Epagneul Bleu de Picardi

By Sophie Kininmonth · 1 Feb 2026 (updated 21 Jul 2026) ·6 min read

The Epagneul Bleu de Picardie, or Blue Picardy Spaniel, is a rare French gundog with a striking speckled coat that reads as blue-grey from a distance. It was bred to find and work game birds in wet, rough country, and that heritage shows up at home as stamina, a strong nose, and an affectionate dog that wants to be involved in the day. Most people meet it as a family companion rather than a working dog, and in the right household it settles into that role well. It is also a high-drive sporting breed that needs real daily exercise to stay steady. What follows sticks to the breed standards and the practical realities of living with one.^{1, 2}

History and Origin

The breed comes from the Picardy region of northern France and is closely related to the Epagneul Picard, the Picardy Spaniel. The distinctive blue coat is part of what sets it apart as its own type, and modern descriptions commonly link that colouring to historic crosses with English Setters in the region.² It was developed as a continental pointing dog of the spaniel type, built for locating and working birds in damp, difficult ground.¹

Appearance and Physical Characteristics

In silhouette the Blue Picardy is a practical athlete: deep enough through the chest for stamina, strong through the back, and built to keep moving rather than sprint in short bursts. The coat is flat to slightly wavy with feathering on the ears, legs and tail.³ The colour is the signature, a grey-and-black speckling that looks blue at a distance, usually broken up with black patches.³

Most adults sit in the medium sporting range. Depending on sex and the reference used, heights run roughly 56 to 61 cm at the withers, with weights often around 18 to 25 kg.^{3, 4} On the tail, some older online summaries mention docking, but the breed standard describes a natural tail reaching approximately to the hock and carried straight.³

Temperament and Personality

Well-bred, well-exercised dogs are typically steady and people-focused, responsive to their handler, affectionate with family and keen to take part. The working design favours cooperation at a distance, so a trained dog with enough running room tends to check in regularly outdoors.⁶ Like many gundogs they can be sensitive to harsh handling. Calm, consistent training produces a softer, more reliable dog than heavy correction, especially when you pair learning with movement and scent-based games.

Many Blue Picardy dogs live comfortably with children and other dogs when introduced thoughtfully and supervised, but they are still sporting dogs with drive. Early socialisation and clear household routines matter more than optimism.⁵

Is a Blue Picardy Spaniel Right for You?

Be honest about your week. This is not a short-walk-around-the-block breed, and if the dog will not get real exercise most days a high-drive gundog is a poor fit. The best homes match its nature with a routine of movement, training and time with people, not just a backyard. With a rare breed, patience is also part of the process, since the goal is a sound body and a workable temperament rather than the fastest available litter. A few things worth checking before you commit:

Prioritise health documentation: hip and eye screening evidence, plus a clear explanation of what the breeder does and does not test for⁶
Meet the dam if you can: look for steady handling, quick recovery from surprise noises, and comfort around visitors
Ask about daily life: how pups are raised in the home, early exposure to surfaces and sounds, and how toileting and recall foundations start

Training and Exercise

The Blue Picardy was shaped for hours of purposeful movement, often in damp paddocks and reed beds. Without enough daily activity, boredom behaviours can creep in: pacing, digging, chewing and noisy scanning at fences. It is often easy to train when the training is calm, consistent and built around movement and scent-based rewards, but it still needs practice and structure to be reliable off-lead. What enough exercise usually looks like:

Daily aerobic movement: long walks at a real pace, off-lead runs where safe, or structured retrieving
Brain work: scent games, obedience, retrieving to hand, place training and recall practice
Field safety basics: reliable recall, stop and steady cues, and polite lead manners before you trust freedom near roads or wildlife

Health and Lifespan

Some write-ups claim the breed has no major health concerns. That is too absolute for any dog. Like other medium-to-large sporting breeds, the Blue Picardy can be affected by problems that show up across many lines worldwide, including hip dysplasia and certain eye conditions. Risk varies by breeding and by the care a dog receives across its life.⁶ The issues most worth asking a breeder about:

Hip dysplasia: ask what hip screening has been done on the parents and how results are shared with buyers⁶
Eye conditions: ask about eye examinations in the breeding dogs and what the breeder has seen in their lines⁶
Ear infections: not inevitable, but more likely in many drop-eared breeds, especially dogs that swim often⁷

Grooming and Care

The coat is not extreme, but it is feathered and can hold burrs and grass seeds after a run. Weekly brushing is usually enough for day-to-day care, with extra attention after hikes, especially the ears, feet, armpits and the feathering along the legs and tail. The long, drop ears can reduce airflow and trap moisture, so keeping them clean and dry after swimming or wet weather is a simple habit that can reduce the chance of recurrent ear trouble.⁷

A Few Things Worth Knowing

It is a continental pointing dog of the spaniel type, traditionally a hunting gundog.¹
The "blue" is not a solid colour but a grey-and-black roan speckle, usually with black patches.²
It is a genuinely rare breed, so expect a wait to find a well-bred litter.
Ownership of specific dog breeds can be subject to local council rules in Australia, so it is worth checking your state and council requirements.

The Bottom Line

In the right home the Blue Picardy Spaniel is quietly impressive. It moves through the day with purpose, watching scent and wind, then settles close once the work is done. The best outcomes come from matching that nature with a routine that includes movement, training and time with people. If you can give it real daily exercise and consistent handling, it is a steady and rewarding companion. If you cannot, it is not the dog for you.

References

Sophie Kininmonth

Dog lover and writer at My Pets Australia, sharing practical breed guides and care advice for Australian pet owners.