Until recently it was difficult, if not impossible, to find Briards herding sheep anywhere in the United States. AKC sheep herding trials were concepts as yet undreamed of. In 1973 I had a wonderful opportunity to spend three weeks in France during which time I visited M. Paul Lhermingy--shepherd, Briard breeder, and owner of "Quidam," the top sheep herding dog of France at that time. M. Lhermingy was good enough to take me and my companions out with the dogs and the sheep one morning. What a treat after owning the breed for almost fifteen years to finally see them do what they were bred for.

As we left Lhermingy's house, he reached for a wide leather belt that hung over the fence where the dogs were confined. The dogs went wild! They knew he was going out with the sheep and they all wanted to go. Lhermingy buckled the belt around his waist, selected Quidam and two bitches and set off for the barns.

The farm had three large sheep barns arranged in a horseshoe that opened onto a cobblestone courtyard. Adjacent to the barns was a small pond where Quidam lay in the water while the girls brought out the sheep. When all were assembled, Quidam and the girls led the sheep about a mile down the road to a large pasture bordered on one side by a field of beets and the other by an apple orchard. The task of the dogs now was to keep the sheep feeding on pasture grass... not beets or apples. While the sheep grazed quietly in the proper area, the dogs lay in the field watching.

Sometimes they played games. At a command from Lhermingy, the three dogs raced into the beetfield and pointed, and three blurted forms raced in the direction indicated by his outstretched arm. Of course there was no rabbit and a whistle brought the three dogs back to his side. It was interesting to note that while the dogs seemed intent on the game, should a sheep decide to stray toward the beet field or snatch a taste of fallen apple, the games were put on hold while the nearest dog charged down the boundary and the errant sheep returned to his companions post haste.

Lhermingy explained that the dogs worked on voice command, hand signals or purely on instinct. He could lie down for a nap after lunch knowing the dogs would take care of everything. If he were ill, he had merely to get to the barns and open the doors...the dogs would take over the job and he could go back to bed.

At the end of the day the three dogs gathered the sheep and took them back to the barn. Quidam went back to the pond for one last dip, and the girls put the sheep away. The walk back to the house was quiet, almost somber... a startling contrast to the enthusiasm of the morning.

I've watched movies of dogs herding sheep in the vast ranges of the American West and the mountains of New Zealand. The drama of the lift and fetch was exciting, but it all paled in comparison to watching my own breed keep those 200 sheep within the confines of the French pasture, drive them down that country road, and put them safely in the barns. The remarkable control shown by the dogs, their awesome sense of responsibility, and the boundless joy they showed for their work are memories that will stay with me forever.