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AKC: Briard breed overview

Herding group · France

Briard

Also called Berger de Brie

A shaggy French sheepdog that guarded the flock by night and now guards its family instead.

Briards herded and protected sheep on the farmland east of Paris, which gave them an unusual blend of herder's brains and guardian's loyalty. They bond intensely, watch over their people and carry a coat that needs a couple of hours of care every week.

Original AI-generated breed illustration

Weight

25 to 45 kg

55 to 99 lb

Height

56 to 68 cm

at the shoulder

Life expectancy

10 to 12 yrs

Activity estimate

90 to 120 min

editorial daily planning range

Adult-size estimate

24 months

approximate model input

Life with a Briard

Spend a day with a Briard and you notice that it is always within a few meters of someone in the family. It follows you to the kitchen, lies across the doorway while you work and checks each bedroom at night. That constant, watchful attachment is the heart of the breed, and it surprises people who are used to easygoing retrievers. Visitors are assessed first and accepted later.

The breed developed on the farms of Brie and neighboring regions of northern France, where flocks grazed open fields bordered by crops. A Briard's job was to keep sheep out of the wheat, moving them without fuss, and then to guard them overnight against wolves and thieves. That double role of herder and guardian shapes the dog you live with today: attentive, confident enough to make its own decisions, and protective of anything it considers its own.

French soldiers relied on Briards in the First World War, and some American servicemen brought dogs home afterward. Well over a century earlier, Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette are both credited with sending some of the first Briards across the Atlantic. Despite that long history, the breed has always been uncommon outside France.

With its own people, a Briard is gentle, playful and often clownish, and many are wonderful with children they have grown up with. The protective side needs shaping from puppyhood so that it stays sensible. A well-raised Briard alerts you, places itself between you and anything odd, and then settles when you signal that all is well.

What stands out

Training

Briards learn quickly and remember everything, the good and the bad. They respond best to fair, consistent handlers who use rewards and set clear expectations; heavy-handed methods tend to produce resistance or distrust that lasts. They like a task to have a point and get bored with endless drilling.

Read the full training guide

Easy to train

Open with strangers

Good with other dogs

A great match for

experienced owners who want a devoted, protective dog
active families with older children or teenagers
people who enjoy grooming or can budget for it
homes with space and a secure garden
cool climates

Think twice if

suspicious of strangers without lots of socialization
grooming takes a couple of hours a week
may herd children or other pets
slow to mature
bloat risk as a deep-chested breed

Personality and needs at a glance

Living together

Good with children

Good with other dogs

Open with strangers

Apartment friendly

Copes with alone time

Energy and character

Energy level

Playfulness

Easy to train

Barking

5 means very vocal

Care and climate

Grooming needs

Shedding

Drooling

Handles cold

Handles heat

How much a Briard eats

Illustrative calculations for neutered adults at midpoint breed weights, with food at 370 kcal per 100 g and 100 g per cup. These are not measured breed requirements. Use actual weight, the food label and veterinary body-condition advice.

Dog	Weight	Calories	Dry food
Female, relaxed lifestyle	30 kg	1260 kcal	340 g (3.5 cups)
Female, typical pet	30 kg	1440 kcal	390 g (4 cups)
Male, typical pet	39 kg	1730 kcal	470 g (4.8 cups)
Male, very active	39 kg	2160 kcal	585 g (5.8 cups)

Full Briard feeding guide Calculate for my dog

Care guides for the Briard

FeedingA 38 kg (84 lb) adult male usually eats 400 to 480 g of dry food a day, about 4 to 5 cups, while females often need 280 to 380 g. Briards are known for being inconsistent eaters, particularly in adolescence, and appetite often drops in hot weather.Read more Puppy growthBriards grow more slowly than many large breeds. Puppies reach most of their height by 12 to 14 months, but bone, chest depth and coat keep developing until age 2 or 3.Read more ExerciseAdults need around 60 to 90 minutes of activity daily, ideally including some off-lead time in a secure area and a mental challenge. Briards enjoy long hikes, herding lessons, obedience, rally, tracking and agility, and they are surprisingly nimble for their size.Read more GroomingGrooming is non-negotiable. Plan on 1 to 2 hours a week in total, often split into two or three sessions, using a pin brush and a wide-toothed comb and working down to the skin layer by layer.Read more HealthHip and elbow dysplasia head the list of inherited concerns, followed by bloat, which affects many deep-chested breeds. Briards are also known for congenital stationary night blindness, an inherited eye condition present from birth, as well as progressive retinal atrophy and an underactive thyroid.Read more

Things owners are often surprised by

1Double dewclaws on each hind leg are required by the breed standard; a dog without them cannot be shown.
2Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette are both linked to early Briard imports to America.
3During the First World War the French army used Briards as sentries, supply carriers and searchers for wounded soldiers.
4The adult coat is at least 15 cm (6 in) long and takes 20 to 30 minutes per session to brush properly.
5Many Briards are not fully mature, mentally or physically, until around three years old.

Briard questions

Why do Briards have double dewclaws?

Nobody knows for certain. One theory says they gave extra grip on rough ground while herding; another is that shepherds simply valued them and bred for them. Whatever the origin, the breed standards require double dewclaws on both hind legs, and a Briard without them cannot be shown. They need regular nail trimming, because they rarely touch the ground and do not wear down.

Are Briards good with children?

Usually, especially with children they live with. They tend to be patient, gentle and protective. Two cautions: a Briard may herd running children by circling or bumping them, and it may misread rough play between your children and visiting friends as a threat. Supervise, teach children to play calmly, and give the dog a quiet place to retreat to.

Are Briards good guard dogs?

They are natural guardians, alert and protective of their people and home, and most will bark to warn and then stand their ground. The work lies in keeping that instinct balanced. Early socialization and calm, consistent leadership keep a Briard discerning rather than suspicious of everyone. Training a Briard to be more aggressive is neither needed nor sensible.

Can I clip my Briard's coat short?

You can, and some owners of older dogs do so for comfort, but it changes the breed's look and some of the coat's weather protection, and clipped hair can grow back with an uneven texture. If grooming is becoming unmanageable, ask a professional groomer for a tidy pet trim that keeps some length. Shaving is best reserved for cases where matting leaves no other option.

Do Briards shed a lot?

Less than you might expect from such a big coat. Loose hair tends to stay tangled in the coat until you brush it out, so you find less on the floor than with many short-coated breeds. The trade-off is that unbrushed hair quickly turns into mats. Puppies changing into their adult coat shed more, and some adults have a heavier spell in spring.

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