About Briard
| Weight | 50-100 lb |
| Lifespan | 10-12 years |
| Group | AKC Herding Group |
| Best Suited For | Families with children, active singles, houses with yards, farms/rural areas, watchdog |
| Temperament | Devoted, intelligent, protective, gentle |
| Comparable Breeds | Bearded Collie, Barbet |
| Height | 22-27 inches |
Briard Basics
The Briard which is years old and loved by the French since the Middle Ages is a busy, active dog that loves to save his flock. Do you like to keep a dog around, this dog will be more than happy to adopt your family as his flock if he doesn’t have a flock to protect. When it comes to settling down in a house or a farm, this does not matter at all and in any society, this breed is the perfect companion for those people who are always active. Besides being known by the name of Berger Briard, the Chien Berger de Brie, and the Berger de Brie, this dog, however much he follows you, will not fail to always love and care for you in his way.
The breed can be described as smart and strong-minded, and fearlessness suits him very well especially when it comes to protecting his flock or family. He is very attentive and will need your company all the time and wants to be your only friend. Get ready for your brave, caring, faithful, and…or obedient dog. Refer to the article by visiting the linked page about this.
Briard, cherished by the French for hundreds of years is a familiar and energetic dog that has a keen sense of duty on his hands.
Origin
There is documentable evidence that the dog, a breed native to France, has been in existence ever since the 14th century. It is a reality that this species has been shown in tapestries of the 8th century and the corresponding records of the 12th century have talked about these. This breed of dog was meant for watching over the farmer’s flocks and for the pursuit of poachers and wolves. Following the French Revolution, this dog was used to secure sheep that used to graze in open pastures and guard the land. Amazingly, the dogs that shepherds had were only the best – they were very intelligent and good-looking. Later, during World War 1, Briards were deployed as guards and on patrol because of their keen sense of hearing and were declared the official dog of the French army.
Pedigree
As the breed is old, it is difficult to ascertain the breed making it is to know where they come from. The records partly prove that in the 19th century, this dog that we now know was mixed with the Beauceron and the Barbet to standardize its look.
Food/ Diet
A Briard is a dog with a great deal of energy and a deep chest. This implies not only should you give your dog “enough” food but also you ought to divide the eating periods and mimic the bloat. The reason has been mentioned above you should never free feed a Briard. A far better way to feed is to give the dog many small meals more than one large one. An exceptional dry dog kibble that has meat and fruits added to it is the most intelligent choice. Food with a high percentage of grain and gluten is bad news.
He is always open to learning something new like a cool new trick or task.
Training
The Briard is always learning something new, such as a new trick or a task. If you are going to train, try to be soft as they are considered to be sensitive by these dogs. If you are stern, he will not be quick to forget and will be a little confrontational with you. You should set your dominance as soon as possible. A Briard can assume leadership and become the pack leader if you want to. Training may last longer periods, -one that he can easily adapt to, and has an excellent fitness base, a real allrounder.
Temperament / Behavior
They could be fun-loving, or get into intense situations, but the one thing that all Briards have in common is that they want to please you. They are known to be the ones with the golden hearts in the wrapper of fur, the Briards have squeezing, active families as their favorite ones. These dogs will destroy the house unless they get enough playtime. To ensure the safety of your household and garden together, you will have to own up to exercise daily.
Even if he will easily show his love to the family, the Briard may be a little bit suspicious of strangers. You will have them thank the flock-protection instinct for that. This serves as a barrier to intruders. Early socialization and continuous exercise are needed to avoid uncontrolled aggression against strangers.
The Briard should be cool with other domestic animals and only be tough with other dogs. If you have pets already, you can get a Briard puppy and you will be fine if you make sure to not add any new animals after settling him in the household.
Weight
The Briard stands 22 to 27 elevation altitudinous and can weigh anywhere from 50 to 100 pounds.
Common Health Problems
Briards being as big as they are very likely to develop hip dysplasia and bloat. They are also sometimes characterized by cataracts, central progressive retinal atrophy, congenital stationary night blindness, hereditary retinal dystrophy of Briards, hypothyroidism, and lymphoma.
Life expectation
The Briard has an average lifetime of 10 to 12 times.
Exercise Requirements
Being a high-quality dog, this breed is not suitable for lazy people. This dog should be dynamic and occupied with both, physical as well as mental training so that the dogs can be safe and can be successful working dogs as well. Farms are the perfect place for the Briard where he can herd sheep and drive off other animals. Unless you are a farmer with a really big yard to fence in, you must have a large and securely closed yard. Letting children play around the dog will be fine but let them have supervised playtime as there is a small possibility that he might wrangle the kids.
Taking into account the need for broad spaces for movement, it is not at all suitable for the Briard dogs to be housed in apartments or condos. More space is required for the dogs to take a walk or to play than the ones allowed in the apartments.
They can be clowns or be serious, but the one particular thing that all Briards have in common is that they cooperate with you to please you.
Coat
The Briard looks like a shaggy dog thanks to its long, wavy double coats. His undercoat, made from thick and plush fur, enables him to keep warm and dry under particularly cold and wet conditions. The shiny and coarse outer coat makes the Do Westminster show a unique dog type, thus making its wavy appearance. Their coat comes in a wide range of colors, and it is according to the breed standards that solid dogs are only acceptable except white. The most common colors are black, gray, and tawny. For the most part, tawny puppies are born dark red or black and the color of its coat lightens as they turn to be three or four months old. They will become lighter to tan or white by the time they are two years old. Moreover, when he is mature his hair color can once more alter to deep gold or red.
Grooming the Briard’s coat is quite a complex procedure. You will need to brush the coat for about two to three hours per week to prevent mats from building up.
Briard Puppies
Careless and unfriendly behaviors among newly born Briard puppies can be easily observed if proper socialization is not given the maximum concern by their breeders. For this reason, you are recommended to do this quite early. Let him meet with many people, get him used to new things, play different sounds, etc. super early- think of fun creative activities to do. In the end, this will make his life (besides yours) a merry one as a pet. Also, socializing a briard dog puppy in a puppy kindergarten class would be the right choice as well as a waste of time listening to someone else on this matter.
3 Little-Known Facts About the Briard Mix
1. Briard Mix Have Worked During the World Wars
The Briards were the companions of the French army from the start of WWI and continued to serve them during WWII, in several ways. They were on duty to convey supplies to the war zone and to seek out the soldiers, who were in dire need of medical help. Unfortunately, many Briards died in action and that’s why these dogs are not as readily obtainable as they used to be.
2. The Briard Has Appeared in Ancient Tapestries
The Briard breed’s earliest specimens that resemble their contemporaries can already be tracked back to the 8th century when they are depicted in the tapestries. These woven masterpieces stemmed from the time of Charlemagne (742-814).
3. Briards Move in a Special Way
A common Briard mix quality is the way that these dogs move. Their movements were described by the American Kennel Club as they were “gliding over the ground”, more like a cat than a dog. This might seem a little bit of a feat given that Briards are normally so big and tough.
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