BRIARD THE
1. Where do you live? What do you do “outside” of dogs? 2. We’ve all heard the Briard described as a “Heart wrapped in fur.” What’s he like around the house? Around shows? Around strangers? 3. Your Standard contains many DQs: All dogs or bitches under the minimum size limits. Yellow eyes or spotted eyes. Nose any color other than black. Tail non-existent or cut. Less than two dewclaws on each rear leg. White coat. Spotted coat. White spot on chest exceeding one inch in diameter. Are there any you’d like to see removed? Are there any you’d like to see added? 4. How does the general public view the Briard. Have they seen enough of them to recognize the breed? 5. How do you place your pups? 6. At what age do you choose a show prospect? 7. What is your favorite dog show memory? 8. Is there anything else you’d like to share about the breed? Please elaborate. MARSHA CLAMP Many years ago when I started in dogs I had Siberian Huskies. I wanted another breed that wasn’t so popular and when a friend got a Briard puppy and asked me to show her, well that did it. I fell head over heels in love with the breed, and have been involved with them since 1977. I have bred and owned some very nice Briards over the years. Some have done well in the breed ring, some in obedience and other performance venues, and also herding. I strive for a bal- anced dog, sound in mind and body. I live in Worcester Massachusetts. I work for Home Depot as a Price Auditor during the week. Most of my time outside of work does involve dog related projects. I am currently working to get one of my dogs certified as a therapy dog to visit nursing/rehab homes. Around the house Briards are very loyal and lovable, and can be very entertaining. They have a wonderful sense of humor and love to be the center of attention. They get along well with other pets when they are raised with them, even when they have a high prey drive. Their intuition towards strangers and situations is very acute. A Briard can tell one’s intentions, be it friend or foe. While they are very protective of house and humans, when raised correctly they are a very social animal, welcoming friends and other dogs into their domain. It is very important to socialize a Briard puppy to all sorts of different situations while they are growing up. Locking them away when anyone comes to visit can make them very anti-social and they may become aggressive. I take my puppies everywhere I go if I can, exposing them to shows, people and other animals. One cannot get too much socializing for a Briard puppy. Many of mine have learned the art of “baiting” in the ring by sitting ringside in my lap and having handlers give them treats. A Briard with high prey drive can be a handful, but over the years I have learned to “channel” that energy into a very well adjusted and happy show- dog. I really enjoy having them be “up” in the ring and may times have had one be the entertainment for ringside spectators with their antics. Are there any DQ’s I’d like to see removed or added? I would have to say the DQ’s in the breed are fine the way they are. They are all in there for a reason and we strive to keep this breed as it is. How does the general public view the Briard? Very few people outside of shows now what a Briard is, and that is not necessarily a
bad thing. We do not want the Briard to become a “popular” dog, as many times that causes many problems in a breed. I will educate anyone asking what it is, what are they bred for, etc. when I have one with me out in public. And my dogs always enjoy meeting new people wherever we go. How do I place my pups? When I have a litter I am very care- ful to whom I sell a puppy. They are not the breed for just anyone. Many people love the look of a long coated breed but have no idea the care that goes into one. They also need to be aware of the social- izing that goes into a Briard puppy (and many of the other herding breeds). If the dog isn’t going to be raised correctly and taught from the onset about proper behavior around people and other animals and grooming, I do not want one of mine in that home. Over the years I have placed puppies with many types of families, from one with little children to a single owner. All have done very well, except for a couple whose owners became lax with training, socializing, etc. I have taken a couple back over the years and rehomed them after some work on my part and they became very well loved and behaved dogs. At what age do I choose a show prospect? It is difficult to keep multiple Briard puppies for a long time to make a choice because of the socialization they need. I have learned over the years that by watching them grow as puppies over the first eight weeks that I can make a very educated guess by eight weeks, sometimes earlier. All the ones I have chosen at hat early age have turned out like I thought they would. A breeder who knows their lines and sees enough puppies over the years can be successful in picking good puppies at an early age. My favorite dog show memory? I have so many wonderful mem- ories that it is hard to pick just one. One of mine is at a National where I was showing my boy, Larry, as a veteran for the very first time. He just loved the ring and had not been in one for a couple of years. The more the crowd cheered him on, the rowdier he got! Jumping up on me, barking, being a real brat, but held it together enough to win his veteran class and go on to be one of the final three males in the ring. A wonderful and heartwarming experience to be sure! I cannot stress enough for the buyer to do their homework and buy from a reputable breeder, and not the cheapest puppy out there. Breeders strive to get the best we can from a breeding. Health checks are a must. All dogs need to be sound in mind as well as structure; a very beautiful dog with serious health or temperament problems is not a good example of the breed. Good breeders take their time choosing who to breed for many reasons, both structure and temperament being in our minds. Their are not a breed for people not willing to do some work in raising, training and groom- ing! A Briard is an awesome dog to have, but their owners need to be firm and consistent in everything they do. GINA KLANG I have been involved with this amazing breed since 1995. My daughter started showing our dogs when she was just a little girl six years old. Now as time has passed, KayCee and I are partners in this venture of breeding and dog showing. We take special care in breeding for easy biddable temperaments and lovely examples of the breed. We are a partnership in that I do more of the breed- ing, caring, raising of the dogs and KayCee does the training, and expert handling of the dogs. We evaluate the litters together and make selections as a team. Together we have raised multiple group
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