Charlotte Foster
C’est la vie – the lightheartedness of the French way of life is characteristic of the cheerful Briard. At the same time, he works attentively and dutifully as a herd keeper when necessary. During the World Wars, his skills as a watchdog and in searching for missing persons were valued. Today, the Briard mostly enjoys a carefree life as a beloved family member. As a former herding dog, however, he needs a lot of exercises and also wants to be mentally challenged.
Elegant Frenchman with tradition
The Briard – also known under the name Berger de Brie – from France looks back on a long history. It was first described in writing in 1809. Dutiful farm and farm dogs were crossed with water-loving Barbets for breeding purposes. Brave herding dog, valuable police dog, eager to learn dog sportsman – the rather rare Briard has many talents.
Nature of Briard
The Briard has gone through a long transformation that underlines its diverse characteristics. Today’s family dog was a reliable cargo dog in the military, guarded its flock against wolves and poachers as an attentive shepherd dog, and did a good job in the police service. Independent action was important in these fields of work. With your family dog, you have to steer this predisposition in the right direction through early education.
Training of the Briard
Your new family member should have already experienced good socialization with the breeder and be used to people. Continue this seamlessly and allow him hours of socializing play with other dogs. The Briard loves its “pack” and wants to be a protective part of the family. He is affectionate and docile, but also has a will of his own. Therefore train your dog consistently, but always lovingly and sensitively.
In addition, the Frenchman needs an active life. He enjoys agility and dog dancing and is even suited to rescue and search services. Its high level of intelligence requires exercise, and its muscular body requires plenty of exercises. In the evening, the stately Briard likes to cuddle with you.
Care of the Briard
The Briard’s long coat requires regular grooming. Fortunately, this is not more intense than with other long-haired dogs. Comb the coat thoroughly every 1 to 2 weeks, removing the loose undercoat. The goat hair-like structure normally prevents rapid matting – but this only applies if the standard specifications of the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) were observed during breeding. By the way: The Briard has the double wolf claw, which you also have to shorten if necessary when grooming the claws.
Peculiarities of the Briard
Like many large breeds, the Briard is prone to hip dysplasia. It is all the more important to turn to a responsible breeder.