BRIARD PUPPY PEN
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We're a little crazy. We expected the Soleil litter to be tiny, and had several buyers waiting for puppies. So, we bred Pilot 3 weeks after Soleil. Then found out Soleil was expecting 8!
Pilot's litter is a repeat of the breeding to Marsanne last year. We loved what we got in that breeding.
The whelping was not smooth. Pilot whelped two days early, and the puppies were not fully "baked", and were very tiny. Several were born with fluid on the lungs, and one didn't make it. Pneumonia is a risk in this situation. We will be watching Red boy and Yellow girl very closely. 4 boys, 2 girls (yellow and pink). The Pup we lost was a girl.
Soleil's last litter was a "vintage" litter, using 34 year old semen, with great results. Well, we're doing it again. This time, using 39 year old semen! After our success with the Bazil litter, Janis Charbonneau offered us the amazing opportunity to breed to 2 time National Specialty Best of Breed Am/Can Ch. Beardsanbrow's Utopia HOF ROMX (Johnathan), born Jan 25, 1983. Jeanne met several of his lovely offspring and other descendants over the years, and we jumped at the chance. Pics of the parents and more info are at http://www.briard.com.
We would have been content with an expected litter of 2 or 3 or 4 pups. Imagine our surprise to be expecting 8 puppies! On May 29, Soleil had an easy delivery of 3 black girls (red, white, pink), 2 tawny girls (yellow, olive), 2 black boys (blue, purple), and 1 tawny boy (green).
About the Briard Breed:
The Briard is an ancient French breed, also known as the Chien Berger de Brie. Briards are depicted in artwork going back to the eighth century, and described in records from the fourteenth century. They have a rich documented history through the centuries.
Thomas Jefferson imported Briards into this country in 1789. One hundred and thirty three years later, the first litter of Briards was registered with the American Kennel Club.
The Briard is a herding dog, bred to work. They will assist the shepherd in taking the flock out of the farm yard, safely down the road, and into a field that has been partly harvested. The Briard acts as a living fence, a boundary, left with the flock to keep them in the harvested part of the field, away from the crops they must not touch. When it is time, the Briard gathers his flock, and moves it back to the farmyard.
Briard Temperment/Characteristics:
Briards are large-sized dogs weighing between 50-100lbs
They are high energy active dogs, bred for herding and guarding sheep
Independent in nature but these dogs love to be with their owners.
Highly intelligent and need activities to keep stimulated and prevent destructive behavior.