Welcome on THE BRIARDS DES BASTIDES
Français: CLIQUER ICI 
ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE BRIARD.
Over 1,200 years ago, tapestries depicted the Emperor Charlemagne with large shaggy dogs at his feet. These dogs resembled the modern Briard.
According to a middle ages legend, Aubry of Montdidier, a French gentleman was murdered in 1371 by Richard de Macaire.
Aubry’s shepherd dog was the only witness of the crime. The dog kept following the murderer, with such howls and growling that Macaire came to be suspected.
The king ordered a duel between the dog and Macaire and the dog killed the murderer.
Brie, Aubry, the similarity of the pronunciation of the names is striking. A sculpture of a beautiful Briard in tribute to Aubry’s dog could be seen over the door of the cathedral of Montdidier but was unfortunately destroyed during WW1.
Before the French revolution, Thomas Jefferson, while serving as U.S.Minister to France, developed a close friendship with the Marquis de la Fayette and with Pierre DuPont de Nemours. In 1789, he introduced in the States a Briard bitch in whelp.
In 1809, in his Course of Agriculture, Abbot Rozier uses the term Chien de Brie to describe the long haired French sheep dog.
In May 1863, at the first Exposition de Paris, the first dog show ever was held in France. This show still continues nowadays. A Briard, Charmante, was placed first over all the shepherd dogs in competition.
At the same period of time, many impressionist painters painted pastoral scenes including Briards, looking very much like the Briards of today.
In 1896, the first Club du chien de Berger was founded in France . A year later, this club published the first standard for the Berger de Brie.
During WW 1, the Briard proved himself valuable as a war dog. Many died as a result of their heroism. In tribute, the head of a Briard was cast in the metal gate of a French war cemetery.
These few examples selected in a very long history show that our Briard always had a special rank among herding dogs.
With the Briard, we have an ancient Breed, little changed over the centuries, and who, with all its humble background as a herding dog and guardian, has still managed to find friends in the nobility and aristocracy of two continents (ALICE BIXLER-CLARK).
DESCRIPTION OF THE BRIARD. F.C.I. STANDARDS.
Standard of the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI)
Official English Translation
Standard FCI No 113 / 09.11.1995 / GB
Briard (Berger de Brie)
Translation: Mrs. Peggy Davis
Origin: France.
Date of Publication of the Valid Original Standard: 06.05.1988
Utilization: Sheepdog.
FCI Classification:
Group 1: Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs)
Section 1: Sheepdogs With working trial
GENERAL APPEARANCE:
Hardy dog, supple, muscular and well proportioned, of vigorous movement, balanced temperament, neither aggressive nor timid.
Penalisation: Aggressive, soft, timid, clumsy.
SIZE:
0,62 m to 0,68 m for males; 0,56 m to 0, 64 m for females
The length of the body must be more important than the height at shoulders. The general appearance of the Briard is rangy.
Penalisation: Cobby dog: no Excellent. Sizes superior to 0,68 m and 0,64 m.
Disqualification: Below the minimum. More than 2 cm above the maximum size. All subjects not reaching the minimum size cannot be confirmed.
HEAD:
Strong, long, pronounced stop midway between the top of the head and the tip of the nose,
furnished with hair forming beard, moustache and eyebrows slightly hiding the eyes.
Penalisation: Short head, too long, no balance between muzzle and skull. Disproportion between head and body. Hairy head to the extent of hiding the shape; beard, moustache and eyebrows insufficient, stop too pronounced or non-existent.
Disqualification: The above mentioned faults too pronounced.
FOREHEAD:
Very slightly rounded.
Penalisation: Too flat, too rounded, too broad, sloping on the eyes.
TOP OF MUZZLE:
Nasal bridge flat.
Penalisation: Too long, weak, too short. Nasal bridge convex (Roman nose).
MUZZLE:
Neither narrow nor pointed.
Penalisation: Pointed, narrow or too thick, pendulous flews.
NOSE:
More square than round, always black, strong and open.
Penalisation: Small nose, pinched, pointed, other than black or with traces of pink.
Disqualification: Brown or lighter coloured nose, pink.
TEETHS:
Strong, white and perfectly adapted.
Penalisation:
Absence of 1 incisor
Defective mouth, slight prognathism without loss of contact.
Absence of 1 premolar
Absence of 2 incisors
Absence of 2 premolar
Disqualification: Pronounced prognathism with loss of contact. Absence of 2 premolars 4 (PM4) on the lower jaw or absence of altogether 3 teeth whatever they are.
EYES:
Horizontal, well opened, quite large, not slanting, of dark colour, intelligent and calm
expression. A grey eye in a grey dog is not to be penalized.
Penalisation: Eye too small, almond shaped or of a light colour.
Disqualification: Eyes dissimilar, haggard, too light in colour.
EARS:
Set high, preferably cropped and carried erect; not flat against the head and rather short if uncropped. At equal quality, preference shall be given to the dog whose erect carried ears have been cropped. The length of the uncropped ear must be equal or slightly less than half the length of the head, always flat and covered with long hair.
Penalisation: Covered with too short hair, too long, carried badly.
Disqualification: Twisted ears, set too low below the eye-line, covered with short hair,
naturally erect, graft of cartilage.
NECK:
Muscular and disengaged from the shoulders.
Penalisation: Reach of neck too long, frail or too short.
CHEST:
Wide (width of the hand between the two elbows), deep and well let down to the elbows.
Penalisation: Too narrow, not sufficiently or too much let down, lacking depth, ribs too flat or too round.
BACK: Straight.
Penalisation: Slightly hollow, slight roach back.
RUMP:
Very slightly inclined, of a slightly rounded shape.
Penalisation:
Rump too inclined, too straight,
Same faults accentuated,
Rump definitely higher than the withers.
QUARTERS:
Well muscled, with strong bone and vertical limbs.
Penalisation:
Legs not vertical, loose shoulders, thighs set too much apart, weakness in pasterns or too straight, leaning on toes,
Bad angulation of the shoulder, short hair on the legs, frail legs, weak bone structure.
Disqualification: Forelegs seriously not perpendicular.
HOCKS:
Not too near the ground and angled with the leg nearing the vertical below the hock.
Penalisation: Too far from or too near the ground, bad angulation.
Disqualification: Hindlegs seriously not perpendicular.
TAIL:
Entire, well furnished, forming a hook at the tip, carried low, not deviated, reaching the point of the hock or beyond it at most 5 cm.
Penalisation:
A little too short, no hook, hair too short,
Carriage very much exceeding the line of the back,
Carriage below or under the belly,
Carriage under the belly when in action.
Disqualification:
Carried on the back in hunting horn or perpendicular (stiff),
Trace of operation rectifying the tail carriage.
FEET:
Strong, round shaped (intermediate between cat feet and hare feet).
Penalisation:
Feet too long, flat, splayed,
Toeing in or out,
Not sufficiently covered with hair.
Disqualification: Feet seriously not perpendicular.
NAILS:
Black.
Penalisation: Grey nails.
Disqualification: White nails.
PADS:
Hard.
Penalisation: Without elasticity, too flat, too soft.
TOES:
Tightly closed.
Penalisation: Open toes, too long or held flat.
COAT:
Texture: Flexible, long, dry (type of goat hair), with a light undercoat.
Penalisation: Not dry enough, slightly curly, no undercoat. In case of requiring acceptance for breeding: postponement of 6 months,
Too short Fine hair.
Disqualification: Coat (hair) shorter than 7 cm. Coat soft or woolly.
COLOUR:
All uniform colours are admitted apart from those mentioned below. The dark shades are to be recommended. Not to be confused: the bicolour with a slightly lighter shade on the extrimeties which is nothing more than a beginning of depigmentation. This shade, slightly lighter, must remain in the same range of the fawn colours (dark fawn on light fawn, dark black on lightened black, dark grey on lighter grey, etc). The fawn must be warm and
uniform, neither light or washed out.
Penalisation:
Black with too many reddish glints,
Fawn not warm enough, white patch on chest,
Blackening overlay to pronounced at the edge of the shading.
Very light fawn, washed out.
Disqualification: White shade, brown (chestnut), mahogany, bi-colour, white blaze, white hairs on tip of feet. Fawn coat with black overlay forming a mantle. Colour too light.
Note: For the bi-colour, look at the colour of the skin which will be bluish under the dark
parts and pinkish under the light parts.
DEWCLAWS:
Double dewclaws on the back legs
The dogs, even of very good type, who only have one dewclaw, will not be given an award. Acceptance for breeding will be refused.
The double dewclaws must be made up of two bony parts with nails, placed as near the ground as possible, assuring a better setting of the foot.
Penalisation:
Placed too high (midway of the hock),
Lack of two nails,
Lack of bony section in a double dewclaw
Disqualification:
Single dewclaws,
No dewclaws,
Lack of two bony sections in a double dewclaw, even if the nails are there,
Lack of one bony section in each double dewclaw, even if the nails are there
Acceptance for breeding: All motives of disqualification, all qualifying less than good, will mean no acceptance of the subjects for breeding.
FAULTS:
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
N.B. Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
DEWCLAWS:
Plate A: Conformation of double dewclaws, not leading to any penalisation
1.Dewclaws with complete bony sections
2.Dewclaws with bony sections fused or attached together
3.Dewclaws with complete bony parts and two partially bony parts - or long, floating dewclaws
Plate B: Conformation of double dewclaws, with penalisation
1.One empty dewclaw = no C.A.C.I.B.
2.One dewclaw empty + one floating dewclaw = no C.A.C.I.B
Plate C: Conformation of double dewclaws, not acceptable for breeding
1.Missing one bony part in each double dewclaw = acceptance for breeding refused
2.Missing two bony parts in one or two dewclaws = acceptance for breeding refused
In the South of France, in Provence, a sunny and pleasant country, a Bastide is a small country house. Les Bastides is the name given by the Provençal writer Marcel Pagnol to a small hamlet in one of his book.
Marie Pontois
, like Marcel Pagnol was born near the shores of the Mediterranean.
Marie loves Pagnol’s written works and films, filled with optimism and of "joie de vivre". When she decided to start breeding Briards in the Saint-Lawrence valley, she wanted to give her breeding a "cachet" of happiness, happiness for the dogs, happiness for the future owners. That is why she chose Marcel Pagnol as a symbol. The names of all her dogs, Galinette, Igolin, Ma Tosca, L’Estel, are more or less related to Pagnol’s works.
HAVE A LOOK AT SOME OF OUR BRIARDS.
AM/CAN CH. GALINETTE DE MUSETTE CAN CD, TT, HOF, AOM
Born in 1991. Call name GALI.
In Galinette’s ancestry, you will notice the lineages of Le Grand Condor, La Cens à mouqu’s and Les Carrières Noires.
To consult Galinette’s pedigree, please CLICK HERE
CAN CH. IGOLIN BLOND DE LA TOUR SAINT- GENIN
Born in 1993. Call name GOGO
In Igolin’s ancestry, you will notice the lineages of Saint-Genin, El Pastre and Cro-Magnon.
To consult Igolin’s pegigree, please CLICK HERE
NOTA: Because of the outstanding quality of Galinette and Igolin’s children, for conformation as well as for temperament, Mrs Annie Tabutaud
, the owner of the reputable Kennel of La Tour Saint-Genin, located in the Loire valley, in France, authorized us to join the patronymic Saint-Genin to the name of our Élevage des Bastides.
CAN CH. L’ESTEL BLONDE DES BASTIDES SAINT-GENIN TT
Born in 1995. Call name TETELLE
CAN CH. MA TOSCA BLONDE DES BASTIDES SAINT-GENIN
Born in 1996. Call name TOSCA
CAN CH. LUCAS BLOND DES BASTIDES SAINT GENIN TT
Born in 1995. Call name SHERGUI
LUMIÈRE BLOND DES BASTIDES SAINT-GENIN
Born in 1995. Call name LUMI
MÊCHE BLONDE DES BASTIDES SAINT-GENIN
Born in 1996. Call name PÉNÉLOPPE
MARIUS BLOND DES BASTIDES SAINT-GENIN
Born in 1996. Call name MERLIN.
MERLOT BLOND DES BASTIDES SAINT-GENIN
Born in 1996. Call name MERLOT
MAXIME BLOND DES BASTIDES SAINT-GENIN
Born in 1996. Call name BOO-BOO
BRETTA ET PÉNELOPE
BRETTA ET LES ENFANTS DE SHERGI
AND LET’S SEE WHAT COMES NEXT…
The 1997 litter, 4 girls, 3 boys !
Marie always had dogs. When she was a toddler she already shared her life (and her food!) with her dogs. Her parents then lived near the Pyrénées mountains, a country of flocks and of sheep dogs, principally small Pyrénées and Labrits. In 1970, in Burgundy, Marie got her first Briard
TASS DES RUES DE LA BARDOUILLÈRE , called Totom. Totom was confirmed in Bourg-en-Bresse by Mr. Bernard WEBER, who is still judging today. Impressed by the beauty and the wonderful temperament of Totom, Marie decided that she would devote herself to Briards. It was the beginning of a love story, still exciting after 27 years, in France as well as in Quebec, where Marie moved in 1979.
When she lived in Burgundy, Marie founded a shelter for rescue dogs of all breeds, or of no breed. She was saving and taking care of more than 50 lost or abandoned dogs per year. None was put to sleep and all were given to good families.
Annie is the daughter of Annette Tabutaud who lived with Briards since 1912 and who died in the 1980s. Totally dedicated to the Briard, she devotedly carries on the family breeding of La Tour Saint-Genin, in the Touraine country. Annie selects her lineages to keep the French features and the outstanding temperament thanks to which her mother was considered as one of the best French breeders. IGOLIN BLOND DE LA TOUR SAINT-GENIN is among the most typical representatives of this kennel.
Our dogs are naturally fed.
Various kinds of 1st quality meat, cheese, vegetables, pastas, scientifically balanced minerals and vitamins are the keys to the outstanding health condition of our dogs.
From the fourth week on, our puppies, in addition to the mother’s milk, are fed with a natural food. which is especially balanced for their tender age.
When we know that the puppies will be naturally fed in their new home, we go on with the natural food. If not, we progressively switch the puppies, at about 6 to 7 weeks, to the best possible kind of commercial food. We hope that the new owners will not scrimp money to the detriment of their puppy’s health and will give their pet some meat and some cheese in addition to a high quality brand of commercial food .
We strongly believe that many of the diseases and problems encountered by the modern dog, whatever its breed, come from today's low quality artificial food.
we consider that meat offal full of urea, overcooked sick animals, excess of unbalanced minerals and ashes are factors that shorten the lives of our animals. Pellets which are overheated during the manufacturing process just offer a dead food which results in a poor intestinal flora weakening the organism defense system.
In the early days, it was common practice for shepherds to crop the ears of their dogs, because these projections were easy prey for the teeth of the wolf.
However, even in those days, many shepherds who owned Briards did not do it. The logic of dog fanciers being what it is, even with the threat of the wolf behind us, we find the ears are now cropped, more often than not. Most often we hear that the ear is more open when cropped, the air can circulate, resulting in fewer ear problems, or- the Briards has very keen hearing and the cropped hear helps to increase this sense. In truth, most people crop the ear because they like the appearance of the cropped dog, and we are sad to say, because the cropped Briard seems to appeal more to some judges at shows.(Diane McLeroth)
We really do not share the opinion of these judges.
With natural ears the dog has an expression of kindness and gentleness. The Briard with natural ears is beautiful. All our Briards des Bastides have uncropped ears and we never had a single ear problem.
We consider that, even made by a professional surgeon, cropping is a surgery and there is no surgery without stress and without pain.
It seems that there is some kind of improvement in the public opinion, regarding natural ears, During the two last show seasons, our Briards already obtained 60 group placements, 27 Best Puppy in group, 11 Best Puppy in show and 1 Best in Show.
Breed purity, conformity to standards, health through natural food are essential characteristics of our puppies, but temperament makes the difference between a lovely dog and a dog which will give problems to his owners.
The careful study of the genealogy of our stud dog and our brood bitch gives us a total safety with regards to the temperament of our puppies, but even with the best temperament, Briards have a lot of personality and are very independent The new "parents" have to be aware of it.
While they are with us, the puppies are confronted with various situations to develop their mind. Special toys and games, noises of all kind, physical contacts with human and especially children progressively prepare them to a harmonious integration to the real world.
When we entrust a puppy to his new owners, we ask them to have their dog follow a pretraining course. We strongly encourage them to have him meet many people and other dogs, so that his love for the family will not become too exclusive.
Be sure that it is the right breed for you. When you buy a puppy, you are making a commitment of eleven or more years, till the death of your companion.
Be sure that you have a considerable amount of time to spend with the puppy or both you and the dog will be disappointed in the outcome.
Be sure that you truly want a constant companion. A Briard will have a miserable life if left penned up. To spend his days tied out in the backyard is a tragedy, almost like killing him.
Be sure you have the patience to teach without punishing and will take the time to help the dog understand what you want. A Briard will do all he can to please his people, but first, he must understand.
Be sure you want a dog with a streak of independence. A Briard will never be mechanical or military in his response.
Be sure you are not inclined to let your dog run loose, that would be neglect, not kindness and all kind of tragedies can result. A fenced yard is a necessity.
Inspired by Diane McLeroth
