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. During the First World War, the Briard was used, almost to the point of extinction, by the French army as a sentry and messenger, and to search for wounded soldiers. The Briard's modern-day roles include police, military, and search-and-rescue work, as well as companion dog.
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