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Brittany

The Brittany is a French pointing dog from the region of the same name, developed in the nineteenth century as an all-round gundog for a hunter on foot: it points, it flushes and it retrieves.

It is often miscalled a spaniel, but works as a pointer.

Compact, leggy and light for its height, with a dense flat coat in orange and white or liver and white, and frequently a naturally short tail. Brittanys are energetic, sensitive and highly biddable — one of the easier gundogs to train — but they are genuinely high-energy dogs that were bred to hunt all day.

Origin
Brittany, France
Size
14–18 kg, 44–52 cm at the shoulder
Lifespan
12–14 years
Coat
Dense and flat, with light feathering
Temperament
Energetic, sensitive, biddable, affectionate
Exercise
At least 1.5 hours daily

3 brittany photos, newest first

Brittany feed
  • Freya, a brittany

    Freya

    Freya runs the field end to end and comes back grinning every single time.

    FrostyOtter · 6 days ago

  • Fennel VI, a brittany

    Fennel VI

    Fennel VI was promoted to photographer arranging a portrait of one potato; unfortunately, dozens of ping-pong balls escape at once.

    FrostyOtter · 1 week ago

  • Fennel VI, a brittany

    Fennel VI

    This is Fennel VI at maximum enthusiasm.

    SunnyHeron · 2 weeks ago

Living with a brittany

A brush twice a week keeps the coat right; check the feathering for burrs after fieldwork.

The sensitivity is worth planning for. Brittanys respond very well to reward-based training and shut down under harsh correction, so a heavy hand backfires badly with this breed.

They need real exercise and a job — scentwork, gundog training or agility. A Brittany under-exercised is an anxious, noisy dog.

Hip dysplasia occurs, and the breed carries canine discopathy and some inherited eye conditions. Ears want checking after swimming.

General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual dogs vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.

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