For years we have
worked to produce Briards that can be recognized as quality
Briards throughout the world. We have produced and owned
National Specialty winners in France as well as the US. We have
owned and bred AKC Best in Show Briards, had the top stud dogs
in the country, owned the number one Briard in the country. We
have bred or owned/co-owned Briards that have won five US
Nationals, and the French National. We have bred Champions,
National Specialty Winners, AOM, Grand Champions, obedience
titled yada, yada, yada…. More important than awards is that
we have been able to produce Briards that are healthy, wicked
smart, have consistent temperaments … and the icing on the cake
have great coats and oh they are beautiful also. We have bred
dogs that cart, are therapy dogs, help with the livestock at the
family farm, search and rescue, running companions, and most
importantly beloved family members.
We don’t breed just to breed, we breed to try to improve on the
pedigree, we are proud of our Briards…we have worked hard. We
only breed dogs that pass all of the health clearances, have a
stable and steady temperament …and are recognized as a quality
Briard any place in the world… Sometimes we breed to dogs that
do not have their AKC Championship, what they do have is
excellent health records, wonderful temperaments and beautiful
breed type. The titles are nice but not the all-important
deciding factor when deciding who to breed. We have bred to
dogs that were BIS show dogs and we have bred dogs that were not
AKC Champions, and let me not forget…I have bred a male with a
disqualifying fault (he was missing a pesky dewclaw)… you can go
to Briardale Mass to read “Henry’s story. All of these dogs
were dogs that I would have been proud to call my own, and we
are proud of what they have produced. We are very careful about
breeding, we don’t breed apples to oranges………we breed quality
briards to quality briards……..
In the past we only bred if we intended to keep puppies from
that litter, we have realized that we can longer do this. Rick
has retired, which is wonderful but it also brings home the
realization that …gulp…we are getting older. We have realized
that even though our desire is to have many Briards live with us
it is no longer feasible. So what we do now is place a few
puppies from each litter into co-owned homes. The families get
their wonderful companion and show dog and we retain the option
to breed them when they become of age. They must pass all of our
rigorous requirements. It has been and we hope will continue to
be a win win situation for both the Briards and their families
and ourselves.
Now to the next question…where we live. With retirement comes
freedom, We have purchased acreage and have a rental home in
Tennessee and still have our home in Iowa. So when friends call
me on my cell they often ask “where are you????”…
So you think you want a Briard. When you call us, we will tell
you about the breed and try very hard to sell you on another
breed. We do not believe that this is the right breed for
everyone. If you want a dog that will just hang with you with
no effort, training or socialization then this is NOT the breed
for you. If you want a wash and wear dog. . . this is not the
dog for you. If you are inconsistent, this is NOT the breed for
you. If you are willing to do your homework, find the right
breeder, get the proper puppy and then do a heck of a lot of
work this MIGHT be the breed for you. The list is long, we will
help you to determine if this is the right breed for you. When
we ascertain that this is the right breed, and you decide you
want to proceed the serious interviewing process will start. You
will be asked questions that would make an IRS agent blush. . .
where will the dog sleep, why do you want a dog….the questions
go on forever.
We will ask that you sit down and write something about your
desires in temperament for your new family member, what role do
you see this dog taking in your family? Do you want the
“cheerleader” “the couch potato” the “cop” they all have
different personalities. This is an A type personality breed,
they are bred to be leaders. They need owners who are leaders,
if you are not most Briards will gladly take the job, and by the
way, you will not be happy! You need to really think about
what you want, why you want it and what kind of work you are
willing to do to get it. We will ask for references and supply
you with ours. We expect for potential owners to do more
research on their new potential family member who will live in
your home than the car who stays in the garage. This is a 12-14
year commitment, we take placing puppies seriously and expect
you to do the same.
Once we have a comfort level with you and determine that a
Briard may be the right dog for you, we will tell you the good
stuff. The undying devotion.. the mind of a Briard that
constantly amazes, the beauty and grace of this athlete…the list
goes on.
All of our puppies are born in my hand. We stay with the mother
and puppies pretty much round the clock until they are 10-14
days old. They are handled daily, we do the super puppy
exercises. We expose puppies to as much as their age allows.
We bring children in to play with them. They play with our
other Briards and our Havanese. The puppies are given a firm
foundation to grow upon. At 7 weeks we bring in a Tester who
has never met the puppies to conduct their temperament tests.
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