Page 39 - ShowSight Presents - The Briard
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EXAMINING THE BRIARD
The Briard is handsome, alert and powerful with- out coarseness. He must possess the structural integrity and mental versatility necessary to
accomplish his roles as a herding dog used to keep his flock within the boundaries of a designated graze and an all purpose farm dog, serving the shepherd in diverse tasks. These roles which keep him on the move for long hours demand soundness, efficien- cy and athleticism above all other things.
A hands-on examination and evaluation of movement is necessary to determine the details of the breed standard. Touching the dog to verify what the coat covers is critical to the evaluation of the Briard. Learning to identify the landmarks under the coat will assist the eye in scrutinizing the move- ment which can be shrouded by the dense Briard coat.
There is ample range allowed in size, keeping in mind that undersize is a dis- qualification. Dogs range from 23"-27", bitches 22"-251⁄2". The dog should appear masculine and the bitch feminine, irre- spective of size. It is perfectly possible that there will be dogs in the ring that are smaller than bitches. The acceptable size range allows for dogs that might be shorter in height than bitches, yet are well within standard height.
By the Briard Club of America Breed Education Committee
Briard proportion can create some visual confusion, primarily due to the illusion the coat can create. The measuring points are clearly defined by the standard. The Briard is equal to or slightly longer than its height at the withers, measured from the point of shoulder to point of buttock. Bitches may be a little longer, which is not a mandate but rather a possibility. The word “slightly” is defined as, “very small in size, degree, amount or importance”. When explaining the significance of “slightly”, in the breed we often say that if one were to be at the edge of the Grand Canyon, and you were asked to step forward slightly, how far forward would you go? It is indeed a very small measurement. This image clarifies the nuance of the word.
Being a coated and tailed breed calling for a “moderately advanced breastbone”, the Briard will appear off-square. As spe- cifically stated in the AKC standard, “the Briard is not cobby in build”. It is believed that the word cobby was used in its literal sense per its definition: “cobby, as that of a Cobb horse, small, usually of stout build”, referring to a type of body and not to describe the length of back as the word is often used in the dog world today. The “cobby” image calls to mind a Briard that is heavy and inelegant, like that of a draft horse.
The withers are prominent, the back straight, the loin broad, with croup slight- ly sloped. The ribs are moderately curved
in an inverted egg shape. The correlation between the depth of chest, breastbone and ribcage are important, as they enhance the correct shape of the dog but most impor- tantly of all, provide a body shape that pro- motes lung and heart capacity, essential to the ability to work a full day with endur- ance and resistance to fatigue.
A Briard head gives the impression of length and sufficient width, its length being about 40% of the height of the dog at the withers. Skull and muzzle are of equal length, strong and cleanly sculptured with the planes of the head being parallel. The occiput is surprisingly prominent. The nose is square and must be black, no matter the color of the dog. Ears are to be set high, and may either be cropped or left natural. There is no preference given to either, but the ears should be expressive and mobile, but will not necessarily be in a constant state of alert. The eyes are set well apart, large, neither round nor almond with a horizontal axis and the upper lid is some- what arched. They are black or black-brown, with a confident, questioning expression. Pigmentation of the eye rims should be very dark, sometimes extending beyond the rim of the eye. The lips are black.
The neck is of good length, and is in the shape of a truncated cone. “The head joins the neck in a right angle and is held proudly alert”, is a phrase which is applied to the dog in stationery position.
“BRIARD MOVEMENT CLEARLY DISPLAYS THE
BALANCE, POWER, FLEXIBILITY AND SOUNDNESS
synonymous with its correct structure.”
