The Cotation System

Cotation	French Name	Explanation	How to Earn
Cotation 1	Confirm​é	The dog does not have any disqualifying faults and meets the minimum standard for the Beauceron breed.	Earned at any Exposition (all breed) or Beauceron specific breed show (Journée Beauceronne, Régionale d'Elevage, or Nationale d'Elevage)
Cotation 2	Reconnu	The dog must rate a Tres Bon (very good) or Excellent in Morphologie (conformation or type), and an Excellent in Test de Caractére (temperament test). The dog must also be certified free of hip dysplasia (Dysplasie A or B).	Earned at any Beauceron specific breed show (Journée Beauceronne, Régionale d'Elevage, or Nationale d'Elevage)
Cotation 3	Excellent	The dog must rate an Excellent in Morphologie and an Excellent in Test de Caractére. The dog must also be certified free of hip dysplasia.	Earned at any Beauceron Régionale d'Elevage or Nationale d'Elevage.
Cotation 4	Recommend​é	The dog must rate an Excellent Plus (+) in Morphologie and an Excellent in Test de Caractére. The dog must also be certified free of hip dysplasia.	This can only be earned at the Beauceron Nationale d'Elevage show held once a year in France.
Cotation 5	Elite B	The dog has NOT earned a rating of Cotation 4. The dog is certified free of hip dysplasia. For a male, the dog must produce a minimum of 2 offspring rated Cotation 4 (Recommandé) and 6 offspring rated Cotation 3 (Excellent). This must be with at least 2 different females, but no more then 5 different females. For a female, the dog must produce a minimum of 2 offspring rated Cotation 4 (Recommandé) and 3 offspring rated Cotation 3 (Excellent).	​Awarded by the Commission d'Elevage (of breeding) and approved by the Committee of the Club des Amis du Beauceron.
Cotation 6	Elite A	Same as Elite B except the dog has earned a rating of Cotation 4 or Recommand​é.	Same as Elite B.
No Cotation	N/A	The dog has not been confirmed.	N/A

For all ratings above a Cotation 1, the dog must be certified free of hip dysplasia (Dysplasie A or Dysplasie B). Cotation 5 and 6 are based on the offspring of the dog (descendants). For a dog to receive a Cotation 5 or 6, the dog must also be certified free of hip dysplasia.

The first year dogs were required to have their hips certified was 1977 and that was for Cotation 4 only. Beginning in 1980 Elite A and B dogs (Cotation 5 & 6) were also required to be hip certified. Up through 1984 Dys C or mild dysplasia was an acceptable hip rating. As of 1985, only Dys A and Dys B ratings are accepted. It was not until 1996 that dogs had to get their hips tested and be free of hip dysplasia for Cotations 2 and 3. Prior to 1996, dogs earning a Premier Choix or Excellent (Cotation 2 & 3) were not required to have hip x-rays.

Cotation 5 and 6 can be awarded to a dog even after the dog is no longer living.

You can find the definitions for the Cotations in French on the French club website here: http://www.amisdubeauceron.org/cotation/cotation.html

​Source for Information - About Beaucerons

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French Naming Conventions

​For almost a century, the French registry for dogs (SOCIÉTÉ CENTRALE CANINE​) has followed a system for naming that makes it easy to determine the age of a dog by its registered name. The first name begins with the designated letter for the year, followed by the kennel name (some kennel names may proceed the letter but in France, it is almost always a suffix). Over the years, the letters K, Q, W, X, Y and Z were eliminated because it was difficult to find French names beginning with them. Every 20 years the alphabet starts over.

While there are no similar naming rules for registering dogs in the United States, many Beauceron breeders and owners choose to follow the French tradition. The chart shows the letters used from 2005 - 2024.

​In 2025, it will start over with "A."