Overview
The Épagneul Bleu de Picardie was developed in the marshes of the Somme estuary at the start of the twentieth century, crossing the local Picardy Spaniel with English Setters that British sportsmen had left behind. The result is a leggy, calm pointing and retrieving dog with a flat, wavy coat in grey mottled with black.
Blue Picardies are affectionate, soft-natured and notably calm indoors for a gundog. Outside they are keen and energetic, with a nose that works the wind rather than the ground. In Britain they are rare, and the few you meet will probably belong to shooting or dog-sport owners.
Exercise and walking needs
An hour and a half a day suits most adults, with time off lead if the owner allows and the recall is sound. They were bred to range in wet, marshy ground and swim readily, so riverside or heath walks suit them.
This is not a dog for short pavement walks. Without enough exercise it becomes restless rather than destructive, but it will not be the calm companion the owner expects at home.
On the walk
- Recall: Good for a gundog. They want to work with a person and check in naturally. Birds and rabbits can draw them out, so build the recall before the open field.
- Water: A Picardy will swim at every opportunity and come out of ditches, ponds and the sea. Carry a towel and check the exit points before letting it in.
- Pulling: Light. They are polite on the lead once the first few minutes of excitement pass, and a harness is kinder for a dog that may lunge at a flush.
- Other dogs: Sociable and rarely confrontational. They suit group walks and tend to defuse tension rather than cause it.
Tips for professional walkers
- Build retrieving into the walk; a dummy or a ball gives this breed the job it was bred for.
- Dry the ears after swimming. Feathered ears on a water-loving dog trap damp.
- Choose open, wet ground over tight urban routes when you can.
- Keep a close eye in hedgerows during nesting season; the pointing instinct is strong.
What to ask the owner
- Is the dog trained to the gun or to a whistle, and which signals does it know?
- Where is swimming allowed and where is it not, especially around rivers?
- Any ear or skin problems after wet walks that the owner wants managed?