BHG Articles

The Brittany Spaniel is of Brittany France origins and is recognized as one of the world’s supreme gun dogs. It first appeared in the 19th century and was officially recognized in 1938. Originally used as a working dog, the Brittany Spaniel of today is short of many tasks but is still an avid hunter at heart.

As a naturally active creature, the Brittany Spaniel has a body of an athlete dog, a well-built and lean looking musculature. However, this body build does not make this dog heavy but instead; it makes it look light and able. Its head encloses a rounded skull and bears a pair of intelligent, alert and curious pair of eyes.

The legs of this dog are long, lean and very fitting for its wild and free spirit. Its strides are always elastic, distant and free and it gives him a merry kind of walk. Most Brittany Spaniels have short tails and this may either come naturally or when it comes out long, it is purposely docked.

There are two recognized sub-varieties of the Brittany Spaniel and they are the American Brittany and the French Brittany. The American Brittany appears in tri colors of white, orange and liver and other combinations aside from these are considered disqualifications. French Brittanies, however, accepts other color combinations aside from white, orange and liver; the French variety sometimes appears in black.

The name Brittany Spaniel has been the root of several disputes since many claim that the Brittany is not a spaniel but a pointer or setter. This dog, however, is undeniably spaniel-looking, only it does not do the things spaniels do such as flushing out games. The US has discouraged the branding of this breed as a spaniel and in fact, they call this breed the American Brittany.

As a gun and hunting dog, the Brittany is very easy to train, obedient, sensitive and good-natured. It has a carefree and sprightly spirit and it loves to run free in the open. Because of its infinite energy, it is recommended to allow this dog to run with leash and without leash everyday.

In some cases, Brittanies become rambunctious and incontrollable but this is only blamed to an incorrect training and rearing. If they are improperly or un-socialized at all, they may become shy, aloof and fearful of new people. However, if they are exposed to other people and creatures early on, they can become friendly, gentle and good-natured.

Brittanies, in order to have a well-guided disposition, needs to receive an ample amount of attention and love from the master lest they become destructive and ill-behaved. They are best fitted in a wide-spaced house, a wide yard and a well-conditioned and damp surrounding. Of all the breeds in the dog sporting world, the Brittany is the only one with the highest number of winnings in the American dual championships.