Hello I am Widget, and I am Gin's daughter. On 31st October 1996 Gin was bred with Ben who is a Briard. On 30th December 1996, along came 7 little puppies. There were four boys and three girls, and I was the last of them all to be born. Bonnie said that she would know which puppy to keep because Gin would choose, but in fact it was me who done the choosing. From the age of about three weeks, I was escaping from the puppy area (which was about 2'6'' high!) to be with Gin. Everywhere she went I tried to go too!
When I was a baby I looked like my mum, but as I grew up, my coat grew long and shaggy like my dad's, and I've also inherited his beautiful sad eyes. I've been going to the stables since I was about 3 or 4 weeks old, and I love it there. I am what Bonnie calls a 'peoples dog', and love nothing more than a cuddle, and I'm not too fussed who from! I manage to win most people over with my big brown eyes, but there are one or two hard hearts! My brothers and sisters all went off to live at new homes when they were about 8 weeks old. My daddy, Ben belongs to Bonnie's boss, and my brother Rupert went to live with them, so we still see each other. One of my sisters Holly, is at a stables down the road, so we see her sometimes too!
Ok lets tell you a bit about us Briards;HISTORY:
The Briard originates from France where they are also known as the ‘Chien Berger de Brie’. They are a natural descendant of the oldest domesticated dogs. The breed evolved over centuries by natural selection for its herding and guarding abilities. The Briard was used during World War I, to carry messages to the front line, search for wounded soldiers, pull carts and wagons, and to patrol at listening posts. By the time the war ended, there were so few Briards left due to war casualties, that it was feared the breed would disappear. Fortunately, French, English, and American soldiers returned home from the war with stories of the dogs' heroism, and there has been a keen interest in the breed ever since.PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Males should be 23-27 inches tall and weigh 65-100 pounds at maturity. Females are smaller at 22-25.5 inches and 50-75 pounds. Briards can be any solid colour except white, with black, grey, and tawny being most common. Many tawny Briards have a dark tail, ears, and face and may have dark hairs – known as an overlay- in the body coat. The Briard's double coat requires a fair amount of attention. It continues to grow throughout the dog’s life, becoming long, slightly wavy locks of over a foot in length. These dogs do not shed many hairs, but if not properly groomed on a regular basis, the coat will matt and may require clipping. The tail of the Briard is covered in long hair, and forms a crook or "J" at the end. The Briard’s head is large, rectangular, and well-covered with hair with a large, square black nose. The coat forms a long, full beard and moustache and grows over the eyes in an arch from the brow. Sometimes the hair over the eyes must be thinned or held back with a band so the dog can see properly. In France and America, the ears of most Briards are surgically cropped at five-to-six weeks of age, causing the ears to stand erect, thankfully, the breed standard also allows for a natural ear, which some people prefer. Since cropping is illegal in England and some Scandinavian countries, dogs imported from these countries also have natural ears. Briards have double dew claws (dewclaws are the higher up claws at the back of the legs.)TRAINING:
Like many dogs, the Briard needs plenty of socialisation with other dogs, people and places. The Briard can attempt to assert there authority from an early age, and it is important to curb this behaviour as quickly as possible. (I tried it once at about 6 weeks old, but never did it again, and my dad is an absolute sweetie, with no domineering characters at all!) Briards learn quickly and have an excellent memory. They do well at almost any dog activity, from catching Frisbees to backpacking. They are often used for television, movie, and stage productions and in various forms of advertising because of their appeal and trainability. The Briard is often described as a "heart wrapped in fur," a description that could have been written especially for me! It is said that the Briard will spend there lifetime trying to please there master, and if you could see me at obedience classes, you would also see just how true that is! It takes a big commitment to handle the grooming, socialization, and training of this breed, but your time and effort will be repaid day after day by your faithful companion.Below are some photo's of me and my litter mates and also my mum and dad!! Place the mouse pointer over a picture to see who's who.
Hope you enjoy!
