The Dog Centre - for professional dog trainers in the UK

Briard

General Appearance

Rugged appearance; supple, muscular and well proportioned.

  Below Average Above Key
Likelihood to wander   Medium    
Protectiveness   Medium    
Destructiveness   Medium    
Quietness     High  
Good with children   Medium    
Affinity to other dogs   Medium    
Size     High  
Lifespan   Medium   Below: < 10 years
Average: > 10 years
Above: > 15 years
Location   Medium   Below: Town only
Average: Town and Country
Above: Country only

Characteristics

Very intelligent, gay and lively.

Temperament

Fearless, with no trace of timidity or aggressiveness.

Head and Skull

Skull slightly rounded and slightly longer from occiput to stop than it is wide when measured through points of cheekbones. Head is composed of two equal rectangles, occiput to stop and stop to end of nose, when viewed in profile from above. Muzzle square and very strong; any tendency to snipiness highly undesirable. Stop clearly defined. Nose large and square, always black

Eyes

Horizontally placed, well open and rather large, not oblique. Intelligent and gentle in expression. Dark brown, eye rims always black.

Ears

Set on high and covered with long hair. Should not lie too flat against side of head. Fairly short, length of ear being equal to or slightly less than half length of head. When dog alert ears should be lifted slightly and swing very slightly forward.

Mouth

Teeth very strong and white with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Lips always black.

Neck

Of good length; strong and muscular; arched, giving proud carriage of head and flowing smoothly into well placed shoulders.

Forequarters

Shoulders well angulated and well laid back, forelegs well muscled, strongly boned.

Body

Back firm and level, chest broad, medium spring of rib, well let down, very slight slope at croup, determining set of tail. Very slightly longer in body than height at shoulder.

Hindquarters

Well angulated, with hocks set not too low and turning neither in nor out, but leg below hock not quite vertical. Hindlegs, particularly thighs, well muscled. Double dewclaws set low on hindlegs of utmost importance.

Feet

Strong, turning neither in nor out, slightly rounded, about midway between cat foot and hare foot. Nails always black, pads firm and hard, toes close together. Well covered with hair.

Tail

Long, well covered with hair with upward hook at tip. Carried low but always held centrally. Bone of tail reaching at least point of hock.

Gait

Effortless, and when dog extends himself covering a great deal of ground. Extremely supple, enabling dog to turn quickly. Strong, firm, very smooth with plenty of drive.

Coat

Long, not less than 7 cms (2¾ ins) on body. Slightly wavy and very dry. A fine dense undercoat required all over body. Head carries hair forming a moustache, beard and eyebrows, lightly veiling eyes.

Colour

All black, or with white hairs scattered through black coat. Fawn in all its shades, darker shades preferred. Fawns may have dark shadings on ears, muzzle, back and tail, but these shadings must blend gradually into rest of coat since any demarcation line denotes a bi-colour which is not permissible. May also be slate grey.

Size

Height: dogs: 61-69 cms (24-27 ins) at withers; bitches: 58-65 cms (23-25½ ins) at withers. Slight undersize before 18 months, or slight oversize in maturity permissible.

Excercise Requirements

Considerable

Grooming Needs

Considerable

Notes

Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.




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