Breed: Brittany Spaniel | Size: Medium | Average lifespan: 12+ years | Temperament: Intelligent, sociable, and gentle | Coat: Short | Origin: Brittany, France.
The Brittany Spaniel is one of the most popular dog breeds in France. This dog breed is joyful, intelligent, and enjoys the great outdoors. The breed is one of the most emblematic in the world of hunting, but also a dog breed that is perfect for families with large backyards. These are hardy, courageous and loyal dogs, although their desire to track animals can sometimes cause them to forget their manners.
The origins of the Brittany Spaniel
Unclear and numerous origins
The Brittany Spaniel reveals its origin through its name. Even if their origins follow several paths, all of them lead back to Brittany. According to many Brittany Spaniel enthusiasts, this breed embodies the values of Brittany: robustness, loyalty and honesty. Texts listing the qualities and characteristics of this breed date back to ancient times.
Traces of the Brittany Spaniel in ancient history and among the Celts
A Syrian author dating back to the 2nd century wrote a description of the Brittany Spaniel in a poem. The description is quite edifying, and at that time, the breed was called “Agasse”, a breed that belonged to the wild peoples of Brittany. The hunting qualities of the breed were highlighted in this poem, and the physical description is similar to the Brittany Spaniels we know today.
Knowledgeable enthusiasts have traced the journey of the Celtic peoples in the first century AD, a journey that would explain the appearance of this breed in Armorica. Fleeing the Britons, the Celts are said to have immigrated to Gaul, bringing with them dogs typical of Wales, the Welsh Springer Spaniels, which would explain the many similarities between the two breeds.
The character of the Brittany Spaniel
The Brittany Spaniel seems like the perfect dog. They are ideal for people who like to spend a lot of time outdoors. In addition, they are very easy to train, but need love and attention with tenderness and firmness to feel completely in security and develop their undeniable qualities.
The Brittany Spaniel’s qualities
The Brittany Spaniel’s most recognizable quality is its intelligence. Furthermore, these dogs are sociable, balanced, and can get used to environments quickly.
In addition, they never show signs of hostility. This breed needs a lot of affection and encouragement. They show their bond with finesse and discretion, demanding caresses without needing exclusivity.
These dogs are active and energetic. They can follow their owners on long hikes. They also have an enduring and robust metabolism.
Are there any downsides to having a Brittany Spaniel?
This breed’s attraction to hunting, instinct to chase, and keen sense of smell mean that it can sometimes be difficult to call them back, and they may even run away. This is a trait that should not be taken lightly and must be addressed in their training from the beginning. The Brittany Spaniel is a very friendly dog that does not like being left alone. A lot of attention is, therefore, recommended to prevent runaway behavior or destructive stress.
Tips for training a Brittany Spaniel
This is a gentle and attentive dog, which helps their training and education. They react best to rewards, while not necessarily food-related. As they are very close with their owners, they like caresses and like to please their owner. Their hunting character can sometimes make them stubborn. Therefore, it is very important to teach your dog to come when called from a very young age. This is especially true because they like to track animals. It should also be noted that the Brittany Spaniel is also an easy dog to retrain. They are very malleable and certain issues can be easily corrected.
The physical characteristics of the Brittany Spaniel
General
This dog breed is medium-sized. Their standard dates back to the beginning of the century. They have long legs, a rather compact body, that can even be considered stocky. The large and silky ears of this breed react in response to their emotions.
Their tail is very short, almost inexistent. When it comes to their coat, it is short, very silky, and wavy in certain areas of the body. Their coat color is also very recognizable: bicolor white and fawn, or white and black, or even white and orange. A tricolor coat is possible as well.
Head
The Brittany Spaniel’s head is relatively round, with an elongated muzzle, although their muzzle is still shorter than their skull, with a ratio of one-third to two-thirds. The distinctive feature of this breed is a very straight muzzle with a clear break between the skull and the muzzle.
These dog’s eyes are the true treasure of this breed: slanted and expressive. They are unique in their kindness. The triangular ears are set high on the skull, often with longer hair than on the skull, which gives their hair volume and highlights the dog’s eyes.
Body
The spine of this breed is short and straight up to the croup. The croup is stocky, broad, and muscular, and tends to slope. When it comes to the withers, they are muscular but very mobile and flexible, indicating a deep, broad chest. The chest is rounded and extends down to the elbow.
This dog’s withers and chest are composed of very powerful muscles that give the Brittany Spaniel great agility in heavy terrain or undergrowth. The body, therefore, combines a very powerful but flexible front end with a short, graceful rear end.
Coat, colors, and grooming
Colors
The modern standards accept three pairs of colors and two trios of colors:
- White and orange, white and brown, white and black.
- Orange, white, and black; white, orange, and brown.
The coat can be piebald or roan. It can also be speckled. However, a solid coat is not accepted in the standards for this breed.
Grooming and caring for a Brittany Spaniel
The Brittany Spaniel does not require constant grooming. Brushing them once every now and then or giving them a bath if they return home muddy from a long walk is enough to keep them happy and healthy. One of the great things about this breed is that it doesn’t have a smell that humans can detect. This is a real advantage, as the strong smell of wet dog is non-existent in Brittany Spaniels. It’s a dog that seems to clean itself!
Did you know?
It is the smallest pointing dog in France and is the pride of the town of Callac, which has become the capital of the Brittany Spaniel.
The Brittany Spaniel at a glance
Size: between 47 and 52 cm for males and females.
Weight: Brittany Spaniels weigh between 14 and 18 kg (≈ 31 to 40 lb).
Health: Very good, these dog are hardy and resilient and are not particularly susceptible to disease.
Average lifespan: 12 to 14 years.
Is the Brittany Spaniel good with children? This breed is particularly good at living with children, as they are very sociable, gentle and malleable dogs.
Is the Brittany Spaniel easy to train? This dog is particularly intelligent. Its adaptability makes it very easy to train, especially as the breed is naturally obedient. However, as it is a hunting dog, it is still necessary to train the breed to not to stray from its path during walks from a young age.