Plate 120 · Continental Europe
Briard
伯瑞犬
“The long-haired shepherd of the cheese country of Brie.”
- Origin
- France
- Brie, north-central France
- Region of origin
- Named after the historic region of Brie in north-central France; the marker is the reference point of Seine-et-Marne, which corresponds roughly to the western part of Brie.
- The point marks the region the breed comes from, not an exact birthplace.
- Era
- Described in 1783; standard 1897
- Today
- Herding dog · Companion
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
History
01 · Origin
Brie, north-central France
A big, long-coated French shepherd that both herded sheep and defended them.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Keeping flocks out of crops and vineyards on the open plains, and guarding them.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
Rozier described the long-haired 'chien de Brie' in 1783. A bitch named Charmant took a prize at the first Paris dog show, and a standard followed in 1897. In the First World War the breed was sent to the front, and numbers fell again under the Occupation.
04 · Today
Herding dog · Companion
A herding and companion dog.
Personality
- Confident
- Smart
- Faithful
- Protective
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: the AKC’s trait scores as its breed page gives them (the AKC’s 1–5 guidance for owners, not a measurement). Other profiles here use editorial ratings, a different source, so compare across them with care.
- Exercise
- Craves action and a job; needs room to run in a securely fenced area.
- Grooming
- Brush to the skin several times a week.
- Training
- Bred to make its own decisions; lively, positive training.
Living with one
- Size
- Large
- Lifespan
- 12 years
- Coat
- Long, slightly wavy, goat-like coat; black, fawn, grey or blue
Field note
In 1895 the French writer Pierre Mégnin clearly separated the long-haired Chien de Brie from the short-haired Chien de Beauce, today's Beauceron.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Herding Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (Group 1, standard 113)
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Herding Group, recognized 1928.
AKC registrations: ranked 172 among breeds in 2025.
Sources3 references
- Briard — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/briard/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · Registry status, group, size, life expectancy and registration rank; history as the AKC tells it. Ratings: the AKC's own 1–5 owner-guidance trait scores as the page gives them (energy level, trainability, barking level, openness to strangers, good with other dogs), not measurements.
- Briard — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Briard
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · Rozier's 1783 description, Mégnin's distinction from the Beauceron, the 1863 show, the 1897 standard, wartime losses.
- Briard — FCI breed nomenclature — Fédération Cynologique Internationale
https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/BRIARD-113.html
Kennel club · accessed 2026-10-14 · Country of origin France; Group 1, section "Sheepdogs"; accepted 1954.
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: Named after the historic region of Brie in north-central France; the marker is the reference point of Seine-et-Marne, which corresponds roughly to the western part of Brie.
