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Mungo and Sage

This article has been taken from 'French Letters December 1998.

Brian and Susan Swanney live in Dunedin. In 1982 they came out to the old Angevin house at Purakanui to talk about getting a briard puppy from the 'J' litter (Bellesme Alkaid / Valois Black Shanida). They have never owned a dog before, so I considered them unlikely suspects for a briard...... but they had cared for Susans brothers briard for several months and had become very attached to her. I was convinced enough to let them have a pet puppy from the litter and they took 'Safka' (Juliette Dor d'Angevin), a fawn bitc, litter sister to my Ch Jeunelle Dor d'Angevin. Although it was successful 'homing for the puppy I heard very little from Brian and Susan thereafter (they did subscribe to the earlier French Letters but didn't attend any of the Briard fun days in Dunedin - 'snobby sods' I thought!!!!!) Eventually, Brian phoned in 1993 to let me know that 'Safka' had been put down due to progressive deterioration in health following a sudden onset of blindness. He was very upset but had decided not to replace her. HOwever as fate would have it, I had a litter of puppies ready that had been born four days before 'Safka' died and he soon realised home was just enpty without a briard around. A little persuation convinced him another would be a great idea, but to lessen any comparisons, he opted for a black dog puppy this time - so 'Mungo' (Navarre Noir d'Angevin'), a little black boy went to Brian and Susan - co-owned between Shove/Swanney on breeder terms. OK - I thought - we will never see anymore of him again for the next 11 years.

Juliette Dor d'Angevin (Safka)

WRONG!!!! This time Brian appeared at the local dog obedience club tp put his new puppy through a 9 week basic obedience course. There he met up with Linda Gale who was training and competing with 'Sam' another black Briard dog. This may have been the vital spark needed to light the fire. I talked him into coming to breed show training classes as well, then to a Ribbon Parade, then to a Championship Show.......!!! Talk about a convert. 'Mungo' graduated from his odedience class and went on to compete successfully in Special Beginners and Novice classes. On the show front he gained his title with ease, and went on to gain three Intermediate of Group wins to date. Once Brian had become bitten by the 'showing and competing' bug, it was just a matter of time before the idea of 'another puppy' was raised. Now Susan also loves her Briards dearly and accepted all the costs and time away that showing incurs - but a second Briard!!! Despite some initial resistance from Susan, she was eventually out-manoeuvred!!!

Navarre Noir d'Angevin (Mungo)                                                              Visage Dor d'Angevin (Sage)

A fawn puppy was chosen from two possibles in the Angevin 'V V' litter (Kastillian Noir d'Angevin / Natiche Dor d'Angevin). Ch. Visage Dor d'Angevin ('Sage') has also turned out to be quite a success on the show scene with 5 Group wins at Champion Show level to date and he is just beginning to compete with promise in Agility.

Here are some answers from Brian and Susan to life with Briards.

Why a briard?

Very much a case of being totally smitten at first sight. Susan and I arrived in New zealand from Scotland in November 1980. We were to stay with Susan's brother and sister-in-law at their Dunedin home. We arrived on their doorstep unannounced to 'surprise' them - but of course they were out!!! What did greet us though was a spine chilling howling followed by a furious flurry of black and fawn hair and teeth leaping up on the side gate of the house. WOW!!! This was 'Abby' (Angevin Feuille Fauve) - just six months old and protecting her house for all she was worth. That was the moment!! - we did not realise it immediately but our lives would never, ever be the same thereafter. Once introduced properly 'Abby' loved us to death, we became great mates - and I went from having never heard of Briards to learning a lot about the breed. Events dictated we look Abby for two seperate periods of several months. She was a sweetie that when we had to give her back to her proper owners we just missed her to much. A tentative approach to Linda about a puppy..... and the rest is history.

Briard ownership as you imagined it would be ?

To be honest - We did not really know what to expect. Dog ownership was completely new to us - looking after 'Abby' convinced us we had to have one - but getting your own puppy is alot different from fostering someone else's trained young dog. In hindsight, we made appalling mistakes in raising our first Briard - it is to 'Safka's' cedit that she turned out to be an acceptably good canine citizen - but it took time and only happened as she matured. it was realising this which made me determined to try to 'get it right' with my next puppy - and so off I went to proper training classes and put in lots of work when my puppy was still young. This made all the difference in the world and I would recommend the same to any new owner. As a breed Briards seem to have an immensely powerful ability to captiate thier humans - just impossible to ignore - but even in these moments when they are driving you absolutely mad subconscious thoughts still seem to be saying to you 'Aren't they just magnificent animals'!!!!

Navarre Noir d'Angevin (Mungo),Visage Dor d'Angevin (Sage),Quastille Noir d'Angevin (Qaz)

Most satisfying moment so far?

With 'Mungo', probably finally gaining a 1st placing in Novice at a Championship Obedience Test after a few minor place wins and a run of reasonable performances. (apologies to Margaret and 'Smudge' - I know it is much easier to win down south!!) With 'Sage', it would be a toss-up between winning Best of Breed at this years National or getting his first couple of clear round certificates in Agility.

Most embarrassing moment?

To date, it would be one of these two. ‘Mungo’s’ first ever Obedience competition appearance - in a ribbon trial (I knew he was not ready but Linda Gale insisted I enter!!!!) - it was a complete fiasco - on lead heelwork was a tight lead from start to finish, during the recall he came to me but ran straight past - jumped the ring ropes and shot off to visit Linda G. who was supposed to be hidden behind parked cars. Both the sit stay and down stays were broken and the judge summed it up nicely by tactfully saying he was a rather disobedient dog!!!

Or (more recently) - in the ‘scent’ exercise in Test A. (where the dog must pick and retrieve the handler’s scent cloth from a pattern of unscented cloths Ed.) ‘Mungo’ waited perfectly he ran out to the scent cloth area enthusiastically, he found the correct cloth in the pattern and picked it up really neatly he turned to come back to me with it……then he paused, a thoughtful look came into those lovely brown eyes he very gently laid the cloth down on the ground and ever so carefully proceeded to leave a ‘significant deposit’ right by the scent area!!! This of course can make the judge and steward rather displeased since they have to disinfect the spot and move the entire exercise to a new area of the ring for the rest of the dogs still to compete. I have no doubt there will be more or worse ‘embarrassing moments’ to report in the future I think it is one of a Briard’s prime goals in life!!

Your goals in Obedience/Agility?

With ‘Mungo’ I would love to get Companion Dog (CD) title with him. Linda Gale’s ‘Sam’ was the first, and so far only, Briard in NZ to have achieved this. The race is now on with Margaret to see who will be the second ‘Mungo’ or ‘Smudge’. The winner of this race will also be the first NZ Briard to gain a Breed and Obedience title I think ‘Smudge’ will get there first though!!! With ‘Sage’ I just want to be able to compete successfully in Agility with him and ultimately get his Agility Dog (AD) title. More importantly though I just want them to be good mates with each other and with us and, of course, to have long, healthy lives.

More Briards in the future?

I certainly hope so. I have yet to convince Susan that such a concept would be wonderful but yes I’ve enjoyed these two so much that I feel the need to be bringing on a young puppy very soon. However, while I spend my days at home minding the dogs and tending the house / garden it is Susan who brings in the $$$ to feed and care for our dogs so I need to be very careful and considerate in how we approach this!!!! (Susan and Ed. would say ‘he spends his days just playing with dogs and computer and very little tending
house and garden !!’)

Any regrets?

Without doubt, my biggest regret would be the ‘wasted’ years when I had ‘Safka’. I don’t mean that in a derogatory way just that I was completely unaware of the possibilities there are out there to really participate with your dog. ‘Safka’ was a much loved, well cared for pet but just that. The discoveries I have made since I got my next dog make me realise how much I missed out with my first one. It’s not the winning of ribbons or certificates which count (though of course they are nice reminders of progress) but just the satisfaction of learning to do new things with your dog as a team-mate whether it is in breed showing, obedience or agility the people you meet, the friends you make and perhaps even learning enough to be able to pass it on to others starting off with their dog.

Other interests?

The time available for any other interests seems to be diminishing now that life revolves around our dogs. Having recently moved from in town to ‘an acre’ on the edge of town there is plenty of gardening and wilderness taming to do plus developing useful dog runs and building agility equipment to train on! We like to get away on camping trips with the dogs too, though of course most of the places you really want to visit are ‘off-limits’ for dogs. I enjoy spending time on the computer but somehow most of this involves ‘doggie stuff’ as well - other owners’ Web sites to visit, Briard pedigree data-base to maintain show results and off course helping to produce the occasional newsletter!