Welcome to Jester Briards
Following a tremendously loving relationship with our Golden Retriever, Country and late in the life of our adorable soft-coated Wheaton Terrier, Bailey, Holly expressed her first desires to own a Briard. Following some research into the breed and some of it’s breeders Holly took a day trip on Northwest Airlines to Ohio and emerged from the airport with what looked like a baby “wookie” from the movie “Star Wars”.
Our first Briard actually went nameless for a few days until he earned the name Farley (after Chris Farley the Saturday Night Live / Tommy Boy comedian). His large feet made him uncoordinated and he had what seemed to be a desire to entertain everyone he encountered. As he grew, he became quite handsome and also very headstrong; and the relationship between Farley and Holly grew stronger and more loving with every obedience class and each grooming session. Holly attempted to learn everything she could about handling a dog of this type and quizzed other Briard owners daily about everything from discipline and grooming techniques, to what it was like to enter the show ring. Her research and long training sessions eventually did lead her and Farley into the conformation ring and Farley again showed a flair for performing as he became a champion in less than a year. The nearly inseparable duo got involved in sheep-herding, obedience, and agility competition, but nothing has made Holly and Jon as proud as Farley’s development in the area of therapy dog work. Farley and Holly visit nursing homes, hospitals, humane societies, schools and many other venues each week. It seems as though Farley has learned to channel all of the love and affection he gets from his family into a gentle and loving personality adored by everyone he comes in touch with. Recently, Farley was featured on the local news for his participation with a group of special students who learned how to deal with other humans while they learned how to care for a dog a few hours per week for three months.
We could go on and on about our handsome boy but we certainly don’t want to slight our second fabulous Briard, Savannah. Savvy is the perfect compliment to Farley in everyway. She came to us from Montreal, Canada and has very much stolen Jon’s heart with her gentle and loving personality. Early on her beautiful soft coat and gorgeous petite features earned her the nicknames “baby doll” and “snow white princess”, and she definitely caught the eye of show judges as she became a champion in the conformation ring before she was one year old. Now, as Savvy matures, she is becoming a beautiful young bitch with gorgeous features, fantastic movement and beautiful coat color and texture, so it is certainly no surprise that she continues to earn awards in the show ring. Savannah's recent "Versatile Dog" award at the 2006 Briard Nationals in Chicago however, proves that she is not just another pretty face. She has earned her first title in sheep herding, has been very successful and absolutely loves participating in agility and during this past summer earned legs in both obedience and rally. Just like Farley, Savvy is an Animal Ambassador and assists Holly on many therapy visits each month. She has become a frequent and adored visitor to the local children's hospital and Ronald McDonald House, sharing her love and kisses with many a young child looking for a break from the duldrums of an illness. In fact, Savvy, just like Farley, earned TV star status when she recently appeared on a local newscast featuring therapy work at Children's Hospital in Minneapolis.
Our dreams of growing the Jester Briard kennel name came true in April of 2007. You can take a look at the puppies on our puppy page and follow the life of Giacomo, our pick of the litter, here on our website. Prince Giacomo has inherited the best physical characteristics of each of his parents, although he has grown in just six months to a size that makes us believe he will be bigger than either Farley or Savvy. Giaco will start competing in the show ring this November however our biggest thrill is his temperament. We believe it would be difficult to find a more loving "heart dressed in fur". Our desire to have him follow his parents into the therapy ranks seems to be a sure thing at this point, and he is already showing a great instinct for herding, agility and obedience. Be sure to check out our heir to the throne here on the Jester website.
The Briard world has given us many new adventures and some fabulous new friendships with other Briard owners and their “fur kids”. We hope you enjoy our tribute to our dogs and certainly if you have any questions about them or our breed get in touch with us. We also have given you some links to some of Farley and Savvy’s best friends, Savvy’s breeder and to a great source of info for our breed.