If you want to know whether you should purchase a Briard puppy, check to see if you fit the lifestyle of a Briard lover and be sure to do your homework.  Briard puppies should come from parents having all of their health clearances including OFA hips and elbows, OFA Thyroid, OFA cardiac, CERF eye clearances and CSNB genetic testing by Optigen.  Consult the BCA website, talk with Briard owners and be sure to visit Briards. Briards raised in the right environment, bred with a good temperament and properly groomed and cared for, will give you a lifetime of happiness and love. Briards require alot of socialization. The first 6 months of a Briard’s life are very important in determining what kind of companion you will have. Continued training and socialization thru age two is a must!  They MUST be socialized and socialized and socialized.  In doing this you will have fun devoting time to them and also be proud of the wonderful family member you have helped educate…a Briard you are proud of!
 Michael visiting a kindergarten class with a local veterinarian.
Briard puppies MUST go to different places, hear different noises, attend puppy classes, meet different people and dogs and learn to feel confident in any environment. This socialization and teaching of Briard puppies must be continued at least thru their second birthday, but Briards will learn throughout their entire lifetime. So your dedication to this learning process and what you do with them will determine much of their temperament and future success.

 Pele with grandson, Sam at bath time.
At Dior Briards we try to breed and raise Briard puppies and adults with excellent temperaments suited to family life and involvement in family activities, from swimming, to soccer playing to climbing Mt. Hood with you. From birth thru going to their new homes, the Dior Briard puppies are stimulated and exposed to various situations, noises, toys and different learning experiences daily. Our hope is to teach each Dior Briard puppy to have a zest for life, a love of being next to you, a desire to keep on learning and dedication to you and yours. Briards can be loving family members that will do whatever they can to make you happy.

At our condo on Fort Myers Beach – Vivienne in hammock with Bruce Wright.  Pele and Xuxu (on floor)keeping him company .
All Briards have a need to be with you. This is instinctive and you must want a dog that stays around you no matter where you are in the house. They instinctively want to protect you, barking when someone comes to your door. At your signal they should be able to stop barking and greet your visitor, perhaps with a toy in their mouth. However, while aloof with strangers, this should not be interpreted to mean that viciousness is acceptable. They are extremely intelligent, have a huge vocabulary (you will have to spell things in front of them) and have a wonderful sense of humor. We recommend positive training methods for our Briards. If you choose, they can be trained to excel in agility, obedience, herding, tracking, swimming, lure coursing, serve as therapy dogs, school READ dogs, service dogs and excellent companions for children and the elderly.
 Pele during his weekly visit to a Hospice care facility.