Dogs

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN France.
MOST SUITED AS Herding dog, guard-dog, and family pet.

SIZE
The shoulder height is 62 - 68cm (241/t - 261/2in) for dogs and 56 - 64cm (22 - 251/2in) for bitches.

COAT
The Briard has a long wavy coat of rather dry hair and a light undercoat. All plain colours are permitted with the excep­tion of white and chestnut. The most usual colours are black and fawn.

CARE REQUIRED
Briards require regular grooming with brush and comb once a week. The inside of the ears must be kept clean and any excessive hair in the ears should also be removed. This is equally true of the excessive hair which grows between the pads of their feet.

CHARACTER
Intelligent and prepared to work, tough, brave, alert, loyal, slightly dominant, and totally uns­uitable for a life in a kennel. The Briard has little sense of humour, so do not harrass it.

TRAINING
Training of the Briard must be consistent, with much patience and love combined with a firm hand. Severe, unjust training will have the same result as none at all. With poor handling and training the Briard becomes withdrawn and even aggressive. They are happiest in the home as part of the family.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
With the right handler the Briard blossoms as a first-class pet who can happily coexist with other pets. They can be slightly aggressive towards other dogs. Strangers are viewed with suspicion

EXERCISE
This breed needs reasonable amounts of exer­cise. This could be a country walk but swimming and running alongside a cycle are also excellent forms of exercise for them. They are ideally suited to defence dog/police dog trials.

IMPORTANT NOTES
Rare outside France the Briard will protect you and your family but this is definitely not the dog for everyone. One would not be tossing up between a cocker spaniel, and a briard.