Brittany Spaniel Information

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(Brittany, Epagneul Breton, American Brittany) The Brittany Spaniel is a popular hunting dog with a medium build and a leggy, hearty stature. They are active, agile, and love to roam. Their skulls are rounded and medium-length with a comparatively straight muzzle and a pronounced stop. Their noses are dark and vary slightly in color depending on the color of the dog’s coat. Their intelligent eyes are amber or hazel in color and their ears are short, triangular in shape, and hang close to the head. Tails of this breed are docked or naturally short. The fairly short, lightly feathered coat exists in a number of colors including orange and white, liver and white, black and white, liver tri-color, and black tri-color. Some ticking is acceptable in the show ring.

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Any Brittany with black in their coat is not allowed to be shown in AKC dog shows.

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Character

The Brittany Spaniel is a hunting breed that is loving, gentle, and eager to please. They are enthusiastic, independent, and passionate about their work. Highly intelligent, alert, and generally good-natured, the Brittany Spaniel is obedient and easy to handle and train. When properly socialized, the Brittany Spaniel is an excellent family pet and gets along well with children and other animals. While they are commonly used as hunting dogs, they are rapidly growing in popularity as a companion dog. They are fun-loving, jolly, and full of character.


They can also be a bit rowdy at times and have a great, humorous personality.

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Size

17 – 21 inches
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Weight

30 – 40 pounds
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General Health

The Brittany Spaniel is a comparatively healthy breed. Some Brittany Spaniels are prone to hip dysplasia and seizures. They average 6 puppies per litter and typically live for 10 to 15 years.


This breed lives 12 to 14 years on average.

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History

Many believe that the Brittany Spaniel is the result of a cross between the Orange and White Setter and an unidentified French dog breed. They are a hearty hunting breed that was first shown in the province of Brittany (located in France) in 1896. The breed’s official recognition dated from 1938. Before receiving a standard, the Brittany Spaniel underwent several changes of fortune. In the United States, the Brittany Spaniel is commonly referred to as the “Brittany”.


The term spaniel was dropped in 1983 do the the fact that this breed has more setter like traits.

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Maintenance

The Brittany Spaniel’s medium-length, flat coat requires daily brushing. Bathing and dry shampooing as necessary will help the coat stay in good condition. Brittany Spaniels used in the show ring require a substantial amount of professional grooming. In general, the Brittany Spaniel is a low maintenance dog. Ears should be checked carefully and nails should be kept trimmed. This breed is a light shedder.


They have fur so soft it is like silk.

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Ideal Environment

The Brittany Spaniel is not recommended for a small household or apartment. They are active indoors and are happiest with some acreage. Brittany Spaniels can tolerate temperature fluctuations. They enjoy exercise and have incredible stamina.

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Dog Training!

If you're having problems training your dog or getting control, you should read our review of DogProblems.com. Adam will do whatever it takes to help you whip your dog into shape. I've used them to help with my Great Dane as well as help friends train their dogs. It's the first place I go to help answer users Questions. Many training issues are too extensive to answer in this forum, which is why I refer a lot of the load to his site. Update: I've been using and recommending DogProblems for three years now. I, as well as my users, value the techniques we've learned. I get weekly emails from users who have become better owners from the information they received.

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Brittany Spaniel Q&A

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My 8 year old Brit has Cushings and recently went blind. I will love her forever and now she will be my lap dog. I love to hunt and want to buy another Brit but I'm a little nervous. Does any one know of a tendency of this disease to occur in Brits?

From what I can find Brittany Spaniels aren`t specifically prone to Cushings disease. I`ve found that Beagles, Boston Terriers, Boxers, Dachshunds, Poodles, and Yorkshire Terriers are more prone than other breeds. I don`t think Brittanys are closely related to these breeds. However; there are several cases of Brittany`s having Cushings on Google but it seemed to be true with other breeds as well. I would say you have a much less chance of your new Brit getting Cushings vs say my Great Dane getting hip dysplasia.

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I have a Brittany that is 1-2 years old. Lately he has been attacking men. It has been delivery men. Some uniforms, some not. He has even bit once. The other time he tried but did not get him. Can anyone help me with this? What is his problem? He can be a very loving dog too. I am always on guard when someone comes to the door. Is this just a territorial thing?

He is protecting his territory and he feels he is the dominate figure in the house. He believes that he must protect you and his house. Ideally, you should become the dominate figure in his life and give him immediate correction to show him that behavior is not acceptable.

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I dont have a brittany yet, but i was wondering just how much they shed. I know that a lot of web-sites say that they are light shedders, but does that mean that I can take it inside without having hair all over?

I have a 1yr old Brittany. She does not shed much at all. Rarely notice any hair from her.

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do they shed?

I had a Brit...he did shed a bit. I would tend to agree with what the lab owner said. Sadly, I just lost my Berkley a few weeks ago. He started having seizures one Friday night. He had so many that night it was 7:30 the next am before I could get him to the vet. He was prescribed seizure meds and the vet expected him to be fine. Unfortunately, he never recovered and died a few days later. He was my little love and the best dog I EVER had!! He was only 5 years old:( There has not been a day without tears since he left us. No matter what breed specific "issues" Brits have they are wonderful companions. He was never aggressive to people and loved children. They make wonderful pets:)

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Ok im getting a brit soon and im planning on showing it, is there any kind of grooming that is needed other than brushing it? and if there is what kind of grooming?

I have a 13 year old Male Brittany and he is the best dog in the world! Our families opinion. Oliver has been a loyal companion and a part of our family. Brittanies need daily exercise. Very light shedding. You will get what you put into this breed. We have had Oliver since he was 8 weeks old. As a puppy, he was never left alone for more than an hour. On date nights we would take him to our parents house, so they could babysit. We have given him the best home that a dog can have and he in return has given us unconditional love and the best memories that we will cherish forever. Enjoy!

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I just bought a britt he is 8 weeks old will his eyes stay blue or change to a different color if so what color do they change too?

I have a 9 month old Brittany and his eyes remained a blueish-green color.

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I am an active outdoors enthusiast living in Newfoundland. I would like to know how this breed will handle the winter. Is it suitable for being outside with me for a few days at a time in the winter (while I'm camping, not out of neglect)?

No problem in the cold. I could not keep mine out of cold water with snow on the ground. He had no problem retrieving my down ducks. They love snow and it is a blast to spend time with your pup in snow. Mine loved to ride with me on my ATV, no matter how cold the weather was.

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Are they good for families, or only hunting?

They are great for hunting and families! Lacey loves to go out in the field but when she is at home she loves to play and cuddle!

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I'm getting a female Brittany pup in a few short weeks. One person I talked to, who has a 5 month old male, from the same breeder, said they have sensitive stomachs and they can't ride in cars as they get motion sick. Also she said they're very difficult to train. This is coming from someone who works all day and doesn't have much time with it to train properly. Nobody else whose gotten from this breeder has these problems that I'm aware of. Does anyone have these problems with theres?

My Brittany is 1.5 years old and she loves to go in the car. We go up north all the time with her (3 hour drive) and we have never had a problem yet! She was also very easy to train.

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I have a 5 year old Brittany. He just lost his companion for all but the first 12 weeks of his life, a female Westie. We are thinking of getting a puppy, and would probably go for another Brittany because we now live in a colder region of NY and think a Brittany can handle it better. Would you advise that we get a female or male? What else should we consider? Thanks.

Don't get a male this late on, they can become agressive and territorial. Females are a safer bet however you will need to be around for a lot of the bonding process to make sure nothing bad happens.

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