06/17/2026
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.
