Personality / Temperament |
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Personality / Temperament
Briards come with many different personalities. The Standard uses the words "spirit and initiative, wise and fearless with no trace of timidity. Intelligent, easily trained, faithful, gentle, and obedient...". In some ways these traits can be contradictory.
Most people are initially attracted to the Briard because of it's appearance. It may have been a photograph of a Briard, they may have met an adorable puppy, or talked to the owners of an older, well-behaved pet, and that has sent them on a search for the perfect Briard to share their home. That's the common scenario, and it usually ends up in a home very happy with a new member. However, other outcomes are possible. The Briard looks lovely and elegant, and it can be hard to remember that they were bred to work and think, often independently. They were bred to be strong dogs, capable of controlling and protecting large flocks of sheep. While that strong temperament has been softened to a certain degree, some breeders prefer the traditional strength of personality of the Briard. The Briard is always loving, but some are sweet couch potatoes, while others clearly show that they could spend all day tending a flock of sheep with little or no human direction. And others have a strong desire to control their human "flock".
Breeders know their lines, and can give an honest assessment of what to expect in a puppy - but surprises do happen! Parents are usually the best indicator of what a puppy's temperament will be, but sometimes a grandparent, etc. in the back of the pedigree will stick their DNA out, and a puppy will take after them. Genetics is only a part of temperament, the work you put into raising your Briard is just as important.
People Dogs
Briards are people dogs, never happy when ignored or left out of family activities. They most fully develop their character when allowed to live with their people. Big or small, the Briard always believes it is a lap dog. Human contact is essential, and they will follow you from room to room. You never have to worry about where your Briard is. You just have to be sure you don't step on him, or push a chair back into him when you get up! Briards left in a backyard with only occasional attention can become nervous, shy, or aggressive. Briards that are members of the family will shine! Most do well with children, although some are too high energy and exuberant for young kids. Their protective nature can take odd twists - they have been known to herd boisterous kids into a bedroom, and keep them there.
Energy and Exercise
While there are a few "couch potato" Briards out there, the Briard is primarily an athlete. They are quick, agile, and can be very high energy. Remember, this is a dog that was bred to herd sheep all day. While they will lay at your feet happily for hours, they are always up and ready to go at the least sign of encouragement. Most Briards need daily exercise, and if kept in a small house must be walked, and a safe place to run and romp will make for a happier dog. Can they be kept in small apartments, or in houses without fenced yards? Yes, but it takes a commitment of time and energy. Neither owner or dog will be happy if a Briard is not given adequate exercise.
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Socialization
The most important thing you can do for your Briard is to properly socialize him, and continue to do so! They must be exposed to new situations as puppies, or their natural reserve can become fear. Exposure to as much as possible during the first year, including training classes, pays off for many more years. Socialization means exposing your dog to many different situations, until they are willing and able to cope with new things easily. It does NOT mean having a friend come over every day to pet the dog. It is not enough to be sure your Briard is comfortable in his own home. They must also be comfortable visiting, going out to parks and stores, riding in a vehicle, attending classes, walking down the sidewalk, etc. It is impossible to over stress this point. Do not put off socialization, thinking you can do it later. Later is too late!
Your Briard should attend early puppy classes, but don't stop there! Take them again at 11 months, and then again before they are two years old. This is because they can go through several fear periods, and can need the additional socialization to overcome the effects of these. Socialization also plays a large part in controlling dominant behavior in the Briard, as they learn to look to the owner for instructions in strange places, and to respect the owner's judgment at all times. Socialization is also fun, for you, the owner. Your Briard is guaranteed to start conversations and make new friends. They are irresistible to most people you meet, and who doesn't enjoy being the center of attention? Think about getting a t-shirt: It's a Briard, and yes, he can see!
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Manners
The second most important thing you can do for your Briard? Teach them manners! The Briard is a LARGE dog! Always remember that what is cute in a puppy can be painful in an adult Briard. Start young, start right, and end up with years of pleasure. Every Briard has to know manners. They can be dominant and/or independent, boisterous and playful, and are a large breed. If they don't have manners, no one will enjoy being around them. Remember, energetic and agile! 80 pounds of dog running right at you can be disconcerting. And dangerous. Puppies must be taught at a young age not to mouth or use teeth on people. They must learn to sit to be petted, not to jump on people, and to walk easily on a leash.
A major cause of Briards losing their place in a home is a lack of manners. It's often too late for many owners when the dog is 75 pounds, 18 months old, and can't be controlled. The risk of a child or visitor being knocked over can mean the owner, who may adore the dog but failed to train it, no longer keeps their Briard.
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Dominance
The nature of some Briards is to be dominant, and unchecked dominance can lead to aggression. It is important to recognize the signs of a dominant dog, and to work with those dogs from a young age to ensure they know who is in charge of the household. Dealing with dominance does not require tremendous force - it just requires consistency, time, and effort. The time to learn about dealing with dominance is before you get your Briard - not at 12 months, when they are "large and in charge"
To understand dominance, you must remember that dogs are pack animals. It is an instinctive behavior pattern in all dogs. In a pack, there is an established dominant / submissive ranking, and dogs have to know their place. There is also a constant looking to 'move up the ladder' in a pack, to become the alpha dog (or bitch). You can see this even in a litter of three week old puppies, with eyes barely open, staggering around the whelping box, and play fighting. An 8 week old puppy may set out to dominate his new pack members, the people he lives with. Often, the signs of such dominant behavior are not recognized until an overt act of aggression takes place. By that time, it can be difficult to change the dog's behavior. Oddly enough, in some homes the dog remains dominant until the day he dies, and the humans are perfectly happy because they don't realize that to the dog they are lesser pack members.
Problems arise when a dog that has been allowed to become dominant is suddenly challenged, even in a seemingly innocuous way. For example, a new sofa is purchased, and suddenly the dog is told he has to get off of it. The owner reaches out to pull the dog off, and ends up with a bite "out of nowhere". From the dog's point of view, he is simply reminding the owner that as a subordinate pack member, the owner cannot tell the dog what to do. Thus, it is very important that any dog recognize that Humans are the alpha members of their pack. They need to respect their humans, and acknowledge their leadership. It takes time, consistency, and a fair degree of firmness to achieve this with a dominant, strong Briard, even a puppy. If the breeder is a good one, from a young age the pup has been taught to tolerate handling, including being cradled upside down, laying on it's side, and laying on it's back. All of these are submissive postures. A breeder will often use the puppies response to these positions to determine how dominant or submissive the puppy is. Ideally, temperament testing of the litter will also be done, by a stranger to the litter. This helps in determining a dog's level of dominance, as well as other characteristics (such as sound sensitivity, retrieving ability, etc.).
Many new puppy owners will release a dog that struggles when cradled on it's back in their arms. If a puppy is released when it struggles, it has just been taught that the owner is not dominant, and that the puppy can get it's own way. Instead, the pup is held, without harsh gripping, until it relaxes and accepts that it will only be let down at the will of the owner. This can take from a minute or two to an hour or more. The pup is not harmed in any way, and the owner does not even have to raise his voice. The point is made by consistency, not by anger. Done right the first time, it always gets easier. Done wrong the first time, there can be battles ahead. Other handling exercises include standing with the puppy between the legs, and lifting the front feet off of the ground by cradling the chest; kneeling next to the standing puppy and laying an arm across its shoulders; and making the puppy wait until you go through doors first. All of these are dominant actions, and none will hurt a puppy. These are exercises that can be done with any new puppy, to establish gently but firmly from the very beginning who is dominant. Most puppies will welcome the attention, and never dispute the issue. Also, remember that learning the word "NO" will help your Briard to keep track of who's in charge!
With an adult dog already established as dominant, it is important to work with someone very experienced to avoid getting bitten! Some trainers believe that even the gentle exercises listed above are too physically confrontational to use. They prefer to establish dominance by training submissive behaviors, such as laying down, with a praise and reward method. They use obedience training as the foundation for establishing and maintaining dominance. This undoubtedly works with many Briards. Which method is "right" depends on the individual dog and owner. Regardless, It is very important to reward appropriate behaviors. Some trainers prefer to do this with food. Others will use a strongly positive tone and words. When a dog sits when commanded, rolls over for a tummy rub, averts his eyes from yours, licks your hand - don't take this for granted! Reward the dog. Steps that can be taken with any age dog include not letting the dog up on furniture or the bed (or requiring that they wait for permission), always going through doors before the dog, always eating before you feed the dog, and making the dog get up and move if it is in the way, rather than stepping over or around the dog. One breeder calls it the Queen Victoria mindset - if you were the Queen, and the dog was a subject, would you let the dog barge through a door before you, eat before you, sleep with you, or get hair on your throne? Keeping that attitude can carry you through many situations!
Crate training also is essential when working with any dog. The ability to give a dog a controlled time out is only one of the hundred good reasons to crate train any puppy or dog.
Being the dominant pack member does not lessen in any way the bond you can have with your Briard. You will still be the companion and friend, and he will still be the heart wrapped in fur. However, both of you will have a better life, and have the ability to share many more experiences, if the human is in charge. There is a wealth of information on this subject, in books and on the web. Your breeder can help you find the approach that is right for you and your Briard.
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Hair, Hair, Everywhere!
Grooming is a big part of owning a Briard. Depending on the coat and the age of the dog, it can take from a few hours a week to a couple of hours a month. It is not difficult to learn, consisting mostly of brushing and combing through the coat, to the skin. The coat has several stages, and a puppy blowing it's first or second coat can mat in what seems like hours. The correct coat is harsh, and easy to groom once past the puppy stage, usually taking less than an hour a week. An incorrect coat can be a soft "cotton" that is harder to maintain, taking at least several hours a week for life.
Some pet owners choose to clip or shave their Briard, and retired show dogs are often shaved down for comfort and ease of care. A show coat can take considerably more effort to maintain, and needs experience or a good teacher.
Yes, they do shed! Not like a Labrador or German Shepherd, which blow coat all at once, and spread hair far and wide. The Briard coat change is less obvious. Most of the hair being shed is the soft undercoat, and it will stick in the outer coat and cause mats, unless removed through regular grooming.
Don't believe those who claim that the Briard does not shed, and is safe for those people with allergies. This is an exaggeration. Even with regular grooming, the home of a Briard can often be spotted by the clumps of hair that appear out of nowhere, and collect in the corners. As for allergies, the Briard does seem to be less provoking than some other breeds of dogs. One thing to keep in mind is that it may be the shampoos and conditioners used that trigger allergies. There are now shampoos designed to help minimize the effects of a dog on those who are allergic. Before getting a Briard with the assumption that allergies will be okay, spend some serious time with one. Why risk having to return a family member?
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Wet Beards and other Quirks
Wet beards are the norm for a Briard. They drink a tremendous amount of water, and seem to take a special delight in draping their head over your lap right after a trip to the water bowl. This can be especially jolting when you are wearing shorts, are half asleep, or are wearing good clothes! The Briard is not suited to households where dripping water is a major tragedy. You need a sense of humor when that wet beard travels across your just washed floor, or your in-laws lap.
The Briard is a busybody. He thinks everything is his business, from the leaf falling off the tree across the street, to the refrigerator door opening. No one using the street or sidewalk goes unnoticed, and rarely do they go unannounced.
The Briard loves water. A Briard can make a small puddle go a long way, and a lake, ocean, or pool is even better. Of course, that doesn't mean they will step outside when it rains!
Many Briards seem to use their feet more than other breeds of dogs. There are Briards who can pick up a ball with one front foot. They also can paw at you, which is a good reason to keep nails short and blunt! Ouch!
The normal Briard life-span is about 10-12 years. A lucky few owners have Briards that live happy, healthy lives up to 15 years and older.
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A Naming Tradition
By tradition, Briards are named according to the year they are born in, using the alphabet. In the U.S., almost every Briard born in the year 2000 had a registered name beginning with "R" (i.e., Lebec's Rambling Rose - kennel names don't count). Thus, if you know a Briard's registered name, you can easily determine what year they were born. In the U.S. and France, the letters K, Q, W, X, Y, Z are skipped, as there are not many French words beginning with those letters. In 2005, we started the alphabet over again with "A". In some other countries, all letters are used, so the letter of the year will differ from what we are using. For example, 1999 was the "Y" year in Belgium, so Yahoo du Mas Bel Air was named. Some breeders have names saved that they plan to use when the right year rolls around. Call names do not follow this tradition.
Some European breeders follow a different tradition. Litters are named sequentially starting with "A". Thus, if all the puppy names in a litter begin with "E", you know that it is the fifth litter ever produced by that breeder.
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