Elise McMahon
I have lived with dogs since I could crawl, growing up with a doxi mix, a tri-colour Collie and a number of other dogs I brought home much to my parent's consternation.  My first involvement with Briards was in 1982 when I came across a litter of Briard/Puli puppies while living in Munich, Germany.  The little male puppy I picked from the litter became known as Tristan and was my constant companion and best buddy for 16.5 years.  In 1984, Nadja, a white German Shepard puppy, joined the family.  Together we traveled and lived around Europe until we came back the US and eventually settled in Massachusetts where I began my graduate work in Animal Behaviour.  Nadja lived to the ripe old age of 12 years and passed prior to my beginning fieldwork in Chile. 

The loss of Tristan in 1999 was heart wrenching and I waited two years while I finished my field work before getting another canine companion.  When the time came though, there was no question what it would be.  Reading and learning everything I could on Briards during those two dogless years, I realized more and more that Tristan’s personality and behavioural characteristics where well described by each description I came across about the Briard. 

The pull of the heartstrings is a powerful thing and although I originally planned on getting a tawny male Briard so he would not be so similar to Tristan, it was for that very reason that I wound up getting a black boy in the end.  In getting my first purebred Briard I embarked on an adventure that has been exciting and full of new experiences.  Tai became my first show dog and was owner handled to his championship.  I had a lot of help learning the ropes and could not have done it without the good friends I made along the way.  When Tai was 1-year old I got the tawny I had wanted and Ursa joined our family.  The two are best friends and bring me daily pleasure just knowing them. 

Our canine family has since grown to four with the addition of Raven, a black daughter of Tai, who is undoubtedly the sweetest dog to ever walk the planet, and Cielo, Ursa's tawny daughter, who is a clown and a half and very game for anything.
 

Christian Munoz Donoso
Christian is a wildlife filmmaker and photographer. Christian met Elise in Chile when he arrived at the Parque Nacional Nahuelbuta to film the foxes she had just put radio-collars and ear tags on.  They came to a reasonable agreement and rather then the original project, Christian wound up doing his documentary on the endangered fox project Elise was leading.  After working together on this and other projects, they ended up in Massachusetts together where Christian runs Equilibrio Films.
You can visit his website at: Equlibrio Films, LLC

 

We are both members of the Briard Club of America and the Atlantic States Briard Club.

 

 

      Elise McMahon and Christian Munoz-Donoso
      125 East Chestnut Hill Road
      Montague, MA 01351
      413 367 0094
      emcmahon@canineheadstart.com