Personality
The Briard is a loyal breed that will be very protective of its family. They can be aloof with strangers, and new new introductions should be on the dog's terms. They require showing that the new intrusion is friendly and free of conflict. Once properly introduced Briards have proven to be a very good breed around children of all ages.
The Briard has been bred for centuries to herd and to protect their flocks. To domesticated briards, their family is the flock and all strangers may appear to be predators. Letting them know that the public in general is friendly and not harmful will help them establish a lifelong socialization pattern which will result in an outgoing and happy dog. This socialization with the public in general will not diminish their capacity for protecting and guarding their family.
Socialization starting at a very young age is mandatory. Briards should be walked as often as possible to many different places in order to develop into a well-rounded animal. Pet stores, city parks, and malls are a good places to start.
Trainability
The Briard has a very good memory. Once a lesson is learned, good or bad, the knowledge will be retained for a long time to come. Sometimes they may appear to be strong minded and stubborn but these are a few of the Briard's characteristics. They were bred for centuries to think for themselves and to act upon their conclusions.