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Brittany - Sporting


Brittany

Family:

gundog, setter, pointer, versatile hunting dog


Area of origin:

France


Original function:

pointing and retrieving


Average size of male:

Ht: 17.5-20.5, Wt: 30-40


Average size of female:

Ht: 17.5-20.5, Wt: 30-40


Other names:

epagneul Breton, Brittany spaniel


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    Energy

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    Exercise

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    Playfulness

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    Affection

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    Friendliness towards dogs

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    Friendliness towards other pets

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    Friendliness towards strangers

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    Ease of training

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    Watchdog ability

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    Protection ability

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    Grooming

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    Cold tolerance

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    Heat tolerance

Picture: Kent and Donna Dannen |

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Temperament

The Brittany is quick and curious, always on the lookout for birds or fun. She loves to run, scout, hunt and play. She has an independent nature, befitting any pointing breed, yet she is sensitive and very responsive to human direction. The Brittany makes a good house pet, as long as she receives daily mental and physical exercise. If not given sufficient exercise, she can become destructive.

Care

The Brittany is generally a hardy dog that requires little maintenance. Her major requirement is for abundant exercise, at least an hour of exertion every day. She is a social dog that needs human interaction. Her coat is not particularly thick or long, but it does require brushing once or twice weekly.

Health

Major concerns: CHD
Minor concerns: epilepsy, lipfold pyoderma
Occasionally seen: spinal paralysis
Suggested tests: hip
Life span: 12-13 years

Related Dogs

Pointer
German Shorthaired Pointer
German Wirehaired Pointer
Welsh Springer Spaniel
Clumber Spaniel

Interested in the history of the Brittany breed?

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In the mid-1800s, French sportsmen crossed their small land spaniels with English setters in attempts to produce a dog better suited for their needs. Some of the offspring were tailless, and their descendants continued to be tailless or stub-tailed. More importantly, they were excellent woodcock hunters with strong noses. These dogs soon became popular not only with the French gentry but also with poachers, because they would both point and retrieve and were extremely obedient, essential qualities for the clandestine activities of the poachers. The first Brittany (or epagneul Breton) was registered in France in 1907. The Brittany came to America (Mexico) around 1925 and was AKC recognized in 1925. The breed took a while to be accepted, mostly because hunters expected a pointing dog to have a long tail. When the dogs were given a chance, however, they proved their mettle and have since become the most popular of all pointing breeds at field trials. In fact, registrations eventually soared to place the Brittany among the top 20 in popularity, no doubt because of her bird-hunting abilities, close-ranging hunting style, small size and tractable nature. Although registered as the Brittany spaniel with the AKC from 1934, the word spaniel was dropped in 1982 in recognition of the dog's hunting style, which is more like that of a setter than a spaniel.


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