Original Works of art

Also known as the Chien Berger de Brie in France, his native land, the Briard is a natural descendant of the oldest domesticated dogs. The breed evolved through the centuries by natural selection for its herding and guarding abilities. Although most of the early history of the breed is unwritten, tapestries show the Emperor Charlemagne with Briards more than 1200 years ago. Stone chiselings depicted the shaggy dogs and folk songs praised them. Thomas Jefferson, a former ambassador to France, is believed to be the first to bring the Briard to the US; he used them to tend his flocks of Merino sheep at Monticello.