Tintagel Briards

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 were well matched 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 five with the addition of Raven, a black daughter of Tai, who is undoubtedly the sweetest girl ever to walk the planet, Cielo, Ursa's tawny daughter, who is a clown and a half and very game for anything, and the baby of the family, Faith, a beautiful black female from the much anticipated breeding between Raven and Sage.

All of our dogs are raised in the house and share every inch of it throughout their lives. This can be a trial at times as they tend to bring the outdoors in with them; leaves in the Fall, snow in the Winter, and general debris in the Spring.

I have owner/handled all of my dogs to their Championships and beyond and have two Bred by Exhibitor Champions with two more underway. As time in the Braird world has gone on I have become more invovled in the functionings within the clubs and am currently a Director on the Atlantic States Briard Club Board and the Special Features Editor for the Briard Club of America magazine, The Dew Claw.

We are located in Central Massachusetts on 55 acres of wooded land with beautiful trails and streams. It is paradise not only for the Briards but for us as well.

Please visit each dog on their individual pages.