Briard

Patellar Luxation

Legg-Perthes Disease

Hip Dysplasia

Heart murmurs

Briards will do well on a daily amount of 3 to 4 cups of high-quality dog food a day, divided into two meals. Any diet should be appropriate to the dog?s age and life stage. Maintain proper weight, but be careful not to overfeed. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.

Keep them looking smart by taking some regular grooming. Briards coat is considered minimal or non-shedding. Occasional baths and weekly brushings with a horsehair mitt or de-shedding glove to pull away dead hairs will help to keep him in beautiful condition.

The Briard must be groomed on a regular basis. Their magnificent coat necessitates a lot of grooming, combing, and fussing to keep it in good shape. To get rid of tartar and the bugs that live within the Briard's teeth, brush it occasionally or whenever needed or give them raw bone.

Trim the dog's nails once or twice a month so they don't fall off easily to prevent painful cries and other problems. If you can hear them knocking on the floor, they're too long.

Briards need at least 30 to 60 minutes of daily exercise. Despite being calm and relaxed, they are very active breeds and require a job to do to be happy.

The Briard will get bored if there isn't enough action, which can lead to disruptive habits. Dog sports, especially herding trials, are a great way for them to let off steam and refine their natural herding abilities.

They make great companions for hikers, bicyclers and joggers and love chasing a tennis ball thrown by his owner in a large, securely fenced area where he can run free.

Schedule six-monthly veterinary checkups with your veterinarian to ensure that they are well and comfortable throughout their life. At these regular appointments, the doctor will do a physical inspection, take your dog's temperature, and track their heartbeat, among other things.

Routine dog grooming allows you to keep track of your dog's growth and progress, as well as address any issues you might have with them.

Caring and playful Briards make wonderful family dogs. They are very protective of their families and love to play around while you do chores or watch TV. They are highly sociable and make a good friend to children. Still, they need early and proper socialization.

Known to be a highly intelligent breed, they pick up training quickly. However, they can be stubborn and insist on doing things their own way. There will be times where you'll need to practice a bit of patience as they tend to not follow commands and would rather play around you.

It is best to practice positive reinforcement always to boost their motivation. They don't respond well to harsh communication or punishment and they admire authority from a strong pack leader.

If a Briard is raised around other dogs and pets and accepts them as part of his pack, he can get along well with them. Since they have a high prey drive, they will need to be trained to not chase the family cat or fight with other animals. Domestic pets outside of their immediate family are apt to stimulate his instinct to catch them, so keeping an eye on him is a smart idea.

While they can be hostile against other pets, they can learn to co-exist with dogs or cats if properly socialized.