The Briard /briːɑːrd/ is an ancient breed of large herding dog, originally from France. A Briard-like dog appears in the illustrations in illuminated copies of Gaston Febus' Livre de chasse ('Book of the Hunt'), written in the late 14th century. The breed became popular after the Paris dog show of 1863, after having been fixed with crosses with the Beauceron and the Barbet. The Briard's modern-day roles include police, military, and search-and-rescue work, as well as companion dog. This is not a breed, among others, that most trainers or service dog training establishments would choose or recommend for public service work with handlers who lack experience with these types of dogs.