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Meet Valerie Black: Breeder of La Vie en Rose Picards. Get insights into the breed, health, and more in this exclusive interview!
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Valerie Black
1. I live in Wisconsin, and I have had Picards since importing my first few from France in 2005. My first litter was in 2008, and while I was not involved in dog sports prior to this breed, I have always had dogs in my family. I am a full-time hospital PA. My children are now grown, but I have grandchildren who have at times helped to socialize puppies when we have had litters.
I am a founding member of the Berger Picard Club of America (BPCA), the AKC parent club, always a Board Member, immediate past President, current Vice President, and Chair of Judges Education for my breed. I enjoy showing my Picards in Conformation and have more recently started in some performance events as time permits.
I have been very fortunate to have produced very nice dogs, with success in the show ring as well. (GCH Genevieve de la Vie en Rose and I won the first BPCA National Specialty in 2013, and GCG Olivier de la Vie en Rose won in 2022.) Tresor de la Vie en Rose is the first Picard in South Africa and has been winning in the Herding Group there with his owner, and many others, which makes me proud.
2. As a breeder, I think, overall, the dogs in the US conform to the French Standard. I always worry when folks talk about “improving” the breed—to me, it is much more important to preserve the breed as the French intended and to maintain the healthy, rustic Herding dog that stole our hearts. Some of the over-grooming that was happening early on as we entered AKC has improved, and I continue to urge exhibitors to avoid efforts to present Picards with smooth, silky coats that are so full of product that no hair is out of place. As I work on becoming a breeder-judge, I would much rather see a tousled, strong dog in the ring that I would not question could work the fields all day. At our recent national specialty, the dogs presented to me in Sweepstakes were very nice as a whole. Specialty entries also had well-balanced representation of the breed, which is encouraging.
3. I think AKC has tried to promote dog sports in general and encourage more purebred dog owners to participate. However, I do think it is very difficult for a new exhibitor (and even any owner-handler) to really succeed in Conformation. With some (not all) judges who do not seem to look beyond who is holding the lead, and tend to reward the same dogs all the time that are shown by professional handlers, it can be very discouraging. As Chair of my breed’s Judges Education, it does not seem to matter what I present to the group as a whole, the same dogs win over and over. It doesn’t happen all the time, and it is true that dogs that are out with handlers are very well-trained and are clean and groomed, but they are not always the best. Again, it does not happen all the time but often enough that owners may elect not to try, which is a shame.
4. Whether puppies are placed in “show” homes or “pet” homes, what remains the most important aspect to me is that they are in good homes that understand the breed, what it takes to develop a puppy into a well-socialized adult dog that remains a loving family member their entire lives.
I encourage all of my owners to join the BPCA, which helps, I hope, to enlarge the community as a whole. There is much information that can be shared in that manner, whether one has a family pet or becomes involved in dog sports. Picards are not known for their obedience, but they can certainly be successful in many other sports, and I hope that as owners meet each other and get together they can support each other.
5. Social media can be good and bad for the sport. It is helpful with promoting dog events and reminding those who might enter them. It can be a nice way to share photos of successes and new events that some might want to try with their dog if they see others in their breed doing them. But it can again be discouraging when “win” photos are shared and ads are shared with top dogs and their handlers—and not owners. I hope, overall, that it helps purebred dog owners (especially those with Picards!) become enthused to try new events with their dogs.
6. I think all owners are concerned about costs of dog events, the effort it takes and the costs to become successful. New owners at times are not even aware of all the different events AKC has to offer; they don’t know how to enter or where to look for those things. The website is difficult to navigate, too, even with the changes that AKC has worked on to make it more inclusive. As a breeder, I encourage all my owners to at least try some of the events that AKC has to offer, but it is confusing. There are multiple places to sign in, and unless you do it fairly often to become familiar with it, it can be daunting. I would hope all breeders and fanciers will assist newcomers in getting the information they need.
7. The BPCA has worked diligently to support appropriate health testing for our breed, especially as it is new to this country—although an ancient breed. We have encouraged all owners to have their dog’s blood banked in our DNA bank and to share health data via the CHIC program. From what we have learned so far, I believe the French are correct, in general, that this is a healthy breed, and the one genetic issue we know of for sure remains PRA. I remain in close contact with the French club, Les Amis du Berger Picard, and we have begun to collaborate with them more than previously, which helps all of us fanciers.
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