Brittany - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
The breed originated in Brittany region in France, which is where they got their name. The first written evidence about this breed is from 1850s from Reverend Davies, who described a hunt with Brittanys, but there are some unverified information and painting of Brittanys from 17th century. We are not sure about the ancestors of Brittany, but its most likely native French hunting dogs and possibly English Pointers and Welsh Springer Spaniels.

2) Versatile hunter
Originally, the breed was recognized as Brittany Spaniel, but since this is extremely versatile hunter and they can be classified as spaniels, but also as pointers, the word „Spaniel“ was removed from the breeds name. They are classified as utility gun dog and they are great at hunting, pointing, flushing and retrieving. This really is one of the most versatile hunters in the world.

3) High energy
As you might probably expect from a hunting dog breed, a Brittany is a dog with high energy level. They can be good family dogs, but only if the family is active and they will romp out their energy every single day. Daily long walks are must and they will love to live in a home with big and fenced yard. It is important to exhaust them, otherwise, they might become bored and little bit problematic with excessive barking and desctructive.

4) Loyal companions
Brittanys are loyal, they love their owners and they will follow them anywhere. They are also great with children and they tend to be pretty protective over them. But of course, do not let Brittanys, or any other dog unsupervised with a very young kid. The Brittanys can be alert and suspicious around strangers, which is why early socialization is a must if you want to keep Brittany as a family dog.

5) Training
This is very intelligent breed capable of learning a lot of commands. Firm, patient and consistant trainer is requiered to raise obedient Brittany, but this dog does not tolerate rough handling very well. Socialization is extremely important, Brittanys can live happily with other dogs and they can even live with cats, but its almost impossible to train them to tolerate small pets, like hamsters, because of their high prey drive.

6) Size
Brittany is a medium sized dog with long legs and athletic build. Their average height is between 17-20 inches which is 43-51 cm and weight between 30-45 pounds, which is 13-20 kgs. Females are naturally little bit smaller than males.

7) Tail

Most of the time, you will see a Brittany with a short tail. But sometimes, rarely, they can be born with a long tail. But its extremely rare to see adult Brittany with a long tail, since most of the dogs that are born with longer tail, have their tail docked.

8) Coat
Brittanys have beautiful coat, which is dense and flat or wavy. There is a little feathering around the ears and legs. You can find Brittanys in different colors, most comonly in orange and white or liver. Sometimes their coats have a roan pattern, which is a fine mixture of colored and white hairs. Rarely, you can also find tri color Brittanys.

9) Maintenance
The grooming of this breed is not very hard, they are not the biggest shedders, but they still shed, so ocassional brushing is recomended to remove the dead hair and minimize the shedding. You should bath them only when its really necessary, otherwise, its not needed at all. Just like with other dogs, you should regularly check their ears, eyes and nails and clean it or clip it if needed.
10) Health
Brittany is a hardy and healthy dog breed with good average lifespan between 13-15 years. But just like all dog breeds, they can suffer from some health issues, most commonly from hip dysplasia, epilepsy and hypothyroidism.