Briard

Can you do one more head of hair in the morning? If you’re considering bringing a Briard into your life, that’s an serious question. Their grooming is more extensive than other breeds, and includes daily brushing and regular visits with their hairstylist (aka an experienced groomer). Every four to six weeks is recommended to maintain their gorgeous locks. Here are some grooming tips for your Briard:

• Brushing: For your daily at-home hair sessions, use a quality pin brush, then follow with an undercoat rake to prevent mats and to keep their hair healthy. Briards shed less than you might expect given the style of their coat, but you can further minimize loose hair around your home and in your car with these grooming tools.
• Bathing: If you bathe your pup at home, plan on bathing them once every four to six weeks. (Depending on their activity level, you may be able to go longer.) You don’t want to give your Briard too many baths; it’ll strip the coat of the natural oils that keep it healthy.
• Dental care: After taking care of all that hair, don’t forget to brush their teeth daily, starting when they are a puppy to get them used to the feeling. Take them in for a professional dental exam and cleaning by your vet once a year, too.
• Nail trimming: Check their nails every two weeks for a trim. Briards have dewclaws, which are loosely attached claws that sit a short distance up their leg from their paws, so don’t forget to check those extra toes!

That may seem like a lot of grooming, but there is one way you can make it easier: Start them young. Practicing brushing their hair and teeth and clipping their nails when they’re puppies helps them get comfortable with having you up in their business. And that makes the process go a lot more smoothly for you both.

Proper training is the key to a healthy relationship with your Briard puppy. Because they were bred to herd and protect, Briards can quickly become destructive without adequate mental enrichment such as a vigorous game of tag with you or a search-and-rescue mission for their treats. That’s bad news for your footwear, furniture and other potential chewables.

But here’s the good news: Their smarts make training them a lot of fun. Briards are phenomenal trick dogs and excel in dog sports, like agility competitions. They welcome the opportunity to work their biggest muscle—their brains. Group training or reserving time for them on a herding farm where they can get lots of exercise would be beneficial. As with other dogs, positive reinforcement training (aka offering rewards like treats, toys and praise) is a must when training your Briard, whether they’re a puppy or fully grown. Their keen minds will welcome all positive vibes and gifts for a job well done from their cherished pet parents.

Socialization is an important part of your Briard’s training. Getting your dog used to new people, other dogs and experiences will help them be OK with social situations as they’re older. If you’re adopting a puppy, look into puppy schools in your area. These classes get them interacting with other puppies (so they learn how to play nicely with each other), and they are introduced to other pup parents, so they learn people are OK, too.

The Briard breed typically does well on a high-quality commercial dog food. Look for a statement on the packaging that indicates that the food meets the nutritional standards of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), and be sure to choose a formula that fits their stage in life (puppy, adult or senior). Work closely with your veterinarian to determine portion size to decrease the likelihood of obesity. Extra pounds on a Briard can stress joints or cause back pain and increase their likelihood of health problems, like heart disease, or digestive disorders.

Some Briards can easily pack on the pounds, so food and treat maintenance is key. A good way to keep yourself from over-treating your Briard is to give yourself a treat every time you refuse to let them herd you to the treat cabinet. Positive reinforcement works on humans, too! But if that doesn’t work, your vet is in the best position to help you balance mealtime and snack time to help keep your Briard at a healthy weight.

Briards have a high energy level, so they need to work, jump, play and otherwise be kept busy. At least one hour a day needs to be devoted to helping them get their daily exercise, and mixing it up keeps both of you from getting bored. One day it might be a romp in the backyard. The next day it could be a run around the park. On the weekend, it could be an agility class, followed the next day with a shift on a working sheep farm. It’s all action with these lovable dogs in your life.

Their exercise needs to go beyond just the physical, too. These highly intelligent dogs were bred to use their brains. Having problem-solving games around the house ready for them to tackle helps keep their mind engaged, supplementing all the exercise you’ll be giving their body.

The best environment for a Briard is with family. They do well in homes with kids and other pets, especially those with a large, fenced-in backyard with room to run … and run … and run some more. Apartment and city living is possible if you’re able to provide the exercise and activity they need, but it’s not an ideal environment for a Briard. They need space for their voracious appetite for life.

An active family who enjoys training and working with their dog in their free time will do well with a Briard, but this dog may not be a social butterfly at the dog park or next brewery opening. Remember: This dog is thinking about their family—and keeping them safe—all. The. Time. In unfamiliar, crowded environments, there can be too many unknowns for a Briard’s liking. They prefer to know the intricacies of their surroundings, so they can keep their flock safe.

Speaking of their flock, pet parents who have experience with working breeds are a Briard’s ideal family. Briards are independent thinkers, and an experienced pet parent understands that patience and consistency are non-negotiables. (There are no days off—ever.) But if a prospective first-time pet parent has their heart set on a Briard, it’s highly recommended that they start with an adult Briard who is already socially mature. Often, an adult pup is already well-trained and socialized, so they’re used to other people and know how to be a well-behaved member of the family.