Briards are generally black, gray, or tawny.
The tawny puppy coat turns to a lighter yearling coat. Then the coat deepens in color again to a richer adult coat. The ears can be cropped or left natural and are usually clipped into a rounded shape so the hair cascades from them into the rest of the coat. The muzzle is square and long and the nose is black. The long, feathered tail has a crochet hook at the tip.