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Breed

Briard

The Briard is a herding breed from France, standing males 24–27 in · females 22–25 in at the withers, weighing males 59.5–90 lb · females 51–75 lb. Recorded lifespan is 10–12 yrs.

A photograph of the Briard
Breed group
Herding
Origin
France
Height
males 24–27 in · females 22–25 in
Weight
males 59.5–90 lb · females 51–75 lb
Lifespan
10–12 yrs

Among the 500 breeds here with recorded measurements, the Briard is taller than 79% of the measured breeds, heavier than 79%, one of 27 in the Herding group, one of 41 from France.

Compare the Briard with another breed

Living with the Briard

Two breed references score every breed they cover from 1 to 5 on the things an owner lives with day to day. These are the Briard’s, with what a 1 and a 5 mean on each row.

Around people and other dogs
Affection with family
4 of 51 independent · 5 devoted
Good with young children
4 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
Good with other dogs
4 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
Openness to strangers
2 of 51 reserved · 5 everyone is a friend
Watchdog / protective nature
4 of 51 unbothered · 5 vigilant
What they will ask of you
Energy
4 of 51 couch potato · 5 busy all day
Exercise needs
4 of 51 a short walk · 5 a job to do
Playfulness
4 of 51 only when invited · 5 non-stop
Barking
2 of 51 only to alert · 5 very vocal
Around the house
Shedding
1 of 51 barely · 5 constantly
Drooling
2 of 51 a dry mouth · 5 keep a towel
What they tolerate
Tolerates being alone
3 of 51 poorly · 5 well
Tolerates hot weather
3 of 51 poorly · 5 well
Tolerates cold weather
4 of 51 poorly · 5 well

Rated 1 to 5 by the American Kennel Club and DogTime, averaged where both rate the same thing, and read from their breed pages in 2022. Nobody at Woof & Beyond has met this breed — these are the publishers’ judgments, not ours.Briard on AKCBriard on DogTime

Breeds that look like the Briard

A neural network trained to tell breeds apart by sight read all 510 photographs in this reference, and these are the 6 it placed closest to the Briard.

Side by side

Height 0–38 in

  1. Briard
    24–27 in
  2. Barbado da Terceira
    20–23 in
  3. Sapsaree
    20–24 in
  4. Bergamasco Shepherd
    23–24 in
  5. Catalan sheepdog
    22 in
  6. Komondor
    25.5 in
  7. Patagonian Sheepdog
    22 in

Weight 0–220 lb

  1. Briard
    59.5–90 lb
  2. Barbado da Terceira
    55–66 lb
  3. Sapsaree
    40–59.5 lb
  4. Bergamasco Shepherd
    71–84 lb
  5. Catalan sheepdog
    44–55 lb
  6. Komondor
    125 lb
  7. Patagonian Sheepdog
    53 lb

Lifespan 0–20 yrs

  1. Briard
    10–12 yrs
  2. Barbado da Terceira
    12–14 yrs
  3. Sapsaree
    11–13 yrs
  4. Bergamasco Shepherd
    13–15 yrs
  5. Catalan sheepdog
    12–14 yrs
  6. Komondor
    10–12 yrs
  7. Patagonian Sheepdogno recorded figure

Nothing here was grouped by hand. The ranking is an opinion about appearance, not about ancestry, which is why it sometimes puts together breeds no kennel club would — and why it is worth looking at the photographs rather than taking the order on trust.

Guides that mention the Briard

Every guide on this site whose text actually discusses this breed.

  • How Many Toes Does a Dog Have?
Woof & Beyond

Straight answers about living with a dog, written one question at a time.

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