Videos Brittany Spaniel Breed Information
Alternative names -
American Brittany,
Brittany,
Epagneul Breton
Country of origin -
France
Classification and breed standards
FCI:|Group
7 Section 1.2 #95|Stds
AKC:|Sporting|Stds
ANKC:|Group 3
(Gundogs)|Stds
CKC:|Group
1 - Sporting Dogs|Stds
KC
(UK):|Gundog|Stds
NZKC:|Gundog|Stds
UKC:|Gun
Dog|Stds
The Brittany is a breed of gun dog
primarily bred for bird hunting. Although
the Brittany is often referred to as a spaniel, the breed's working characteristics
are more akin to a pointer or
setter. Brittanys were developed in the
Brittany province of France in
the 1800s.
1. Appearance
A Brittany is typically quite athletic, compact, and solidly
built without being heavy. Other characteristics include long legs,
and their expressions are usually of intelligence, vigour, and
alertness. Their gait is elastic, long, and free.
Some Brittanys are born with naturally short tails and others
with long tails. If born with a long tail it is normally docked to a length of 3 to 10
centimetres (1 to 4 inches). In countries where docking is illegal
long-tailed Brittanys should carry their tails level with the back
or slightly lower.
1. 1. Size
Brittany Spaniels are almost always between 44-52 cm
(17.5-20.5 in) tall at the withers, with
the UKC and AKC preferring smaller dogs. They
weigh 13.5-18 kg (30-40 lb). The dog is squareish when viewed from
the side, with shoulder height equaling body length (from withers to base of tail). Show dogs have their tails docked in some countries. The tails
of working or companion dogs are
rarely left long.
1. 2. Types
Many breeders differentiate between "American"
Brittanys and "French" style
Brittanys. Although generally recognized as sub-sets of
the same breed, there are recognizable
differences between the two. The American Brittany is taller and
faster. It has been bred to cover more ground in order to hunt wide
open spaces common in the United
States. The French
Brittany appears more "spaniel-like" in that it is
smaller and the French Brittany generally works more closely to the
guns.
2. Temperament
The breed is noted for being easy to train, sensitive, and
sweet-natured. Many enthusiasts agree that it takes little more
than a stern look or cross word to chastise a Brittany. As a
consequence, care must be taken during training so as not to break
the dog's spirit. Brittanys are excellent with children but they
are an exuberant breed and if not well supervised may accidentally
harm a small child. Many of these loveable dogs will, if allowed,
even climb upon your lap and rest their head on your shoulder.
Brittanys get along well with other dogs and enjoy working with
other dogs as a team. Many Brittany enthusiasts encourage new
Brittany owners to be a two dog family. The dogs are active and
require frequent exercise and room to run. As pets Brittanys are
first-rate companion dogs but they do need plenty of exercise.
Their outgoing nature makes them poor candidates for
protectors.
The Brittany makes a good house pet as long as it receives daily
mental and physical exercise. If not given sufficient exercise, it
can become destructive.
3. Health
Brittanies are generally healthy dogs, though some genetic disorders are prevalent. They
can be prone to hip dysplasia and
epilepsy. Their ears can be prone to
infections. They usually live 14-15 years.
Copyright (c) 2008 Kitt Killion Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
Taken or modified, in whole or part, from Wikipedia.org
