Dog Breeds 101: Briard

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The inquisitive and adventurous Briard was bred to be the perfect herding dog. The breed is often described to be vigorous, alert and attractive. It looks very sophisticated especially with its smooth and light movements. As a matter of fact, the Briard’s movement is described as “quicksilver”. These dogs love to spend their time indoors and their pleasant and loving personality makes them great pets. Most Briards love to play with children. They are also known to be intelligent, independent, confident and extremely devoted to their humans. Although considered to be generally sociable, they are still reserved towards unfamiliar people. [1]

The Briard originated in France and was already around during the 8th century. The breed was known as the Chein Berger De Brie back then which is believed to be derived from the dog’s place of origin – the region of Brie. [2] Briards were bred to be working dogs in the farming valley of France where row crops were grown. Sheep grazed the grass strips between crops and it was the dogs’ job to keep the herd from moving along these strips and to prevent the sheep from eating the crops. Their duty continues at night as they also served as watchdogs to protect the shepherds and the flock from predators and thieves. [3]

The average height of the breed is 23 to 27 inches and can weigh between 55 to 88 pounds. The Briard’s coat is long and requires extensive grooming. On the shoulders, the length of the hair is generally six inches or more. The undercoat is fine and tight while the outer coat is coarse, hard and dry. The Briard is well-balanced in size and build. It is not too large that it is quickly tired during herding but still, it is big enough to fight off predators such as foxes and wolves. [3]