- Traditionally referred to as grey mottling with dark brown patches on different parts of the body and root of tail.
- Most often marked with tan on head and limbs.
- (“Brown mottling marked with tan and white” resulting in a coat traditionally called “autumn leaves”)
About the Picardy Spaniel
Origin: France
- Typical life span
- 12-14 years
- Size
- Medium — from its typical weight
- Weight
- 20-25 kg
- Height
- 56-61 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Pointing Dogs
- Origin
- France
- Also called
- Spaniel Picardo
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a Picardy Spaniel?
Medium-sized, strongly-built French pointing dog with distinctive grey-mottled brown feathered coat, drop ears, and gentle, docile expression. This elegant gundog combines calm adaptability with natural hunting ability.
Picardy Spaniel history and origins
One of the oldest continental spaniel-type pointing breeds, originating in the Picardy region of France. Valued by hunters for its versatility and weather-resistant coat, its numbers declined with imported English breeds but were saved from extinction by dedicated breeders after World War II.
Picardy Spaniel appearance and size
Typically 20-25 kg and 56-61 cm at the shoulder — published as one range rather than separately for males and females.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Pointing dog
- Behaviour and temperament
“Flexible and gentle dog, with an even temperament, well adapted to family life. An athletic dog, the Picardy Spaniel enjoys a daily walk in order to work off his energy”
Quoted from FCI standard n°108. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Medium
- Exercise needsRead from what the breed was bred to do, in the registry’s own words: “Pointing dog” That is a working purpose, not a measured exercise requirement — an individual dog’s needs depend on its age, health and household.
- 4 of 5
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 3 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 3 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Picardy Spaniel
What you get with the Picardy Spaniel
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Pointing dog”
- The standard describes the breed as: “Flexible and gentle dog, with an even temperament, well adapted to family life”
What you are taking on
Nobody has written this side yet. It is a judgement rather than data, so it waits for a person — not for a missing source.
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Picardy Spaniel
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording.
Coat
Dense and not too silky
fine on head, slightly wavy on the body.
Often with undercoat
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°108 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the breed standard says
- Size
- “Height at the withers: Males: 57 to 62 cm Females: 55 to 60 cm A tolerance of ± 2 cm is permitted yet undesirable”
- FCI states a tolerance around the figure.
Quoted from FCI standard n°108. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
What the standard penalises
What a judge marks the Picardy Spaniel down for, and what puts one out of the ring, in the registry’s own words. This describes the breed standard — it is not a checklist for the animal in front of you, and a pet with a disqualifying fault is an unshowable dog rather than an unhealthy one.
Severe faults
Marked heavily against a specimen in the ring.
- Skull too broad or too narrow.
- Ear: too short or triangular.
- Nose: any colour other than brown; lack of pigmentation (nose largely flesh-coloured).
- Eye: light and too small.
- Lack of bone
Disqualifying faults
Puts an animal out of the ring altogether.
- Overshot or undershot bite.
- Teeth: One missing canine or two missing incisors or more than two other missing teeth (PM or M) with the exception of PM1 and M3.
- Size outside the limits of tolerance of the standard.
- Lack of type.
- Atypical coat (white or black patches)
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Picardy Spaniel in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Picardy Spaniel
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Picardy Spaniel on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Picardy Spaniel owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Picardy Spaniel breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.