Here, in Mozartgasse 62, the Briards "de la Maison du Garde-Barrière" are at home:

Love for animals, especially the love for dogs, was laid into my cradle. Since my earliest youth dogs had always been part of the family besides some smaller animals - first mix breeds and then German Shepherds. My heart was attached to this breed for a very long time, and today I still admire the one or other most dignified representative of that breed, but years ago I have decided for another breed, the BRIARD, and I have never regretted it  !

"Marko" was with me in the office from beginning on and naturally it happened that also "Sándor" joined us when going to work with train and subway. "Marko" was - some might think this is incredible - a dog without any mistakes. So "Sándor" could only learn good things from him, at home as well as in the city.

In October 1992 the first litter after "Sándor" was born - he had sired in Slovakia. Out of this breeding I decided for a girl that moved to our home in December. That was "Arwa Betkin dvor", black like her father. Since it was impossible to take three dogs to the office, "Marko" und "Sándor" stayed at home since then - each day from noon on attended by my parents - and "Arwa" travelled with me to the office. She was so very funny and furry in the train, that I had to decide on the spot to go with the car and just take the last part of the trip with the subway. "Arwa" , too, turned out to be a safe dog in city traffic.

In August 1993 the breeder of "Arwa" had decided to get rid of her dam - "Arwa Zevar"; she wanted to put the 4.5 years old bitch down because she did not have the expected and desired success with breeding Briards. I did not hesitate a minute:  "Arwa Z." was welcome in the gang. Seems she had not had a good time in Slovakia as she jumped into the open car immediately and did not even turn her head when we left. Having reached home she was integrated to the gang immediately. For her best friend she did not choose one of the Briards, but "Marko". This friendship lasted until the much to early death of "Marko" - even afterwards "Arwa Z.'s" eyes were star-spangled when she got sight of a German Shepherd.
From now on "Arwa B." as well stayed at home. To prevent fights while nobody was at home the dogs were seperated: "Marko" and "Arwa Z." shared the ground-floor, "Sándor" and his daughter "Arwa B." shared the upper storey. At noon my parents came for walking them and then have playing time (BTW: this is something that is still daily routine).

End of 1993 I began to take a look at aquarium life. I bought reading matter to study and then the decision was made to buy an aquarium. I was a lucky one with the fishes: the water was well prepared soon in the fish tank and I nearly had no cases of death. The only thing that has been changed meanwhile is the aquarium itself: it has turned to be much bigger.

In January 1994 the first litter of this hobby kennel was born: 5/2 puppies from "Sándor" and "Arwa Z." (1/1 tawny and 4/1 black) were raised. Mother and daughter "Arwa" shared the education as soon as the puppies started to walk. For "Arwa B." this was the pure delight. One male out of this litter was here in the gang until spring 1996: "Aristide".

"Gunki" is not really hand tame, but he flies around loose - of course being watched - and sits down on shoulders from time to time. As long as he is in his cage you can even pad and tickle him, but as soon as he is "free", that's not longer possible - then he likes to peck. I presume that he must have had bad experience in this direction, but I have no problem to live this way. In case he has to go to the vet I always find a way to catch him in a "soft" way. "Gunki" never showed any signs of illness. Therefore, his unexpected death on July 6, 2002, caused by cardiac arrest, was kind of a shock.

There were never problems in companionship between the dogs, the cat and the parrots. All of them accept the territory of the others, non of them ever tries to chase a hairy or feathered member of the family.

For a long time I had thought about importing a Briard girl from France. Since "Marko" turned to feel worse because of his hips I did not want to bother him with another puppy. Unfortunately the condition of "Marko" turned worse rapidly and so I had to come to the decision to release him from his pain. I think to serve pain killers for a long period of time is nothing lasting. In my opinion an animal shall be able to die in dignity, and that is why I decided to lead "Marko" to his last "trip" as long as he could tolerably walk on his four legs. It was not easy and the worst thing in this matter was, that I had to fix the day for good-bye already some time in advance, because "Marko" should be released at home, on the quiet in his well known area. My vet for such matters has Greyhounds and is showing them as well as going to races. So we both had to find a weekend that she had time: Day X was on September 15th, 1995.
I don't ever want to go through such a time - it is hell when you start counting the weeks first, then the days and finally the hours. Still it was the right decision: Because of a surgery on his hips at an age of about 18 months "Marko" was always very stressed at vets, and this kind of stress was what I wanted him not to go through. Never in his life "Marko" was so calm and well-poised, and since months he had clear eyes again for the first time, without any sign of pain - as if he knew that he was released. "Marko" was lying in my arms when he started his trip to the Rainbow Bridge. This was the moment I wished that I could say good-bye to all my animals in this calm way when time has come.

Even the ones who have never
met "Marko" personally
can see in this picture that the pain,
was not easy to bear.

September 15th, 1995:
The last photo from the pack leader
with his Briard family (from left to right) "Aristide", "Arwa Z.", "Boss Marko", "Arwa B.", "Ch. Sándor"

The Briards helped to get along easier with the painful loss of "Marko". This four pawed friend has a very special place in my heart, the more so as he had been the first dog after nearly nine dogless years.
To be busy all around the clock and to be attached completely I decided at short notice to import a black girl from France: On October 1st, 1995, "Yazoo" came to this home and with her more life than with all the others put together. :-) This "lady" is a very special Briard - she was the one who put my experience around Briards up side down and taught me new things about this breed. "Yazoo" cannot be described - you have to meet with her.

To enrich the family with another kind of animals, at Easter 1996 two Chinchillas entered the house. That was not really planned, it just happened. I felt sorry for the two in a pet shop where I stumbled upon them. Their crate was placed in the middle of the shop, which was absolutely against nature of these night active animals. Oh well, they were bought and at home I hurried to build a huge cage to be placed in a calm room. These two were tame and so they were allowed to run around. A short time later we adopted four more - two mothers with their sons, all of them neutered. I don't know how old these animals had been, and last year I lost two of them. The other ones are healthy and active as soon as evening twilight hour comes. To watch their jumps and gymnastic exercise is lots of fun.

For "Aristide", the male from the first litter, who was still with me, I found a great home completely unexpected - but with a tragical background: A couple had met "Aristide" when having come here for information around Briard - and they had fallen in love with him, but I did not want to get apart of him. They got a Briard male from Germany, but that puppy died with Parvovirosis at the age of 16 weeks. To have a new puppy in their house was impossible because of the infection risk, and so I decided to give "Aristide" the chance for a calmer life, not being one among several dogs, but only the second one besides a German Shepherd girl. "Aristide" had gone through "Marko's" school and was therefore attached very tightly to German Shepherds. The girl and he met and were a heart and a sould from beginning on.

Probably I was missing something or was not owned fully by my Briards, because in spring 1996 I heard about a Briard male in Belgium - same line as "Yazoo". I did not have to think for a long time, and as soon as I heard that both parents were grey the decision was definite. On May 1st, 1996, a second male came to this home, "Samson", with the mental reservation to probably have a second stud, which even was fitting perfectly to "Yazoo" - naturally that was checked with the breeders of "Yazoo" before the definite decision had been made.
"Yazoo" was thrilled about the new little play mate and tried with all her means to teach him how funny life is here. She did not succeed completely because "Samson" allowed me to influence him. :-)

In fall 1997 another black stud came to this kennel as an enrichment. This boy had been nearly five years old at that time and rather successful in showing. He was out of the kennel of my friend Monika from Slovakia:  "Ch. CAMIL Kasiterit". This stud has then turned to be the most successful Briard of Austria ever at the age of 6 years. The pain about his tragical loss in his prime on June 26th, 1999 - in his seventh year of age - is too much that I can write about it. At this point I can only say that "Camil" has left behind a big hole in some lifes, and this hole will only be filled partly time by time.

End of July 1997 girl "Arwa B."  was bred to "Samson's" grey sire "Dartagnan" in France. Unfortunately the litter out of this breeding, born on October 4th, 1997, the second litter in this kennel, was only a single puppy, but a very lively girl - "Batida de Coco". And to make this litter a very special experience for me, "Batida" had to be given birth with a c-section and besides that "Arwa B." has been spayed by the vet - I still don't know the reason why. Not only "Batida" is now living with a family with long time experience in Briard, but also her mother "Arwa B.", as she has decided herself to go there. The circumstances about this fact can be read in "Arwa B.s" part of this homepage.

In March 1998 the first litter out of "Yazoo" and "Samson", the C's in this kennel (3/3 black), was born. Out of this litter only two males remained in Austria, the other ones are scattered over the world. On August 26th, 1998 one of the two Austrian males - "Chivas Regal" - came to death in a tragical way. His litter mates in the foreign countries are being shown successfully, and with this litter we have the first champion having been bred in this kennel, "Celine" in California. Her sister "Champagne chez Cacharel" in Australia has turned to be Champion as well, the second sister, "Chloé", turned to be Canadian Champion in August 2000, and "Chaos" gives pleasure to Sweden with his presence at shows.

In the beginning of October 1998 I got the chance to visit "Chloé" in Canada and to be in the center of the "First Canadian Adventure". An unforgettable trip.

Shortly before I went to Canada a parrot owner, who had turned to have a baby parrot without intention, searched for a nice home for a hand tame youngster, who is handicaped a bit from birth on (two missing toes and two missing nails on two toes) and probably a bit clumsy. This is how a second parrot came here, this time a Kongo Grey who is called "Nurmi" (born on April 17th, 1998). He is very funny and receptive; you can hardly see his handicap. In case he really drops from his branch or drops when climbing up and down he does not see a problem in it - he has got used to it since he was born. "Nurmi's" vocabulary is enormous. He loved to imitate "Gunki" and the older one had lots of fun to teach the "small" one nonsense, and he can say all the dog names perfectly.
Again I have no problems in the relation between the hairy and the feathered members of this family, as can be easily seen in the picture of "Samson" and "Nurmi".

In October 2004 "Nurmi" turned to be sick seriously and had to stay in the Vet. University for 21 days. During the first days I really feared for his life as his condition was really bad, but he got through it and came home healthy and funny. Since April 9, 2005, "Nurmi" lives together with a parrot girl who lost her partner. Although I loved "Nurmi" dearly I also wanted to offer him a life which he could not have here. Therefore a friend tried to "nationalize" him with her parrot girl "Jakobine" and it work from first second. Now "Nurmi" has a beautiful and free life as the huge cage is open all day long and he can - whenever he wants to - go out to the veranda which has been made for the parrots.

To do the breeder of "Camil" a favor, I imported the tawny, 3.5 years old girl "ELLIS Kasiterit", which did not receive the Slovakian breeding conformation, and with her - since she fulfilled all the necessary conditions for breeding in Austria - I had the D-litter (born November 25th, 1998) after "Ch. FALCO Kasiterit": 6/1 tawny puppies. Non of these puppies has remained in Austria - one boy, "Dubonnet", went to Canada and is now joining "Chloé", the other ones have been splitted up in eastern Europe. Some of them are show dogs, some are pets and beloved family members in their new homes.

At Christmas 1998 it happened that I got a complete contraty to our Briards: a Yorkshire Terrier girl, little "Gizmo". She as well comes out of the kennel Kasiterit from Monika. For a long time I had been impressed by her Yorkie's in their character, but somehow it had never happened that I turned to be owned by such a tiny four pawed friend. Monika offered best conditions with her Yorkies: they are used to Briards from beginning on. Since I did not know how the Briard gang would act to such a tiny dog, Inaturally arranged with Monika that "Gizmo" would be taken back from her in case there were problems. NOTHING in this direction, and the girl that I had thought to run over tiny "Gizmo" because of her furryness, once more showed me that I had underrated her: "Yazoo" adopted "Gizmo" in the first minute and the two of them are a great duo, ready for any nonsense and fun. The whole gang gets along great with "Gizmo", just "Ch. Sándor" was not too happy to be jumped around by the small flee - he preferred to have a calm time while aging. "Gizmo" was with me in the office daily - she brought sunshine to the one or other cloudy working day. In summer 2000 my junior boss all of a sudden told me to crate "Gizmo" when clients come to the office. I would not do that - so she is at home now, joining the Briards, but I still miss this little sunshine very much during office times.
Something fascinating in this small breed is, that they have a heart like a lion. But we should never forget to think about a fact when these tiny dogs meet huge breeds: to watch the signals of the big ones, because if not doing this a tragedy turns up very fast, especially in such cases as with "Gizmo", being allowed to live the life of a dog and not being banned to be a lap-dog.

"Dubonnet" & "Gizmo"

"Yazoo", "Gizmo", "Samson"

On May 18th, 1999, the E-litter was born, a repeat breeding to the C's, which means "Samson" and "Yazoo" being the parents. Some of these puppies have also made a trip over the big pond to get to own their new families: "El Ninjo Noir" and "Escada Noire" are living with a couple in New Hamshire/USA; the two Briards of them have died within 48 hours (the girl with epilepsy and the boy - as it seems - died with a broken heart). "Ecoute-moi chez Bailywick" and "Ecstasy Noir" are each with Briard breeders in Pennsylvania/USA and "Elysée Noire" makes the trio in Kanada to be complete. "Esprit" stepped into the paw prints of "Chivas Regal" and lives in Carinthia with a vet, "Einstein" went to join "Arwa B." and "Batida de Coco", and "Excuse-moi Whoopy" is here in the gang.

On September 25th, 2000, I had to open my arms and let "Arwa Z." make her trip to the "Rainbow Bridge". All of a sudden she could not get up anymore - her arthritis had turned worse within days. What a loss - the girl that had made this kennel live died at only 11.5 years. But this painful loss was - as it turned out to be - not the end of sad incidents: Only 3.5 months later, on January 13th, 2001, in the night I found "Ch. Sándor" lying dead on his sleeping place - taken to make his last journey while sleeping; 2 hours earlier he was out for a walk - a senior, but still funny and lively, with his head up high. Loosing this boy also meant loosing the very first Briard that had entered my life.
With these two dogs the founders of the kennel "de la Maison du Garde-Barrière" are gone, an episode has ended. Only memories of a most wonderful time remain, and lots of pain. I am grateful that I was given the chance to be owned by these two ...... but the time with them was way too short.
And only some time later, on March 7th, 2001, I had to lead another senior to the last journey: Remo, the Persian, was from one day to the other paralysed in his hind legs and died at the age of 13 years in my arms. He had been attached closest to "Ch. Sándor" and on the day when that boy died he moved to another floor in this house - it seemed as if he retired and prepared himself for his own farewell.

In November 2000 I heard incidental about a grey (born black) adult bitch that should be placed. I took the chance immediately since a grey Briard was a long dreamed wish. On December 10th, 2000, "Sél. Oh-Lala des Monts d'en Crauzille" entered the life here. She is selected in France and has had two litters with her former owner. She is a happy and funny dog, and besides that a most interesting addition to this kennel.

On December 24th, 2000, another litter was born: the F-litter. Sire is "Ch. Sél. NESCAFE des Pierrailles" (grey, born black), dam is "Yazoo". It was 6 males and 2 females. Out of this litter one boy is in Germany, one in Switzerland, one in Italy and a girl is in Germany. One of the boys, "FRIZZANTE FURIOSO GRIS" stayed here and, meanwhile, is the second stud of this kennel.

A special event of this kennel: On October 24th, 2001 the NEW member of the Austrian-French-Connection moved to this home. Finally - after 10 years of owning only black and grey Briards - a twany puppy arrived: "ALOA ZABOU du Noble Nid" from Belgium. If things turn out how I wish this girl shall be the new enrichment for this kennel and the Austrian Briard breeding.

The latest litter of this kennel was born on April 8, 2002: the G's. The parents of these puppies are "Sél. JOLLY JUMPER GRIS des Monts d'en Crauzille" (grey, born black) and "OH-LALA". This litter was - according to the genders - what every breeder wishes to have: 1 boy and 5 girls (1/4 black, 0/1 tawny). From the black born one girl has already turned to be grey, but I think that some more will follow.

Another big loss was the unexpected death of "Samson" - this boy had never been sick in all his life. On Feb. 28, 2005, he turned to be 9 years old, on March 15, 2005, he died on the way to the vet - he had a stroke. I always had thought that this boy will live "forever" and all of a sudden I fell into a big hole missing a wonderful friend and a wonderful stud.

The introduction of each single dog in this home - with words and pictures - can be seen through the main site of the kennel. Some of the dogs have their own web pages. Updates are frequently made to present most actual pictures of the hairy family members. This homepage is worth to be bookmarked and to be visited from time to time.
So long - have fun while surfing and until soon.

The Austrian-French-Connection * where the best of the past is bred to the excellence of the present.