- Black, fawn, fawn with black overlay (slight to medium) often with mask, grey or blue.
- A coat of warm fawn colour may show a lighter colour on the points and on the inclined parts of the body (fawn marked with sandy colour).
- Black, grey and blue coats can likewise display zones of a lighter shade.
- All colours may show different degrees of greying
About the Briard
Origin: France
- Typical life span
- 10-12 years
- Size
- Large — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 32-45 kg
- Female
- 23-29 kg
- Height
- Male
- 58-69 cm
- Female
- 56-65 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs)
- Origin
- France
- Also called
- Pastor de Brie
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a Briard?
Large, powerful French herding dog with a luxurious long wavy double coat, distinctive beard and eyebrows creating a peek-a-boo hairdo, and a loyal, intelligent disposition
Briard history and origins
Ancient French herding breed developed for centuries to herd and guard flocks. Served as sentries, messengers, and pack animals for the French army during World War I. Nearly extinct after World War II but successfully revived. Recognized by the AKC in 1928.
Briard appearance and size
Males typically weigh 32-45 kg and stand 58-69 cm at the shoulder; females 23-29 kg and 56-65 cm.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Sheepdog and guard dog
- Behaviour and temperament
“Balanced temperament, neither aggressive nor timid. The Briard should be steady and fearless”
Quoted from FCI standard n°113. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Large
- Exercise needs
- —
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 3 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 4 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Briard
What you get with the Briard
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Sheepdog and guard dog”
- The standard describes the breed as: “Balanced temperament, neither aggressive nor timid. The Briard should be steady and fearless”
What you are taking on
- High grooming needs — the standard’s own description is “Goat-like texture, dry, supple, long, with slight undercoat”
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Briard
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording.
Coat
- Goat-like texture
- Dry
- Supple
- Long
- With slight undercoat
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°113 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Briard in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Briard
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Briard on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Briard owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Briard breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.