Petzlover
Briard is originated from France but Tahltan Bear Dog is originated from Canada. Briard may grow 26 cm / 11 inches higher than Tahltan Bear Dog. Briard may weigh 31 kg / 69 pounds more than Tahltan Bear Dog. Both Briard and Tahltan Bear Dog has almost same life span. Briard may have more litter size than Tahltan Bear Dog. Briard requires High Maintenance. But Tahltan Bear Dog requires Low Maintenance
Through myth and legend, the Briard is thought to be a very ancient dog. A French herding breed, a Briard type of dog appears in writings as early as the end of the 14th century. According to legends the Briard was owned by Napoleon, Charlemagne, Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. As a cross between the Barbet and the Beauceron, the Briard came into popularity following its appearance in a Paris dog show in 1863. Bred originally to guard and herd sheep, these intelligent, independent dogs were often left on their own. Because they both guarded and herded, their size and structure as well as their personalities were different from other dogs that worked sheep. Those that herded only were fast, agile and smaller. Those that only guarded were heavier, bigger and stronger. The Briard was in-between these two types of breeds. He was well suited to any kind of farm work and guarded the crops from the sheep’s desire to eat them. They moved the sheep from one grazing area to another and then to their holding area at night. No humans had to assist the Briard in this work once they were trained.
During World War 1, the Briards were drafted into service as messengers, sentries and search dogs for lost or injured soldiers. In that time frame the breed served almost to the point of extinction. Breeding programs following the war brought them back. Today the Briard is a home companion, a police dog, as well as both military and civilian search and rescue dogs.
The primitive Tahltan Bear Dog comes from Canada. The dog was developed by the Tahltan people to hunt bears, so you can imagine he was a strong, brave dog.
They also had fox-like yaps that confused bears until the hunter could come and kill the bear. These dogs are descended from pariah-type dogs with their diet being birds and fish.
It was in 1988 that the Canadian Post Office honoured the Tahltan Bear Dog by having a picture of it appearing on a stamp.
Some people claim that after the 1960s there are no longer any living descendants while others say that breeding projects were established and that there are still a few of these dogs around today. There are records on the other hand that claim the dog became extinct in the 1970s.
The Briard is a powerful, intelligent and independent working dog. They have a straight topline and their height is almost the same as their length. They have long, large, rectangular heads with wide muzzles. Their noses are also square and jet black while their side set, large eyes can be black-brown or black. Their ears have traditionally been cropped but with more countries outlawing it, they can now have natural ears set high on the head. They have a tail that is feathered and low-cut. The feet of a Briard are round, compact and large.
The Briard is a double coated breed with a long beard and mustache. Their hair completely covers the head and the eyes so that they are not seen. They have prominent eyebrows as well.
Not like a bear, but more foxy in appearance or even more like a husky, the Tahltan Bear dog is medium sized, standing at between 36 – 43cm in height and weighing between 6 – 9 kg.
It is believed that they were similar to spitz and pariah type dogs, and were athletic. The short to medium length coat of the dog was mainly black or brown with some white.
He had fairly large pointed, erect ears and also a fairly pointed muzzle. The tail was interesting and was short and furry and always carried erect.
The Tahltan Bear Dog is fearless, not being deterred when meeting large bear. It's why the dog has been valued by hunters – their bravery and fearlessness.
They’re great family dogs too and will get on well with children. He is intelligent and easy to train if you want to give him training and socialization.
As mentioned previously the Briard is intelligent and independent. They are also loyal, rugged, protective and bond intensely with their humans. They are often aloof when it comes to strangers or even when new furniture is introduced into the household. They have to learn that anything new into the family environment is friendly and good. They are great with children and susceptible to separation anxiety because of their deep affection for their people. Socialization for puppies is a must. This will let them know that people and children, other dogs in general are not harmful to their families. They have great memories and once they learn something – right or wrong – it is almost impossible to change it. They were bred to be independent thinkers who acted on their own conclusions. This is still true of the breed today, making them appear to be stubborn.
They are great watchdogs, fearless and brave; willing to learn, eager to make you happy. They are basically gentle but that always runs up against their protective nature. A strong alpha leader is needed to handle this hard-working dog.
Because some claim that this dog is extinct, there are only a few accounts of what he is actually like.
Even though they were hunting dogs, they were devoted pets and companions of the people of the Yukon.
If these dogs are still to be found today, you will find them to be easy going, protective, loyal, intelligent, playful, alert, watchful and energetic. Just don’t allow them to get too hot as they prefer cooler climates.
Being a large breed, the Briard shares many of the same health concerns as other large breeds. They have a few of their own as well. Typical issues for a Briard might include:
Progressive Retinal Atrophy/Degeneration –degeneration of the photoreceptors and retina.
Healthy dogs are unlikely to pick up any of the many common dog illnesses there are. There are many – cancer, diabetes, bloat, hip dysplasia, ear infections, dental disease and many more.
This is a contagious and infectious disease known as canine tracheobronchitis and which is transmitted through the air. Treatment is usually administered as a nasal spray, but your dog will need to get to the vet because of his dry, honking cough and lack of appetite.
This is a viral disease which in most instances is fatal. It is mostly transmitted when an animal that carries the disease bites the dog. Your dog develops behavior which is totally uncharacteristic of him. He'll also froth at the mouth and become aggressive. Death is nearly always guaranteed.
It is best to feed the Briard smaller meals 2-3 times a day to prevent bloat. Feed 3-4 cups total for the day of a dry dog food that is high quality and made for large breeds.
Stationary Night Blindness – Congenital limited vision in the dark can vary from slight difficulty moving to complete inability to see in the dark.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy/Degeneration – Can lead to night blindness, limited or total blindness. Puppies with the disease can be blind before their first birthday.
Bloat (Gastric Torsion) – Stomach is distended and twists. Fatal if not treated quickly. Caused by eating a large meal quickly and either exercise immediately or drink a large amount of water right after eating.
Von Willebrand’s Disease – Blood clotting disorder leads to excessive bleeding. There is no cure, but it is manageable.
The Briard is a working dog and as such needs a job. They excel at agility, flyball, herding, obedience, confirmation and tracking. They need exercise and make excellent service dogs for people with disabilities and therapy dogs for those in emotional need.
This double coated hunting dog’s thick coarse coat will require brushing at least twice a week to free the dog of loose hair. He is regarded as a low mainenance dog.
During brushing, you would check inside his ears and make sure there are no signs of redness. Eyes of the dog should be bright, eager and free of discharge.Always keep the nails of the dog trimmed.
If you keep your pet outside for any lengths of time it is imperative that this dog has shade to lie down in as he doesn’t do well in too much heat.
Because he is a hunting dog, he is used to being outdoors and being active. He wont be content to lie around inactive for too long. He’ll want at least a walk every day and some ball games.
A pet dog can’t choose his own food so they depend on us to make the right choices for them. It’s always convenient to have a packet of commercially manufactured dog food available, but who knows if this dog, which some claim is extinct, ever ate commercially manufactured food.
If he did, you would want to mix it every now and again with home made food - boiled chicken, sweet potatoes, brown rice or pasta, carrots and spinach. This food could be chopped up and added to the dog’s kibble.