Briard

A Briard typically lives around 12 years, normal for a large working breed. The factors that most affect those years are giant-of-the-medium-large orthopedics (hip dysplasia, kept in check by screened parents and a lean body), bloat risk from the deep chest, and vision: CSNB does not shorten lifespan but defines quality of life if undiagnosed. A health-screened, lean, well-exercised Briard from CSNB-clear lines is the version that reaches a full, sound 12-plus years.

Yes, with their own family — Briards are devoted and famously protective of household children, often treating them as a flock to watch over. That same instinct is the caveat: they may herd-nip running, shrieking children, and their protectiveness can misread rough play between a family child and a visiting child. They suit experienced, active families with older children, need early socialization so the guarding instinct is shaped, and require supervision with young or unfamiliar children. This is a protective working dog, not a casually tolerant one.

A great deal — it is one of the two reasons people regret the breed. The long, coarse double coat mats aggressively and must be brushed and combed to the skin 2-3+ times a week; surface brushing leaves hidden mats that become painful and require shave-downs. Plan 30-45 minutes per thorough session and a professional groom every 6-8 weeks if keeping the coat long. There is no low-maintenance Briard coat. Budget the time or roughly $80-$150 per professional groom for the dog's life.

Plan on 60-90 minutes of vigorous daily activity plus a mental job. This is a stamina-built herding-and-guarding dog; leashed strolls alone will not satisfy it. Herding, agility, obedience, tracking, long hikes, or structured work channel the drive that farm work used to occupy. An under-exercised Briard does not just get restless — it tends toward anxiety, nuisance barking, herding-nipping the family, and destructive behavior. Exercise plus engagement is a welfare requirement for this breed, not an extra.

CSNB is an inherited retinal disease in Briards caused by a recessive RPE65 gene mutation. Affected dogs are night-blind from about 5-6 weeks of age, and some have impaired or progressively worsening day vision. It is incurable but, importantly, fully avoidable at the population level: a DNA test identifies carriers, carriers themselves are healthy, and the disease only appears when two carriers are bred together. The practical rule is non-negotiable — buy only from a breeder who DNA-tests both parents for CSNB and shares the results.

Expect roughly $1,500-$3,500 for a well-bred Briard puppy from a breeder doing CSNB DNA testing plus hip, eye, and thyroid screening — it is an uncommon breed, so litters and waitlists are limited. The recurring hidden cost is grooming (often $80-$150 every 6-8 weeks, easily $700-$1,500+ a year), and a bloat surgery in this deep-chested breed can run $3,000-$7,000+. Parental CSNB clearance and hip screening are the cheapest insurance against the breed's most consequential problems.