Nickname        : Epagneul Breton

Breed Origins : France ( 1800s )

Breed usage     : Hunting Dog - Pointing and Retrieving

Dog Weight      : 30-40 Pounds

Dog Height       : 18 to 20.5 inches to the shoulder

History
Brittany comes from France and is a dog of medium size. It was bred originally to hunt small game and for falconry. It’s origins can be dated back to the 1800’s and it is classified as one of the Sporting Dogs Group.
The hunting format used by Setters and Spaniels was to find and drive birds into nets. As a pet the Brittany is affectionate, kind, and loves to be part of the family. There is an extremely distinctive characteristic of this dog. At some point during the early breeding process a tail less dog was born. This was seized upon as a distinctive feature and even today some Brittany’s are born tail less or stub-tailed.
The Brittany is also referred to as the Brittany Spaniel or Epagneul Breton. Its name refers to a Breton as one from Bretagne or Brittany a province in France. The French word Epagneul is given to those dogs which point or set their quarry. This breed was created through the cross-breeding of French and English dogs. English noblemen and wealthy land gentry travelled to Brittany to socialise and join in hunting parties with the French. They took with them their own dogs - Pointers and Setters. Due to quarantine restrictions the English left their dogs in France and these, and the Braque a French pointer, mated with local dogs - predominantly the Spaniel. These matings produced this breed and featured the various range of colourings that are prevalent in this breed today. This hybrid dog had extremely useful hunting traits - they could both point and retrieve and had an excellent scenting ability. The Brittany was originally quite a small dog but this changed in the 1900’s when small English Setters were mated with the Brittany producing taller “setterised” examples of the breed. The first Brittany was registered in France in 1907. This breed came to America in the 1920’s and was AKC (American Kennel Club) (American Kennel Club) recognized in 1925.
Dogs in the Sporting group, which include the Brittany, can be divided into three main categories - Retrievers, Pointers and Setters. These dogs were bred primarily to work with people to hunt game birds. Some of these dogs work in water whilst other dogs are more suited to work on land and many of the dogs in the Sporting dog category are comfortable and capable of working in either land or water environments. Sporting dogs, including the Brittany, are particularly suited to wood and field activities. The Retriever, Pointer and Setter dogs and their main functionalities are as follows:

• The Retriever dog - Retriever dogs find and return killed game to the hunter. Some Retrievers are especially equipped, for instance with a water-repellent coat and webbed feet, for retrieving downed waterfowl.
• The Pointer dog - Pointer dogs stand in front of their quarry, with their nose and body rigidly still , thus directing (or pointing) the hunter to its location.
• The Setter dog - Setter dogs were originally trained to set, or crouch, in front of game preventing the escape of the quarry. The hunter would make the capture with a net.

All Information and Tips About This Dog :

• Temperament and Character
  The Brittany Spaniel is a very sociable breed, enjoying the company of other dogs and humans, they are playful, inquisitive, intelligent, affectionate, gentle, and sensitive. Although the Brittany Spanial was developed as an active hunting dog it is also obedient. This dog makes a good house pet providing it is given lots of exercise and attention.

• Coat and Colours info
  The Brittany’s coat comes in a range of the following colours: Orange/White, Liver/White, Black/White, Tricolour or Roan in any of colour combination. The coat is dense but consists of fine hairs.

• Grooming and Care
  Brittany Spaniel requires a minimum amount of grooming. Regardless of the breeds, a certain amount of grooming and care is necessary to keep dogs and puppies looking at their best. Grooming consists of not only brushing out the coat and bathing but also giving attention to the eyes, teeth, ears, feet and nails. A regular routine also ensures that any potential health problems are identified as quickly as possible.

• Living conditions and Exercise Requirements
  The Brittany dogs and puppies are not well suited to living in the town because it requires a substantial amount of exercise. It is well suited to living in the country and even outdoors in kennels. If the Brittany is not given sufficient exercise, it can become destructive.