Picardy Spaniel vs Blue Picardy Spaniel: Coat, History, Ear Care and Yearly Cost

The Picardy Spaniel and the Blue Picardy Spaniel are two closely related French gundogs that cost almost the same to keep: $2,423 and $2,432 a year in PetBudget's model. The real difference is the coat and the paper trail. Picardy dogs are brown and white, Blue Picardy dogs are speckled grey-black, and the two breeds sit in different registries.

This guide explains how the breeds split, how their registries differ and what each costs, so you can decide which to look for. The cost breakdowns sit on the Picardy Spaniel page and the Blue Picardy Spaniel page.

Photo: Pixabay / Pexels. A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel shown as a similar long-eared type; it is not a Picardy.

How did the Picardy and Blue Picardy Spaniels split?

The Picardy Spaniel is the older breed, and the Blue Picardy came from it when English Setter blood entered the local spaniel population. Wikipedia's Picardy Spaniel entry calls it one of the two oldest continental spaniel breeds, favored by French nobility, and says its popularity fell when English hunting breeds arrived.

Wikipedia's Blue Picardy Spaniel entry gives a timeline. The first black, blue-grey spaniel was recorded in 1875. The Picardy was shown in Paris in 1904, and a combined club formed in 1907 and sorted the two types. France recognized the Blue Picardy as its own breed in 1938. The entry says British shooters boarded their dogs near the mouth of the River Somme, which brought setter blood into the local spaniels.

For a buyer, this means the Blue Picardy is a spaniel with some setter in its history. That helps explain its high stamina and its speckled coat.

What are the other names for each breed?

Each breed has a French name that breeders and importers use, and searching with it finds litters that English searches miss. PetBudget lists the Picardy Spaniel as the Epagneul Picard, also called the French Picardy Spaniel. It lists the Blue Picardy Spaniel as the Epagneul Bleu de Picardie, also called the Bleu Picard.

Some listings reverse the words, as in "spaniel blue picardy," and some sellers use "Picardy" for both. Ask for the registry papers, because the color alone can mislead. A brown-and-white dog is a Picardy and a grey-black speckled dog is a Blue Picardy, but a breeder's label is only as good as the pedigree behind it.

How do the two breeds differ in coat and size?

Both stand 22 to 24 inches and weigh about 40 to 55 pounds. The coat is the clear visual difference.

Trait	Picardy Spaniel	Blue Picardy Spaniel
Height	22 to 24 inches	22 to 24 inches
Weight (PetBudget model)	40 to 55 pounds	42 to 55 pounds
Coat color	Chocolate, chestnut and white	Speckled grey-black with a bluish cast
Coat texture	Abundant, slightly wavy	Flat or slightly wavy, feathered
Exercise in the model	75 minutes a day	90 minutes a day
Typical lifespan in the model	13 years	12 years
Grooming rating (1 to 5)	3	3
Shedding rating (1 to 5)	3	3

Wikipedia describes the Picardy coat as chocolate, chestnut brown and white, with sandy head markings and white or grey leg spots. It describes the Blue Picardy as speckled grey-black that forms a bluish shade, with feathering on the ears, legs, underside and tail.

The Blue Picardy page notes the dog is quiet but needs a lot of exercise because of high stamina, and PetBudget models 90 minutes a day against 75. If you do not run, hike or hunt, the Picardy's lower figure is easier to meet.

What does each breed cost per year?

The Picardy costs $2,423 a year and the Blue Picardy $2,432. The nine-dollar gap comes from a slightly higher weight floor, which raises food by $9.

Annual line	Picardy Spaniel	Blue Picardy Spaniel
Food	$562	$571
Vet care	$660	$660
Grooming	$312	$312
Insurance	$749	$749
Supplies and toys	$140	$140
Total per year	$2,423	$2,432

Insurance is the largest line for both spaniels at $749, a medium-dog scaling of the $836 average dog plan in NAPHIA's State of the Industry highlights.

What does the first year cost?

The first year costs $4,678 for the Picardy and $4,687 for the Blue Picardy. Both use the same one-time costs, and the model's puppy price of $1,000 is an estimate and not a quote.

First-year line	Picardy Spaniel	Blue Picardy Spaniel
Purchase or adoption (modeled)	$1,000	$1,000
Initial vet visit and vaccinations	$660	$660
Starter supplies	$475	$475
Training classes	$260	$260
Food, vet care, grooming and insurance	$2,283	$2,292
Total	$4,678	$4,687

Import adds to this. A puppy bought in France or Canada also needs a flight, a crate and a vet exam on arrival, and the CDC rule means the dog cannot travel until it is 6 months old.

Why is the lifetime cost $2,315 apart?

The lifetime gap is a modeled lifespan, not a cost difference. PetBudget uses 13 years for the Picardy and 12 years for the Blue Picardy, which gives lifetime totals of $33,754 and $31,439.

Time frame	Picardy Spaniel	Blue Picardy Spaniel
First year	$4,678	$4,687
End of year 5	$14,370	$14,415
End of year 10	$26,485	$26,575
Modeled lifetime	$33,754 (13 years)	$31,439 (12 years)

The Wikipedia entry for the Picardy gives an average lifespan of about 14 years, and its Blue Picardy entry gives none. The lifespans in the model are estimates, so do not treat a shorter life as a saving. Over the same 12 years the Picardy costs $31,331 and the Blue Picardy $31,439, so the Blue Picardy is only $108 more.

What does daily coat and ear care involve?

Plan on brushing two or three times a week and checking the ears weekly. Both breeds are rated 3 out of 5 for grooming and 3 out of 5 for shedding, which fits a medium coat with feathering on the ears, legs and tail. PetBudget budgets $312 a year for grooming, which covers a trim and a bath a few times a year.

A weekly ear check is the cheapest health habit for these breeds. Look for redness, odor, head shaking and discharge. A dog that swims or hunts in wet cover needs its ears dried afterward, and an early visit at $100 to $175 costs less than a deep infection. Ask your vet for a cleaning solution and a schedule, and do not treat an infection at home without advice.

How do the registries differ for US buyers?

The registry difference matters if you want to compete or register a dog. The Picardy is recognized by more groups, and the Blue Picardy has a recent AKC step.

Registry	Picardy Spaniel	Blue Picardy Spaniel
FCI	Recognized	Recognized
United Kennel Club	Recognized	Recognized
Canadian Kennel Club	Not recognized	Recognized (1995)
AKC	Not stated in the source	Foundation Stock Service, May 9, 2024

The Picardy Spaniel is recognized by the North American Kennel Club, American Rare Breed Association, UKC, FCI and Continental Kennel Club, and not by the Canadian Kennel Club, per Wikipedia. The AKC's Foundation Stock Service news page lists the Blue Picardy as added on May 9, 2024, and has no Picardy Spaniel entry.

Wikipedia says the Blue Picardy is found mostly in France and Canada, and that Ronald Meunier of Saint-Julien, Quebec, first imported it to Canada around 1987. The Canadian Kennel Club recognition took effect on June 1, 1995.

Where do you find Picardy and Blue Picardy breeders?

Look to France and Canada first, and expect small numbers in the US. Searches for "picardy spaniel breeders" and "blue picardy spaniel breeders" are low-volume and lead to a handful of kennels, many in France.

If you import from France, the CDC's rule for dogs from low-risk countries applies. The CDC's page on requirements for rabies-free or low-risk countries says the dog must be at least 6 months old, carry a microchip a universal scanner can read and have a free CDC Dog Import Form receipt. The CDC's high-risk country list, dated April 15, 2026, does not include France.

A short checklist for a breeder conversation:

1. Ask for hip results on both parents.
2. Ask how often the parents have had ear infections.
3. Ask whether the dogs hunt, and how the puppies were socialized.
4. Ask which registry the litter is entered in.
5. Ask the age at which the puppy can travel, which for the US is 6 months.

What health costs should you plan for?

Ear infections and hip dysplasia are the two lines in PetBudget's data. Wikipedia says the Picardy is prone to ear infections because of its pendulous ears and lists no known hereditary health problems, and the same pattern applies to its blue cousin.

Ear infections. Fetch Pet Insurance puts outer-ear treatment at $100 to $175 per visit and says dogs with long, floppy ears are more susceptible because moisture and low airflow help bacteria and yeast grow. Costs can reach the thousands if the infection goes deep. Dry the ears after any swim or wet hunt.

Hip dysplasia. MetLife's hip dysplasia surgery guide lists $1,200 to $2,500 per hip for femoral head removal and $3,500 to $7,000 or more for a total hip replacement. Mild cases may need only weight control and medication.

Keep $3,000 aside, which is PetBudget's reserve for a medium dog. A MetLife survey of 1,000 pet owners found 15% had paid $3,000 or more for an unexpected vet bill. Our pet insurance versus emergency fund guide compares insurance with a reserve.

How do they compare with other spaniels and pointers?

Both French breeds cost less per year than an English Springer Spaniel and more than a Brittany.

Breed	Annual cost	Lifetime cost	Weight	Grooming cost
Picardy Spaniel	$2,423	$33,754	40 to 55 pounds	$312
Blue Picardy Spaniel	$2,432	$31,439	42 to 55 pounds	$312
French Spaniel	$2,484	$34,737	44 to 60 pounds	$312
English Springer Spaniel	$2,656	$36,783	40 to 50 pounds	$507
Brittany	$2,241	$31,388	30 to 40 pounds	$195

The Brittany, French Spaniel and English Springer Spaniel pages carry their own breakdowns. The Springer costs more mainly because its coat needs $507 of grooming a year in the model.

Which one should you choose?

Choose the Picardy if you want a brown-and-white coat, a lower exercise load and the broader registry list. Choose the Blue Picardy if you want the grey-black speckle, have an active life and live near Canadian or French breeders. If you only care about the budget, either breed is a fit, because the yearly cost is within $9. If you plan to show or compete in the US, check the current AKC and UKC rules for each breed first, because the Foundation Stock Service and full recognition carry different privileges. Whichever you pick, ask the breeder for ear and hip history, get an insurance quote before pickup and keep the $3,000 reserve funded. The savings from choosing one breed over the other are smaller than a single ear infection visit.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Blue Picardy Spaniel a good family dog?

Wikipedia calls it quiet, responsive and especially good with children, and PetBudget lists the temperament as gentle and good with children. It still needs strong daily exercise, so match it to an active home.

How much exercise does a Picardy Spaniel need?

PetBudget uses 75 minutes a day for the Picardy and 90 minutes for the Blue Picardy. Both were bred for field work.

Do Picardy Spaniels shed?

Both are rated 3 out of 5 for shedding. Brushing several times a week keeps the wavy coat clear of mats, and feathering on the ears and legs needs the most attention.

Is the Picardy Spaniel hypoallergenic?

PetBudget's data does not flag either breed as hypoallergenic. Spend time with the specific dog if allergies are a concern.