PetzloverBull and Terrier is originated from United Kingdom but Briard is originated from France. Bull and Terrier may grow 19 cm / 7 inches shorter than Briard. Bull and Terrier may weigh 18 kg / 39 pounds lesser than Briard. Both Bull and Terrier and Briard has almost same life span. Both Bull and Terrier and Briard has almost same litter size. Bull and Terrier requires Low Maintenance. But Briard requires High Maintenance
The Bull and Terrier is a blend between a number of Old English Terriers and the Old English Bulldog. It is believed that this extinct dog was the start of breeds such as the American Pit Bull Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
They were excellent for hunting rats and weren’t a true breed. The dog was popular in the British Isles and in the United States in the 19th Century. They became rare as different varieties of Bull and Terrier were bred and standardized.
Most terriers have a good deal of Old English Bulldog blood in them so as to provide them with the courage to fight and hunt prey, while the English Terrier blood provided a feisty temperament and longer legs for speed.
Around 1860, the Bull and Terrier breed split into 2 categories – the pure white Bull Terrier and the ones of color. The Bull and Terrier was never recognized as a standardized breed by any of the kennel clubs.
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.
There isn’t too much detail and information on the Bull and Terrier but we can be sure that with the cross between the Old English Bulldog and the Old English Terrier, he would have been a small to medium sized compact, muscular dog, standing roughly between 38cm to 50cm in height and weighing anything in the region of 11 to 22kg.
He would have had a big head, and most of the dogs had a medium to long tail. His coat was of many colors such as white, fawn, tan or brindle and would have been short and smooth.
As far as temperament goes, the Bull and Terrier would certainly be courageous, feisty, independent, strong and energetic. Socialization wasn’t available in those days but with training, this intelligent breed would be affectionate with his human family.
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.
Nobody seems to be 100% sure when the classic Bull and Terrier dog became extinct but it is strongly assumed that it was some time between 1890 and 1920.
People believe that there are actually surviving breeds that could be considered Bull and Terriers. One thing is sure, when you consider that the Bull and Terrier is actually made up of several breeds such as the Bull Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Boston Terrier and American Pit Bull Terrier then you can imagine the character of the dog – brave, hardy, intelligent, feisty, bold, confident and fearless. He was a dog who loved his human family and would have been both friend and protector.
These dogs have been popular around the world, and have had a strong influence in the development of a number of other breeds. Even today, breeders are always looking at ways to develop new breeds based on the descendants of the Bull and Terrier.
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.
The Bull and Terrier was no doubt a robust breed with few health issues. However his owners of that time would have had to be aware of eye diseases such as cataracts that could have lead to blindness.
Other health issues they would have had to contend with would have been hip and elbow dysplasia, a disease which can cause lameness in a dog accompanied with pain. Because the Bull and terrier was mixed with the English Bulldog, the dog owners would have had to be aware of respiratory health problems, as the Bull dog is a breed that is susceptible to these problems.
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.
Long ago the Bull and Terrier was developed to be a hunting dog, and because he was a blend of the English Bulldog and Terriers such as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and English Terrier, he no doubt had a short coat that would have required being brushed down from time to time.
The Bull and Terrier dog was bred for hunting, and he would have in all likelihood have caught some of his own food. He would therefore have got a lot of protein in. His owners would also have fed him some of their own food too which would have been eggs, home-made bread, rice, fresh vegetables and meat.
He would have had a good quota of raw meat in his diet too and this would have ensured that his coat was shiny and glossy, free of rashes. Dogs such as the Bull and Terrier wouldn’t have eaten commercially produced kibble as that was only introduced in the 1930s.
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.