Page 29 - Le Magazine Summer 2014
P. 29
Our Briard Adventure 27
When my third child, Evelyn, turned three years old, I
began to feel a little sad about not having a baby in our
house anymore. I thought getting a dog would be nice
for our young family and that perhaps a puppy would
be good medicine for me. Earlier in my life I ended up
with a poorly bred puppy and for the next seventeen
years I put up with a snippy little fear biter who left
white hairs all over my carpets and dark pants. I was
determined to find an especially good dog this time,
one that would be good with our young children and a
pleasure to have in our house. My husband, Jonathan,
was not thrilled about the idea of bringing a puppy into
an already busy house full of three small children who
were finally out of diapers, but I promised him I really
wanted to care for the puppy and would be responsible
for it.
I looked for a breed that was large and protective,
intelligent and loving, and one that did not shed! The
Briard was my top choice. I read The Puppy Whisperer
by Paul Owens and it suggested finding a breeder that
showed their dogs and listed some questions to ask. I
found Briard owners and asked them about where to
find a good puppy. I contacted breeders, first close to
home and then farther afield, asking them about how
long they had been working with Briards, who they
had gotten their dogs from, and whether their dogs
were exposed to children. I asked for copies of their
contracts and what they thought their dogs’ strengths
and weaknesses were. As I spoke with more people I
learned more about what to ask and what to think about.
I began hearing certain breeders’ names more
frequently When I finally emailed Michael Greenberg
and Meg Weitz of Briards De Bejaune, Michael
emailed back his phone number and asked that I call
him directly. We spoke for three hours and I knew I
had found someone who not only knew Briards and
had spent a lifetime breeding them, but a person who
was willing to help me get the right Briard for our
family and who was interested in helping me learn
as much as I wanted to know. What I couldn’t have
known at the time was that Meg Weitz was the kind of
breeder who would show up at your house to encourage
you and guide you through your early dog rearing
days. She’s taken many calls from me and answered
countless emails about shows and puppy care. It was
tremendously comforting to know that Meg and Michael
wanted us to succeed with Ronan as much as we did.
Then, just a week after committing to taking a puppy,
Le Magazine
When my third child, Evelyn, turned three years old, I
began to feel a little sad about not having a baby in our
house anymore. I thought getting a dog would be nice
for our young family and that perhaps a puppy would
be good medicine for me. Earlier in my life I ended up
with a poorly bred puppy and for the next seventeen
years I put up with a snippy little fear biter who left
white hairs all over my carpets and dark pants. I was
determined to find an especially good dog this time,
one that would be good with our young children and a
pleasure to have in our house. My husband, Jonathan,
was not thrilled about the idea of bringing a puppy into
an already busy house full of three small children who
were finally out of diapers, but I promised him I really
wanted to care for the puppy and would be responsible
for it.
I looked for a breed that was large and protective,
intelligent and loving, and one that did not shed! The
Briard was my top choice. I read The Puppy Whisperer
by Paul Owens and it suggested finding a breeder that
showed their dogs and listed some questions to ask. I
found Briard owners and asked them about where to
find a good puppy. I contacted breeders, first close to
home and then farther afield, asking them about how
long they had been working with Briards, who they
had gotten their dogs from, and whether their dogs
were exposed to children. I asked for copies of their
contracts and what they thought their dogs’ strengths
and weaknesses were. As I spoke with more people I
learned more about what to ask and what to think about.
I began hearing certain breeders’ names more
frequently When I finally emailed Michael Greenberg
and Meg Weitz of Briards De Bejaune, Michael
emailed back his phone number and asked that I call
him directly. We spoke for three hours and I knew I
had found someone who not only knew Briards and
had spent a lifetime breeding them, but a person who
was willing to help me get the right Briard for our
family and who was interested in helping me learn
as much as I wanted to know. What I couldn’t have
known at the time was that Meg Weitz was the kind of
breeder who would show up at your house to encourage
you and guide you through your early dog rearing
days. She’s taken many calls from me and answered
countless emails about shows and puppy care. It was
tremendously comforting to know that Meg and Michael
wanted us to succeed with Ronan as much as we did.
Then, just a week after committing to taking a puppy,
Le Magazine
