The AKC calls the Briard a heart wrapped in fur, and the fur is a lot of it. The coat sets the bath, the summer plan and the amount of time to allow at pick-up.
Business Class or First Class
Males are 23 to 27 inches and females 22 to 25.5 inches at the withers, in a weight range the AKC page puts at 55 to 100 pounds. A female or average male is comfortable in Business Class (5x6 ft, $59 a night). A male near 100 pounds with a full coat is more at ease in First Class (6x8 ft, about 48 square feet inside plus 72 outside, $72).
Long, coarse, dry
The standard describes an outer coat that is coarse, hard and dry, falling in long, slightly waving locks, generally six inches or more on the shoulders, over a fine, tight undercoat. That is a double coat, so the last column of the bath chart applies: $65 at 51 to 75 pounds and $75 at 76 to 100, effective January 1, 2024. A thick wet coat takes a while to dry, so please ask the front desk to confirm the price and plan the bath for a day or two before pick-up.
Herding drive
Briards were farm herders and guardians, and the AKC points to obedience work as a good outlet for their energy and desire to stay busy. On a stay, a Briard does best with long walks, which are included, and with time in the grass field. Some guardian breeds are reserved with strangers; staff walk each dog in from the car so that the first meeting is calm.
A thick coat in Solano County heat
The NOAA Vacaville station (1991-2020 normals) records about 100 days a year at 90 degrees or more. A coat this long holds heat in, so the air-conditioned side of the run matters. Your dog picks inside or outside through its doggie door, and a Kuranda bed keeps it off the concrete.
What to bring
Records for rabies, distemper/parvo, Bordetella and canine influenza, plus your boarding agreement signed once. Arrive free of fleas and ticks, because a flea bath on a coat this thick is at the owner's cost. See large dog boarding.