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Feeding Recommendations

Briards are a highly active, deep chested breed. All feeding recommendations here should help to significantly improve the quality of your dogs life, as well as potentially decrease the likelyhood of your dog experiencing a potentially fatal bloat incidence.

First, for right now. Your puppy is receiving approximately one cup of Purina Pro Plan puppy formula kibble 3 times a day (approximately because he or she is currently in competition with a number of other voracious brothers and sisters) with enough hot tap water to fully float most of the kibble. The middle meal may be slowly reduced in size as the breakfast and dinner gets larger. We recommend twice daily feedings for life. If fed on a largely commercial diet this works out to between 1.5 and 2 cups per meal twice daily as an adult dog. Individual dogs caloric requirements can change due to temperature, actity level, age and health status. The best guide is to know your dog and if there is a bit too much padding on the ribs, feed a little less. If the dog starts to appear to have a "wasp waist" or ribs aremore defined than usual, feed a little more-- a good guide is in the puppy care guide included from Purina.

We have found that for a commercial dog food, the Purnina Pro Plan is currently one of the lesser "evils"-- particularly the Turkey and Barley Formula. Our reasons for using Pro Plan include the fact that it contains no soy products, no beet pulp, no "wheat middlings" (ie floor scrapings from grain mills). However, the puppies are currently being naturally supplemented with cottage cheese and some yogurt.

A number of steps can help prevent bloat. Serving food warm is one of the most important. We add water to the kibble not to soften or expand it, but to warm it for the dogs. The water should be as hot as your tap will produce-- worst case scenario, if it is too hot it will tend to slow the dog down eating. Adding table scraps or a canned dog food to adolescent and adult dogs meals also tends to reduce the incidence of bloat. Snacks thoughout the day (bits and pieces begged from your sandwich) also tend to reduce bloat incidence.

Dog food companys will tell you not to feed dogs bones. We encourage at a minimum providing raw beef shank bones (often available at the butcher or supermarket as "soup bones") as combination dietary supplement, dental hygiene device and toy. They last a long time, keep dogs occupied, the marrow is good for them , and those bones are sturdy enough not to splinter.

Due to the bloat preventative nature, we recommend table scraps for dogs. However, certain items must be avoided. Rhubarb is poisonous to dogs. Onions in even moderate amounts act as a clotting-inhibitor and can cause spontaneous bleeds. Chocolate is poison for dogs. Dogs do not break down cellulose well, so vegetables high in cellulose such as carrots and brocolli should be ground or shredded if added to their meal. High sugar treats are no better for dogs than for humans, but some high fat ones such as hamburger drippings or that nice tasty chicken skin that those of us watching our weight avoid is a perfectly acceptable supplement for your dog.

Some don't: no raw hides, pigs' ears or hooves as chew toys. They can be dangerous and cause intestinal obstructions.

We recommend supplementing adult/adolescent dogs with the following if they are on a commercial diet:

Biotin: We use 300 micrograms 2 times per day (½ a capsule intended for human consumption). Biotin is a trace element lost in food processing that is important to healthy skin and hair at a minimum, perhaps more.

MSM: Methlysulfonyl Methane. Often available at feed stores as a horse supplement. MSM breaks down at high temperatures (ie during food processing). It is part of the matrix that forms healthy cartilage and other tissues. 1/8 of a teaspoon twice a day is the recommended dose. (I take it too in a slightly higher dose and in capsule form if you wonder if it is "safe")

Source: a seaweed/kelp blend also availableat feed stores for horses. It is good for pigment and it provides trace elements similar to those health-food stores market as a blue-green diet. Again, nutrients lost in food processing.

Cottage cheese/yogurt: Both good for adding calcium to the dogs diet, with yogurt having the added benefit of adding beneficial bacteria to the dogs diet.

Most meat, fruit, vegetable and unmodified starch (potatoe, rice) table scraps. Some bread is okay but there are some dogs in our lines that have had wheat allegies. If your dog starts to scratch, the second thing to check is diet (the first is for fleas ;-) )

Note: Do not feed in elevated bowls. Contrary to popular folk lore, raised feeding platforms increase the incidence of bloat over 200%. During the Purdue bloat study, the preliminary findings indicated that exercise before or after feeding did not increase incidence of bloat. But adding natural foods to the diet, feeding more often smaller meals, and periodic snacks thoughout the day all lowered incidence.

Unrelated to bloat but important in the overall scheme of things to your dog's health is type of bowl you provide your dog. Plastic bowls get micro-scratches that can harbor bacteria and result in a contact dematitis. Either ceramic or stanless steel bowls avoid that issue.

Bloat Info

The best treatment of bloat is via prevention, through diet and proper health checks as bloat can occur in response to other health issues. However, survival is directly linked to early identification.

Classic early signs of bloat are:
Restlessness, uneasiness
Reluctance to sit or lie down
whimpering, moaning or a special quiet signal of pain
vomiting followed by quantities of white foam then gagging
and repeated attempts to swallow
unsuccessful vomiting or belching
unproductive attempts to deficate
refusal or inability to swallow food
abdominal tension preliminary to a distended, haed abdomen
darkened gums and tougue.

Once the stomach is distended, only surgery can correct a bloat. If the dog has early signs but can still swallow, we recommend 3-4 Simethicone (Gas-Ex) and a rush to the vet. Some people carry a bloat kit which includes a tube to place down the dogs throat. This requires some training and medical knowledge. Being conscious of your dogs comfort is the best means to avoid a major incidence that would require surgery.

Most dogs are not at risk until their adult chest develops between 1-2 years, but all Briards are at some risk. Be aware, be prepared and be careful.

Briard Cropped Ear Maintenance

Although Briards (and their traditional cropped ear) have been around for centuries, the care and maintenance of the cropped ear is still a challenge to us. However, this technique is one that comes from France and is time proven, especially in puppies with correct earset and sufficient leather.

Currently your puppy's ears are supported strictly by each other and Tear-Mender Leather and Fabric Glue. Any good quality craft glue that is for porous surfaces, that is flexible when dry, and permanent will do. No water soluable glue as your puppy will get those ears wet no matter what steps you take to avoid that.

There are a few don't. Don't ever put ears up that are not completely dry. Don't put the ears up if there is an open wound on the inner surface of the ear or top of the head. Don't glue the ears to the top of the head. Do not use sticks or hard braces such as those used on Dobermen Pinschers. If your puppies ears need more support as the grow, you will find techniques at the end of this article to accommodate that. Do not take the ears down too early. We recommend leaving them up until all the adult teeth are in-- often until the age of one year.

Now the do's. Your puppy has come with his/her ears up. As they grow, the hair between them grows, or they are seperated due to rough play, you have two choices: try to "fix them" or to start from scratch. Experienced owners may have enough confidence in their mastery of the Art of Ears to fix them, otherwise, take them down and start from scratch.

First, to take them down requires a solvent. Be very careful to keep any solvents out of the puppy's eyes. I use Goo-Gone, other people use a surgical adhesive solvent. Either is fine, just be careful. Get the glue out with the solvent then thouroughly wash the solvent out with a gentle dog grooming shampoo.

You start with ears down and do a "test drive". Hold the ears up and together and see where is the first point you can bring the bases of the ears together.

The points indicated on the drawing are the approximate positions that you will dab with glue and hold for a moment to set.

As you work from the bottom up, placing a narrow strip of glue (start with about a 0.25 of an inch at first. You may need to add a little at the base once the ears are up to lend a bit more support) on the inner, backside edge of the ear. Work your way up focusing on keeping the ears centered.

Interim stage looks something like this:

As you work your way up from the base, so long as you keep the ears centered, do not fret if the tips do not line up exactly. Cropping is not an exact science and often one ear is slightly shorter than the other. This is the primary reason to start at the bottom when glueing-- so long as you start centered, long term that slight difference in length will be indistinquishable when the Briard has his or her adult coat.

When finshed, the front and rear view of the ears should be approximately the same and as illustrated below.

If you determine that the ears are lacking in "forward alertness" or if minor folds develop at the base in the "bell" of the ear, an additional technique can help. Rollup "test strands" of forehead hair approximately the thickness of several standard wool strands and hold them to a point approximately 1/3 the height of the ear from the base. If the folds go away as you pull the ears forward to attach to the strand, go ahead and apply glue and attach the ears to the strand.

For many puppies, this will be adequate to eliminate any "ear folds". If not, we add "strings". Strings are a relatively simple contraption compared to many of the techniques out there. First step is to identify the "bell" of the ear. At the very base you can find the somewhat bulbous cartilage that is at the base of all briard ears on the outer bck side of the ear.

However, you may find tht as your puppy's skull develops it's more mature breadth that some form of support is required. Semi-stiff crafting foam cut in a truncated triangle can provide adequate support. The foam is centered on the head and a light coat of glue applied to the edges of the foam that face the ears. The ears are then held in place for the glue to set. For added security, cross tufts of hair may be glued across the front dge and back of the foam form. It is not eccesary to glue that hair actually to the foam-- simply having it secured across the head helps stablize the ears and secure the foam in place.

Always remember, as with any other health and welfare questions, you are always free to call Karen or Beth at 740-965-3002.

Home | Meet Us | Our Dogs | Planned Litters | Currently Available |
Puppy Packet | Links | Eiledon Briard Art | Contact Us