Tag archives: upland bird

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 ...