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Briard Puppies for
Sale
Briard
Meet Grendel the wonder Briard.
Photo Courtesy of Andy's Briard Page
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Pronunciation |
BREE-ard |
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Description |
The Briard (pronounced bree-ARD) is a large
muscular herding dog with a coarse long, slightly wavy double coat. Briards are
generally black, gray, or tawny. The tawny puppy coat turns to a lighter
yearling coat. Then the coat deepens in color again to a richer adult coat. The
hair of an adult coat is 6 or more inches (16 cm.) giving the coat an
attractive, bushy look with a shaggy beard, eyebrows and mustache. The ears can
be cropped or left natural and are usually clipped into a rounded shape so the
hair cascades from them into the rest of the coat. The muzzle is square and long
and the nose is black. The long, feathered tail has a crochet hook at the tip.
Briards, like many other French shepherds, have two dewclaws on each hind foot.
The Briard's elegant gait is floating and agile - the dog almost seems to not
touch the ground. |
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Temperament |
The Briard is a farm worker by nature and lives to
herd anything! They have an exceptional hearing ability and are basically kind,
but with a strong protective instinct. The Briard makes a wonderful, alert
watchdog. Sensitive, playful and obedient, but with definite minds of their own.
A long history of working with humans has left it gentle and sweet natured, as
well as brave, loyal and fearless. This breed has a fine memory and is
intelligent with a lot of initiative. They are very trainable. Eager to please
its master but needs a firm owner able to show leadership. This is
definitely not a breed for everyone. Too often they wind up in shelters because
people don't realize what a challenge they can be to raise and live with. They
are very stubborn and can be fearful, extremely unfriendly, or both, if not
raised properly. They need a lot of entertainment and activity to be happy, and
are not the sort you can pat on the head and ignore the rest of the day. Briards
are really dedicated to their families and tend to be, at best, disinterested in
other people. They should be socialized early - especially with children. They
are good-natured and very adaptable to living with children if they are raised
together. This breed does not like to be teased. Train them early and treat him
with affection and you will have a wonderful family dog. It has been said,
"it returns tenfold any affection given to it." Training must be
consistent with much patience and love combined with a firm hand. They will not
respond to unjust, severe training. With poor handling and training the Briard
becomes withdrawn and even aggressive. They require regular training and
attention. If you are a first time dog owner and you would like to raise a
Briard, you should seek help and training from experienced people. Briards view
strangers as suspicious and can be a bit dog aggressive, but with the right
handler it will blossom into a first-class pet that can happily coexist with
other pets. Briards may attempt to herd people by nipping at their heels. |
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Height, Weight |
Height: 24-27 inches (62-68
kg.) Bitches 22-25 inches (56-64 cm.)
Average Weight: 75 pounds (35 kg.) |
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Health Problems |
Generally healthy, but some lines are prone to
PRA, cataracts and hip dysplasia. Briards, like other large-chested breeds, can
experience bloat and stomach torsion. The condition can come on very fast
and, if left untreated, is fatal. |
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Living Conditions |
The Briard will do okay in an apartment if it is
sufficiently exercised. They are moderately active indoors and will do best with
at least an average-sized yard. This dog is totally not suited for life in a
kennel. They are happiest in the home as part of the family, but they do love to
be outdoors. |
Exercise |
The Briard are working dogs and
will become restless and can develop behavioral problems if they are not
exercised enough. They need to go on a
long daily walk, or run alongside
your bicycle. They make an excellent jogging companion and also enjoy a good
swim. They are ideally suited to
defense dog/police dog trials. |
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Life Expectancy |
About 10-12 years |
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Litter Size |
8 - 10 puppies - 17 puppies in one
litter have been known! |
Grooming |
The Briard`s coat is coarse and strong similar to a
goat's coat. Dirt and water do not readily cling to it, and if well-groomed it
sheds very little. Take time for grooming to have an attractive and healthy dog.
Expect the minimum time required to be two hours a week and much longer if you
have been remiss. The well-groomed Briard is a beautiful animal, and, more
important, a comfortable one. The Briard`s coat can become matted without
regular attention. The inside of the ears must be kept clean and any excessive
hair in the ears or between the pads of the feet should be removed. |
| Origin |
The Briard has been known for some centuries.
Charlemagne, Napoleon, Thomas Jefferson, and Lafayette all owned Briards. This
ancient sheep guard and herder has also been used by the French Army as a
sentry, messenger, and to search for wounded soldiers because of its fine sense
of hearing. It became popular only after the Paris dog show of 1863 - in large
part due to the improvement of the dog's looks achieved by crosses with the
Beauceron and the Barbet. The Briard is named either for Aubry of Montdidier, a
man who was supposed to have owned an early Briard, or for the French province
of Brie, although the dog probably does not originate in that locale. The Briard
still serves as a herder and flock guardian today, as well as an esteemed
companion dog. Some of the Briards talents are search & rescue, police work,
military work, herding, watchdogging and guarding. |
| Group |
Herding, AKC Herding |
Recognition |
CKC, FCI, AKC, UKC, KCGB, CKC, ANKC, NKC, NZKC,
APRI, ACR |
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CKC = Continental
Kennel Club
FCI = Fédération
Cynologique Internationale
AKC = American
Kennel Club
UKC = United Kennel
Club
KCGB = Kennel
Club of Great Britain
CKC = Canadian
Kennel Club
ANKC = Australian
National Kennel Club
NKC = National
Kennel Club
NZKC = New Zealand
Kennel Club
APRI = American Pet Registry Inc.
ACR = American Canine Registry |
Grendel lives to herd cats, people, anything!
Photo Courtesy of Andy's Briard Page
This is Desi. He is 3 months old in these photos
Here is Desi at 5 months. Look how he has grown!
Briard Pictures Page
1 - 2
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