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Brittany Information
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It was thought that matings of the native spaniels of Brittany were made around 1900 with English Pointing dogs whos owners vacationed in France, however only one mating has been confirmed. However, these matings were believed to have been effective in intensifying the pointing qualities of the breed while the basic features of the dog were kept.
The Brittany was introduced into the United States in 1931 and officially recognized by the AKC in 1934. At that time they were called "Brittany Spaniel". The first breed standard was a direct translation from the French standard, and was not very understandable. When the American Brittany Club formed in 1942, their first accomplishment was to replace the original standard with a more clear standard.
The breed is more like a setter than a spaniel, with a short tail and a high ear set. From 1934 to 1982 they were considered Spaniels, however since 1982 the breed is formally known simply as "Brittany".
Brittany's tend to be 17.5 to 20.5 inches tall (measured at the shoulders), and should weigh between 30 and 40 pounds. Their colors can be orange and white, or liver and white. Their tail can be docked to 4 inches or have no tail. The medium-length coat needs little clipping if your dog is strictly a pet. It will need a good brushing with a slicker brush once or twice a week to get out dead hair (especially at the start of fall and spring).
Brittanys have more Dual Champions (dogs which are Champions in field trials and conformation competition) than all Sporting breeds combined. Most Brittanys have a mild to strong hunting instinct. Some dogs need more training than others to develop their instinct, but no matter where you get your Brittany from, chances are you should be able to make it into at least an average hunter.
Brittany's are not for everyone. They can make excellent family dogs and excel in many areas, but they require personal attention every day, training and most do not make good "kennel" or outdoor dogs. This breed is still bred to hunt and many of their behaviors and traits are attributed to that breeding. Brittany people love those very qualities, but it is essential that you be well informed before deciding on this breed.
Buying from a reputable breeder will help to assure that your pet doesn't end up suffering from defects that can be common in the breed. Make sure the parents of your puppy have OFA tests done to check the quality of their hips, and a CERF test to check for eye problems. Other issues that you should talk to the breeder about are seizures and diabetes.
Housetraining a Brittany is fairly easy as long as you are a very alert owner. Crate training is usually the best method (and easiest), and make sure that whenever you are not going to be able to carefully watch the puppy that he is in his crate to avoid any accidents.
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