Brittany Information & Dog Breed Facts

The Brittany or as many call them, the Brittany Spaniel’s origins can be traced back to the 17^th century. The breed took their name from the Celtic area of northwest France, which was one independent kingdom. Brittany can be found across the English Channel from Wales, and for over a thousand years, there was a great deal of commerce and trade between the two countries. Usually, dogs were a part of the trade.

The first records of Brittany-type dogs are from the 17^th century, back then, similar-looking white-and-liver colored dogs were depicted in works of art and kinds of literature, during pointing games for hunters. The Brittany certainly evolved over the following centuries, many researchers and historians believe that many English and Welsh breeds, probably the Welsh Springer Spaniel had a significant impact on the breed’s development during the early 1800s. The modern version of the breed started to take shape in the middle of the 19^th century, in a small town in Brittany called Pontou. It was believed that the dogs were a result of a cross between a lemon and white male brought to Brittany for shooting by an English sportsman and a white and mahogany female owned by a French hunter. The result was a bob-tailed dog that pointed and retrieved really effectively. Local poachers really appreciated and were fond of the breed, for the reason that the dogs had agility, speed, and the willingness to take direction.

Around the 19^th century, dog shows became really popular all around Europe, including France. Brittanies were moved easily from the hunting fields to the show rings, thanks to their stunning looks and overall appearance. The breed quickly became recognized, because of these shows in France. The first Brittany to be registered in the country was an orange-white male specimen called Boy, in 1907. Despite their popularity in their indigenous land, the breed did not get to the United States of America until 1931. Nevertheless, once the breed became known, it gained massive popularity. The first Brittany got registered by the AKC (American Kennel Club) in 1934, the specimen was called Edir du Mesnil. Later, in 1942 the American Brittany Club was formed and re-wrote the breed standard set up by the French, to better suit themselves. Resembling many breeds’ histories, the Second World War caused the Brittany population to suffer a serious decrease. This was partly because, in France, Brittany's breeding came to a halt during the war. However, fortunately, after the war, French breeders have decided collectively to allow black-spotted dogs in the standards because the gene pool was so depleted throughout Europe. Interestingly, the authorities in the United States of America and in Canada did not follow this, even today the black coloring is not an accepted color for Brittanies in the U.S. and in Canada, but it is accepted in other parts of the world.

For many years, most of the breeders wanted to delete the “spaniel” word from Brittany’s name, simply for the reason that the breed is a pointing breed, not flushing while hunting, like the spaniels. The AKC Board of Directors approved the name changing the name to Brittany, in April of 1982. In some countries, however, the breed is still called, even today, a Brittany Spaniel. Nowadays, the breed is mostly kept as an energetic, intelligent, people-centered, and biddable family companion. Yet, many French hunters are still gladly using the Brittany while hunting.