Tag archives: Spaniel

Breed of the Week: Brittany

Breed of the Week: Brittany

The Brittany is a medium-sized bird dog that originated in France in the 17th Century. They were an all-purpose game dog in Europe, and were expected to hunt, point and then retrieve game – everything from feathered prey to furred game such as rabbits.

Once known as the only pointing spaniel, the term ‘spaniel’ was dropped from its name in 1982 because of such conspicuous differences in hunting styles; Brittanys point, while spaniels such as the cocker and English springer flush game.

Topping out at 20-1/2 inches and 50 pounds, the Brittany comes in several coat colors – orange and white or liver and white in either clear or roan patterns. The coat is a single coat, as opposed to a double coat like spaniels or retrievers (dense, insulating undercoat and weather-resistant outer coat), which makes it easy to maintain, and it’s usually dense and either flat or wavy. The tail of the Britt is short; if puppies are born with a long tail, it’s usually docked to the appropriate length – especially if it’s meant to work in the field.

Brittanys are an energetic, athletic dog that are rockets in the field – they’ll work tirelessly in ...

Breed of the Week: Irish Setter

Breed of the Week: Irish Setter

Beautiful and graceful, Irish setters have a silky, feathered coat that is deep chestnut or red in color. Their regal looks have made them popular in the hunting field, show ring and homes of people since the early 1700s.

Developed, according to the AKC, by crossing Irish water spaniel, Irish terrier, English setter, spaniel, pointer, and Gordon setter, and then selectively bred for their hallmark coloring, Irish setters were used for hunting of game birds. Their popularity in the field boomed in the 19th Century, which made them popular in the conformation ring, too. By 1948, the breed had come to dominate the conformation ring, but had slipped in status in the field.

The dramatic split led to not only two lines of Irish setters, but to the creation of the red setter, which was the result of outcrossing some of the remaining working Irish setter lines to red and white field champion English setters. The inclusion of fresh field-line blood has invigorated and resurrected the hunting prowess of the beautiful dog – albeit with much controversy.

Show-bred dogs range between 60 and 70 pounds and stand approximately 27 inches tall, while field-bred red setters tend to be smaller ...

Does your Brittany have recurring infections?

Does your Brittany have recurring infections?

Complement is a type of protein that plays an important role in the body’s immune system by attacking invading organisms such as bacteria. Complement 3 (C3) deficiency is a disorder of the immune system that affects the Brittany hunting dog. In this disorder, the complement protein is absent. Dogs with C3 deficiency may present with pneumonia and other reoccurring infections, excessive thirst and urination, weight loss, loss of appetite, mouth ulcers and depression. C3 deficient dogs may also develop kidney disease which can lead to kidney failure and death. Genetic testing of the C3 gene PRIOR to breeding in Brittany dogs will reliably determine whether a dog is a carrier of C3 deficiency. Carriers do not have any features of the disease but when bred with another dog that also is a carrier, there is a 25% risk to have affected pups. If the breeding pair has not been screened, prospective buyers should have the puppy screened PRIOR to purchasing to avoid this devastating disease. Paw Print Genetics can help you avoid this disease in your puppies and eliminate this gene from your breeding program.