Briard

My dog, Shag is an energetic dog that really enjoys pleasing his master. With me not having anything for him to herd, he needs some other daily exercise, so long walks are a regular part of our routine. He does okay with kids but has no tolerance for abuse, even if inflicted unintentionally. I've spent just as much time training the kids to be kind as I have spent obedience training Shag to be gentle with them. They have learned not to pull his hair and not to poke him in the eyes or put Tinker Toys in his ears.

Like most active working dogs, Shag really enjoys being given a job to do, whether it's going through his obedience training skills or helping me work in the yard. He can really sense when he is valued as a helpmate. This breed does very well as watchdogs since they were bred to guard sheep and keep intruders away.

Shag seems to be a natural lover of the outdoors. He is more of a man's dog than a lady's - he will follow me around constantly, eagerly waiting for any command he can follow. He has always seemed to be able to sense mood changes in people and for that reason he has been easy to train and very obedient. I trust that Shag will watch out for the family when I'm not around.

Although he is a wonderful family and companion dog and I wouldn't trade him for the world, I would love to see him working a herd up on a ranch somewhere, like Montana. I bet he'd be something to watch.