Grooming Black Briards

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:09 pm

danni wrote:

I am sorry, but a beauceron does not look like a briard to me. they are actually hunting NOT herding dogs in france and there ancestors are doberman pinschers. Yes, they have the double declaws and the long tail with a hook. sorry, but I am not convinced and a BRIARD is a BRIARD and the earth started when the briard was created(my husbands words). danni Wink

I agree with your last assertion; the World did start with Briards.

However, the French Club seems to think that Beaucerons are herding dogs and it is largely agreed that the Beauceron was used to help create the Dobermann. This is backed up by the fact that the Dobermann was first bred in 1890(ish) and that in 1809 (some 80+ years earlier) the Berger de Beauce was described by Rozier. It is actually thought that it dates back at least as far as 1500.

Friend Joined: 19 Jul 2004 Posts: 79 Location: Kent, UK

Bouncy Briard wrote:

We have had MAXWELL since september and hes only 6months old but already he's in need of regular grooming. I have also found that he needs regular baths too- as he gets a bit stinky!! Can anyone advise what we can do about
this?
Regards
Paula

The bad news is that you are just getting into the difficult time with lots of soft puppy coat and this can last until the adult coat comes in. The good news is that the adult coat is much easier.

I groom thoroughly once a week with the dogs on a table in front of the TV - the TV for me not the dogs. They need twigs, seeds, leaves etc removed after walks (as soon as they have dried out as they always end up in the river.

Once out of puppyhoood I never bath my briards as it strips all the oils from the coat. They get the three Fs washed - face, feet and fanny (or boy bits) Boys benefit from a wash down the insides of their trousers and that applies to boy briards as well.

Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 1:58 pm

kay your humour is just great

Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 7:32 pm

I brush Coco our black Briard about once a week, she is really relaxed when I groom her which is good and she has a lot of tickly spots too! I don't have a grooming table so it is a bit of a back ache sometimes. I have never taken her to a groomer but am tempted sometimes. All in all she is quite easy to groom, Archie on the other hand matts up a lot more and is less tolerant to grooming although he does love his head and ears being groomed he seems to go all soppy! I did have a nightmare around a year and half ago when he went though his puppy coat but Sonya and Debs help to sort that out thank gawd!

I do enjoy grooming them I find it quite relaxing!

Friend in Training Joined: 21 Apr 2005 Posts: 38

Hi everybody, you could go on about grooming for days a young briard need more care with it's coat, a mature black should go a week with no concerns. If your dog becomes wet then when it is dry you will need to brush the dog all over because that when knots occur in the undercoat.It depends also on life style which can increase the amount of brushing eg. walking your dog(s)in woods, on the beach etc. Also people dont realise that when you take your dog across a cut cornfield they can cut their pads and claws but will also shred the hair and it looks like a scissor cut.

Reference Groomers....if you go to a groomer who shows dogs they usually know and understand what needs to be done. There are several good groomers in our breed who do an excellent job.

Clipping a briard off... some people have had briards since childhood and love there character but can not groom just like some people can not drive, so they have them clipped off, you shouldn't be made to feel bad as my old boy Zeus is clipped and I know he is happier that way, I know we think why buy a briard then have it clipped off, some people really don't realise the work that a briard's coat needs.
As for prices at Grooming Parlours they differ greatly if you want a quailty job you have to pay the going rate....you will pay alot more in one area than another... prices differ alot. Sonya

Newbie Joined: 16 Aug 2012 Posts: 4 Location: Surrey

I have always groomed my dogs myself - nail clipping, hair trimming etc. If you start at an early age and also don't pull the hair they love it. Portia lays across my lap most evenings, so I tease out any knots I find and rake through with my fingers - usually sends her to sleep!

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 9:49 am

Max Jones wrote:

danni wrote:

I am sorry, but a beauceron does not look like a briard to me. they are actually hunting NOT herding dogs in france and there ancestors are doberman pinschers. Yes, they have the double declaws and the long tail with a hook. sorry, but I am not convinced and a BRIARD is a BRIARD and the earth started when the briard was created(my husbands words). danni Wink

I agree with your last assertion; the World did start with Briards.

However, the French Club seems to think that Beaucerons are herding dogs and it is largely agreed that the Beauceron was used to help create the Dobermann. This is backed up by the fact that the Dobermann was first bred in 1890(ish) and that in 1809 (some 80+ years earlier) the Berger de Beauce was described by Rozier. It is actually thought that it dates back at least as far as 1500.

I also think Briards and Beaucerons look very different, and not just the coats. When I see Briards that have been shaved right back, I still don't think they look like a Beauceron. I do, however, think that in some old pictures, Briards of the past and today's WORKING Beardies sometimes look similar. The size differs, but the faces look similar.

Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 12:35 am

im a dog groomer and my prices are quite cheap 25 pounds for a briard, unfortunately there are no briards around here, I use bristle brushes and a comb on my two and they get groomed every night, i dont think you can over groom them unless just before a show, then you can groom out that nice wave on their side, as for matts, ,if you find it tough getting them out then yes thinning scissors are best as they dont leave scissor marks, I concentrate on tough areas each night and at weekend they get a comb through, its difficult to groom a whole briard thoughrley in one night, i never bath mine, athough i sometimes rinse of their dainty little paws Very Happy

but i do use doreen paige's grooming naturely,

Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 2:33 pm

Hi Jean,

your price is brilliant. I am lucky to pay a similar price with my groomer, but I met someone last week who was being asked for £80 for her Briard! I soon gave her my groomer's number. Someone else was paying £35 just to bath a Rottie! She has also changed to my groomer. Wink

Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 10:29 pm

I started grooming in 1967 then went on to have a busy salon, now i only take max 3 dogs a day, and only ever 1 dog in my salon at anytime, im not out to make my fortune now but just wat to enjoy what i do best, my customers like the fact that my place is stress free and ever dog gets a full body massage and all of my time

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 2:27 pm

That is lovely Jean.

Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 9:14 pm

We only just got Bex and groom her daily where we can! (Mainly to get the forget-me-not seeds off of her!)

We also gave her her 1st bath yesterday, what an experience that was, we got her wet, lathered her up and then the next level of her protest began, we were all soaked but there we go!

Friend for Life Joined: 20 Aug 2005 Posts: 830

Roxy goes to the groomers now she's ten, so she has a bath 3 or 4 times a year. I don't think they should be bathed too much, it strips the oil from their coat. More experienced owner will help you out.
Enjoy your puppy, they grow so quickly, and take over your life In the best way possible.
Gail and Roxy

Posted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 6:51 pm

Have a look at this it might help but your breeder is usually the best bet , you can over groom as much as not groom enough ,

http://www.thebritishbriardclub.org.uk/html/grooming.html

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 7:35 am

We grrom Bex about three/four times a week, but always after she's been to the old firing range near us. She gets to roll around in the sand and spalsh in the water and it gets all over her.

We have hard floors all over our house so as it dries / gets brushed out it leaves a fine layer of silt and sand everywhere... makes the whole house a slip hazzard!