Briards


Some people will see this photo and feel fear.
I see this photo and feel nothing but the same,
unadulterated glee that this awesome dog is experiencing.


More Cronie photos below.


I don't write about pets because if I started to tell you the story of how I've loved the dogs in my life -- Cronie the Briard, Folly the Golden Retriever, Boggle the Briard, Kismet the Lhasa Apso, Tyson her mixed-up cross-breed son, Basker the Australian Shepherd, and Scarlett the cute mutt rescue -- I would begin weeping and just never ever stop.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I LOVE LOVE LOVE dogs. Dogs bring me endless joy and make me happy with every fiber of my being. Nothing tickles me quite the way dogs do. I love puppy breath.

This also means that I absolutely cannot handle the suggestion of animal cruelty, or of dogs being sad, or of anything bad happening to them. I have the emotional maturity of a three-year-old when it comes to dogs and that's all there is to it.

So this post will NOT be about dogs I've loved or how pets are special or anything sentimental because seriously, I'd be a pool of dog-loving goo. Instead, I simply want to take this opportunity to say that Yep! Indeed, Crony (actually, my parents spelled it "Cronie," I'm sure for some reason, maybe because it was a name?) was a Briard, and he was great and you should get one.

A Briard is a French Sheepdog. If you're unfamiliar -- and most people are -- basically picture giant English Sheepdogs (sort of like Barkley on Sesame Street) except brown and black, with ears that are "trained" to stick up.

Contrary to popular belief, dogs with long hair shed less than dogs with short hair, and are therefore far kinder to folks who might be allergic. And sheepdogs, while they have a propensity toward heel-nipping, are great family dogs.

Apparently, Cronie didn't have a very kind temperment, but he was perfectly angelic with his family. When I was born, my parents were still living in New York City; no matter where my mom took me, Cronie was my protector and guardian. (A bit like Nana in Peter Pan except circa 1970s Manhattan.) He was gentle and patient and loving toward me and my sisters, always.

Cronie was, as you may have noticed, a giant dog. You'd throw a stick for him to retrieve, and he'd come galloping back toward you with a giant branch. Cronie also loved tires. He'd find -- and bring you -- discarded tires whenever he happened to see them. My dad would put on firewood gloves and wrestle with him in the backyard for fun.

He was a great dog, and made me fall in love with Briards, and I hope I get to have one again someday.


My mom with Cronie as a puppy.


A slightly older Cronopio, happily teething on my mom's hand.


Cronie the teenager.



Peek-a-boo! Where are you?


There you are! Ha!
Ever the patient dog.
This explains why, to this day, I'm convinced that all dogs
just want to be my friend.



Cronie, full-grown.
(House, full-70s.)



In our NYC apartment. Gotta dig the hair, all around.

Comments

  1. Two things:
    First, I love this dog, and I'm not even a dog person.
    Second, your mother was absolutely stunning, even with that hair.

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  2. Wow. That is an awesome dog! I love big dogs.

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  3. What a gorgeous family, including Cronie with his too-cute poky-up ears. I love your old photos!

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  4. You look just like your mom!

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  5. Oh my, the way you just explained that you feel about dogs is EXACTLY how I feel about dogs. It's like, I can be unemotional and logical in any other aspect of life almost to a scary robotic point (and have been called emotionally vacant before - more than once! By different people! Another story)...

    But when it comes to dogs, my heart just opens up, turns into complete mush, and has nothing but pure and unadulterated love within. Any movie, story, book or joke where a dog MAY have been mistreated sends me into an emotional state of deepest sadness, and yes the tears will fall.

    Dogs! There just aren't any more perfect, loving, submissive and adoring creatures ANYWHERE. They are like little angels sent just for us to love and be loved by. Ok, I'll stop. This is already getting out of control but - DOGS! :) Yay dogs. And Cronie was absolutely beautiful.

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  6. Cronie looks like he was such a beautiful boy! And that fur! I could just snuggle that neck all day!

    Also, in the last picture you look very much like your little girl - or rather, I should say that she looks very much like you! Maybe it's just the eyes and lips, but I swear you've shared a picture of Eve that looks very much like that!

    Lastly, Dogs - Yay!!!

    Okay... too many exclamation points for one comment... I'll leave now quietly...

    :)

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  7. Great post, I love dogs too. You look so much like your mom and Eve looks so much like you in that last pic, it's truly like you are a reproduction of the 1970's...Do you think you could get Ish to grow his hair out? LoL

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  8. I know exactly how you feel about every dog wanting to be your friend. I have walked up to dogs of every shape, size, breed and back ground and I've never been bitten. Dogs just know who to trust and who not to trust.

    Cronie was a beautiful dog...you were very blessed to have him in your life.

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  9. Oh I am such a dog lover. My fiance has never had a dog (!!) and so we're in the process of finding some little one to adopt or rescue. I'd love to find a Briard!

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  10. I did not quite realize how large a Briard was until the last photo.

    Also, was your mom a hip '70s supermodel OR WHAT?

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  11. I adore briards, and all dogs in general. The Horse Whisperer laughs at me, because I have to "say hello" to every single dog that we see.

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  12. I love when you share your family photos. Beautiful.

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  13. awww... so, cute.
    Dogs are the absolute best!

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  14. wow, you look so much like your mom!

    love this post, love the pictures.

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  15. The way you feel about dogs is exactly the way I feel about my kittycats. I cannot imagine life without a cat in it - - how dull and boring would that be?

    But even though I am not a dog person, your pictures are wonderful! Cronie looks like he was an amazing dog!

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  16. my gosh Eve looks alot like you

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  17. OMG love the pictures!! And you and Eve look like twins.

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