The Briard

Appearance

Briards are a medium to large breed (58-69cm / 23-27in) similar in size and weight to a Old English Sheepdog or German Shepherd Dog. They are strong, muscular, extremely agile and supple with a long shaggy coat.

Usual colours are black (often with scattered white hairs through the coat), slate grey or various shades of fawn ranging from a pale cream to a deep rich gold. Fawn Briards may or may not have black muzzles and ear tips and often have varying amounts of black or grey shading across the neck and shoulders.

The coat of an adult is 30cm or longer. Texture is slightly wavy and quite coarse (described as a goat like coat) with a medium undercoat. The tail is long with heavy feathering and hangs down low with an inverted 'J' shaped 'hook' at the end. The head is quite large and in all colours but the blues always with a black nose. The blue dogs are dilute blacks and as such have paler pigment and eye colouring. Eyes should be dark and have a gentle expression 'with a depth that is moving to the beholder'. Ears are medium sized, hang down (i.e. not 'cropped' as they often are in USA and some European countries) and very mobile and expressive. There should be ample beard and moustache hair and a long 'fringe' covering the eyes and ears - and yes - they can see through the gaps in the fringe!! A requirement for the breed ring is the presence of double dew-claws on the inside of each back foot, these should be as low to the ground as possible and in many dogs actually function as extra toes.

History

Early tapestries of the eighth century depict these large shaggy dogs with the Emperor Charlemagne and in the eighteenth century Napoleon was also reputed to have Briards. Unfortunately, shepherds were not renowned for their writing skills and little is available during this time on the history of the Briard. In fact, it is from the United States of America that some of the early documentation comes. In 1789 the Frenchman, La Fayette, introduced Briards to Thomas Jefferson who became one of the first breeders in the USA. Jefferson was a man with a keen appreciation for the usefulness of dogs and of the Briard he wrote 'they are the finest house and farm dogs I have ever seen'.

Back in France in 1897 the first official description or "standard" governing the appearance of the Briard was drawn up by Le Club Francaise du Chien de Berger. The work of the herding dogs is so specialised that the work demands specific qualities of the body and spirit and especially attitude. These characteristics were defined in this early French Standard and revisions in 1908, 1924, 1925 have led to the current standard in France.

The Briard has been the official dog of the French Army and is somewhat rare today because so many were lost in World War 1. He was used to carry supplies to the front lines and served as a sentry dog. Due to his keen hearing, reputed to be the most acute of any breed, he was used by the medical corps to search for wounded soldiers. The reports stress the amazing ability of the Briard to lead the corpsmen to those men which still had a spark of life in their bodies. It was said that any man a Briard passed by was beyond assistance.

The Briard is not a breed created by modern zoology but rather is the natural descendant of man's first helper, the dog of pre-history. He has evolved through time by natural selection for the qualities needed in his work.

Today this dog of the plains is more elegant than he used to be, devoted breeders have kept him not too shaggy or too big and have retained all of his original characteristics, especially his alertness and his tractable temperament.

Temperament

Briards are very intelligent - quick to learn but quick to take advantage of any lack of determination on the part of the owner. (You must be absolutely certain that he's not allowed on the bed or he'll keep pushing till you give in!!!) Described as 'gay and lively' -they enjoy life and show it - 'full-on'.

They can and do spent time asleep tucked away in a corner when there is nothing happening - but they are just conserving their energy for when it really matters! Extremely affectionate - they live for their owner's company and are happier lying at (or on!) your feet while you sit reading a book, than outside playing without you. They will follow you all through the house - even into the bathroom!!

They are excellent guard-dogs without being vicious. With their acute hearing nothing gets by un-noticed (very reassuring if you are alone in the house at night!). They bark only as a warning, but when they do, both bark and growl are fearsome!

Adult Briards are amiable, tolerant and enjoy children of all ages and puppies are fine with children over 4 years old. Boisterous puppies however, can become too overwhelming for some pre-schoolers to cope with. This applies particularly when parents are on the steep learning curve of first-time large-dog ownership. In their home country of France they are often referred to as the 'babysitter dog' or the 'doormat' dog.

Because a Briard's greatest enjoyment in life is to be with you, sharing in the family activities, he needs to be largely an indoor dog. The greatest cruelty you can inflict on a Briard is to keep him shut outside 'missing out' when his family is at home. For such a boisterous dog they make excellent house dogs and are very quickly house trained.

Care / Grooming

The beautiful shaggy coat must obviously be cared for, but it's not as time consuming as you might think. You need to allow an hour or two once a week but if you miss a week it will take longer the following week.

Briards don't have a thick undercoat and the top coat is almost straight and fairly coarse, so they are easier and quicker to groom than many other long coated breeds. Briards don't have an annual moult so regular grooming minimises the amount of hair shed around the house.

No trimming is required for a Briard. A good quality boar bristle brush, a pin brush, and a steel tooth comb are the basic implements needed to keep your Briard looking its best. Electric combs are also a useful addition to the grooming box.

Health

Briards are a relatively healthy breed and its not uncommon for them to live until 14 yrs of age. Problems exist in the following areas:Hip Dysplasia, CSNB (Congentital Stationary Night Blindness), Thyroid Issues, & OCD.

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