Is it a new breed?

No. When the first dog show was held in Paris in 1863, there were a dozen French sheepdogs entered, of diverse shape and size. The most numerous were dogs of a smooth-haired breed, black and tan in color, now known as the Beauceron. There were also two representatitves of the hairy sheepdog known as the Briard. The Briard was registered in the French Stud book in 1885, and the first Beauceron in 1893. The Beauceron and the Briard were not officially separated until 1896.

The American Kennel Club admitted the Briard to its ranks in 1928, the Bouvier in 1929, yet the the Beauceron was not admitted until 2007. Both the Berger Picard and the Pyrenean Shepherd have been accepted for recording in the AKC Foundation Stock Service.