The Briard is a French breed many centuries old, dating back at least to the time of Charlemagne. It has been mainly used throughout the centuries as a sheep herder and watchdog. Briards are heavy, strong dogs, with six-inch long shaggy hair on the adults. They can be gray, fawn colored, or black. The Briards in the portrait have a light colored top coat with dark underneath. The young, one of which is shown, are dark in color. With firm handling they can be trained to be a family dog, but they can be quite stubborn. Because of their long coats they require quite a bit of grooming.