaluates, and recovers.

A fragile Beauceron tightens up, avoids, shuts down, or falls apart.

These differences cannot be reliably judged by appearance alone; they must be measured.

The current protocols exist precisely for this purpose: to isolate emotional stability, recovery ability, stress management, social instinct, and adaptability.

Removing or softening these stages would amount to turning a blind eye to the very traits that selection is supposed to protect.

The Crucial Role of the Final Group Gunshot for “Excellent +”

This point is often misunderstood, yet it is critical.

The final gunshot, conducted in a group setting, is neither a gimmick nor a sport-dog enthusiast's indulgence. It is a verification tool.

It confirms that what was observed during the individual evaluation truly holds up in a different setting—with different energy, movement around the dog, nearby dogs, and group dynamics.

A dog may handle an auditory stimulus perfectly well during an individual evaluation, in a calm environment, facing only the tester...
..and yet lose its composure in a denser group situation.

In fact, this is where deeply stressed dogs reveal themselves—those that struggle with unpredictability, those that revert to primitive reactions when noise, movement, and social context are combined.

This gunshot serves as a natural sorting mechanism.

It is not a test of courage.

It is a test of emotional stability.

It helps identify:

Dogs that are genuinely confident.
Dogs that remain functional even when the environment becomes challenging.
Dogs with rapid nervous-system recovery.
Dogs capable of facing reality, not simply a comfortable testing protocol.

In other words, it distinguishes the "pretty dogs" from the "true Beaucerons."

And reserving it for the “Excellent +” rating places a complete seal of quality on the dog: structure, type, movement, and above all, temperament.

A Beauceron awarded “Excellent +” should be a complete Beauceron—confident, whole, and reliable.

Without this final stimulus, the designation loses part of its meaning.

Conclusion: Protecting the Soul of the Beauceron

Without robust testing, a working breed becomes a breed of appearances.

Without character evaluation, the Beauceron may become polished and attractive—but empty.

Each generation would lose a little more of the mental backbone that once defined its strength and uniqueness.

Maintaining complete testing protocols, including the final group gunshot, means defending the Beauceron at its most noble: a straightforward, stable, balanced dog capable of functioning in a sometimes chaotic environment without falling apart.

Protecting this test means protecting the very essence of the Beauceron.

WBA Members!

In accordance with the WBA Bylaws, the Board of Directors will soon appoint the 2026 Nominating Committee for our 2026 election.

Members in good standing who are interested in serving on the committee are invited to submit their interest to [email protected] by June 7th.

Please include the following in your submission:

• First and last name
• Location of residence (city, state/province, country)
• A short biography about yourself
• A brief overview of your involvement with Beaucerons, including any activities or sports you participate in with your dogs
• Why you are interested in serving on the Nominating Committee

Please note that under the bylaws:

• The committee consists of five (5) members in good standing
• No more than one current Board member may serve
• The President may not serve
• No more than one member per household may serve
• The Board must consider geographic representation across North America, including at least one Canadian member

The Board of Directors will review all interested volunteers and appoint the committee by Board vote in accordance with the bylaws and the needs of the Association.

Thank you to all members willing to volunteer their time in support of the Association and election process.

- Board of Directors

The French Ring Workshop is just around the corner, and audit spots are still available!

Come spend the weekend watching dogs and handlers train with Saul Garcia and experience the sport of French Ring up close.

Please note that this is not a public spectator event. Attendance is limited to registered working teams and audit spot holders only.

🎟 One audit spot covers BOTH days of the workshop.

We are very excited to host this event as part of our Beauceron week, and we hope you will join us!

Audit spots can be purchased on our events page: https://workingbeauceron.com/events-2

The Working Beauceron Association is proud to celebrate a fantastic weekend at our recent AHBA Herding Trial, a milestone event for the organization filled with teamwork, community, and exciting accomplishments for Beaucerons in herding.

First and foremost, we want to highlight three Beaucerons who made the weekend especially memorable:

Ube – earning a leg toward his Junior Herding Dog Title (JHD).

Velocity – earning a leg toward her JHD

Ghost – High Scoring Beauceron in Trial, completing his Herding Trial Arena Dog Level One Title (HTAD-I)

These achievements reflect the dedication, instinct, and growing presence of Beaucerons in competitive trial herding. We are so proud to see these teams succeed.

This trial was also a testament to what can be accomplished when people come together with a shared purpose. The WBA board remains committed to supporting the breed and its handlers in meaningful, performance-focused ways, and this event truly embodied that mission.

We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who helped make this trial possible. Especially to our judges, Peggy Richter and Steven Kilgore, for their encouragement and expertise throughout the weekend. And to our incredible volunteers and contributors who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly.

Finally, thank you to the broader all-breed herding community for showing up, supporting exhibitors, and helping us continue to grow opportunities like this. We look forward to hosting more American Herding Breed Association trials in the future and continuing to showcase the working ability of the Beauceron.

Congratulations again to all exhibitors!