Berger Picard vs Briard
Side by side
Berger Picard
Briard
Adult weight
23–32 kg (51–71 lb) (breed club figure)1
Males 32–45 kg (71–99 lb); females 25–38 kg (55–84 lb) (breed club figure)2
Shedding
Holds loose hair until it is brushed or clipped out
Sheds through the year
Grooming
A brush once a week
Daily brushing
Exercise
Plenty
Class
Working
Watchdog
Which suits you
Size
The Briard is a little larger on average: about 35 kg (77 lb) as an adult, against 28 kg (61 lb) for the Berger Picard.
Shedding
Their coats shed differently: the Berger Picard holds loose hair until it is brushed or clipped out, the Briard sheds through the year.
Grooming
The Briard needs more grooming, daily brushing, where the Berger Picard needs a brush once a week.
Temperament
They differ most on handler demand (Berger Picard: needs steady training; Briard: needs an experienced owner).
Alike
Both are rated the same on loyalty: sticks close to its people.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
What they're like
Berger Picard
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Medium
In temperament the Picard is lively, alert and closely attached to its family, though often reserved with strangers.
Briard
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Large
The Briard is loyal and protective towards its household and reserved with strangers. It learns quickly but has an independent streak suited to work done with little direction.
Breed traits
Day to day
Berger Picard
Briard
Activity
Needs lots of exercise
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Needs daily brain work
Needs daily brain work
Handler demand
Differs
Needs steady training
Needs an experienced owner
With people
Berger Picard
Briard
Affection
Affectionate on its own terms
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Sticks close to its people
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
Berger Picard
Briard
Sensitivity
Average
Average
Voice
Barks to alert, then settles
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Chases; needs managing
Chases; needs managing
Puppy growth
Reference curves · both sexes
Summary
Detail
The Briard grows to the heavier adult, about 35 kg against the Berger Picard's 28 kg.
Berger Picard
Briard
More comparisons
Compare the Berger Picard with
Sources
- 1American Kennel Club. Berger Picard breed page. ↑
- 2American Kennel Club. Briard breed page. ↑
- 3
- 4Hawthorne et al., 2004. Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds. Journal of Nutrition 134(8 Suppl): 2027S–2030S (WALTHAM). ↑
- 5
- 6
- 7Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
- 8Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
- 9American Kennel Club. Screening puppy buyers: how top breeders find the best homes. ↑
- 10
Parts of this page were written by AI ·