In our view, the profile of a Briard would be less “Briardy” were it not for the well furnished and familiar “J-curve” at the tip of its tail. Typically raised in an agreeable curve when the dog is in motion, the tail never goes above the level of the dog’s back except for that terminal crook.

When at rest, the tail – typically feathered – hangs straight down until it reaches the crook of the bone of the tail reaching the point of the hock. The crook has a name which, for obvious reasons, is “crochet tail,” and the breed standard specifically calls for the tails to seen as the shape of the letter “J“ from the dog’s right side.