Brittany Spaniel
Temperament:
If you pay attention to his enormous urge to move, his love of running and his hunting instinct, you will have a very affectionate dog at your side. He is happiest when he is allowed to roam through forests, across meadows and wide fields with his owner.
Characteristics
The Brittany Spaniel is the smallest pointing dog recognized by the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale). It is a maximum of 52 cm tall and weighs approx. 13 - 15 kg when fully grown. The Breton is therefore very compact and strong. Nevertheless, it radiates a certain elegance. Its lively and alert expression gives it an energetic appearance.
Originally, the Brittany Spaniel was white/chestnut brown. Today, the breed is available in the colors white/orange, white/black, tricolored white/black/orange, tricolored white/chestnut/orange and white/chestnut.
This little bundle of energy naturally needs a lot of love and affection due to his gentle nature. He is uncomplicated and very compatible with other animals and people, including children.
However, his lively nature can cause excitement around small children. You should therefore always be close to him in such situations.
You can keep your Spaniel indoors as long as he has enough exercise. He also needs regular mental activity as he is an intelligent working dog. As with other dog breeds, you should not leave him alone for more than 4 hours at a time.
Nevertheless, the Brittany Spaniel is not a beginner's dog. Its hunting instinct can only be controlled with consistent training. But if you take a lot of time for your favorite, you will become an unbeatable team.
Some Bretons are also used as avalanche search dogs, disaster dogs, drug detection dogs and the like. They can almost be described as perfectionists, as they always try to do their best.
Coat care:
Shedding:
Energy level:
Trainability:
Children suitable:
The right food
When choosing food, make sure that it contains high-quality ingredients, is balanced and meets your dog's requirements. Age, size or weight, activity and health status play an important role. You should follow the manufacturer's recommendations for the amount of food.
Treats should only be fed in moderation and deducted from the basic diet to avoid obesity.
Puppies can be fed 4-6 times a day. The number of meals should be gradually reduced to 2 per day until the dog is fully grown. A rest period should be observed after meals.
Fresh drinking water should be available at all times.
Health & Care
Grooming your little friend is relatively easy. Nevertheless, you should not neglect it. After long walks in the forest or in tall grass, you should definitely comb through the coat. Also check the body for ticks and parasites.
If small twigs or thorns get caught, it can be unpleasant for your pet and take a lot of work to comb out the tangles. Daily combing is good and makes the hair even more beautiful, but is not absolutely necessary.
If it gets really dirty and brushing it out is not possible, you can put your four-legged friend in the shower. Brittany Spaniels love water. It is best to use a mild dog shampoo without perfume. However, bathing should really only be done if the dirt cannot be brushed off.
It is important to clean the ears regularly. Here too, care and checking is particularly important after long walks.
As long as the claws do not wear off by themselves, they should be shortened regularly. Otherwise there is an increased risk of injury or misalignment.
Suitable accessories
As already mentioned, the Brittany Spaniel is a real bundle of energy. That's why it needs a lot of activity. Whether on a walk or at home, you can make him happy with any dog toy.
He's a real pro at sniffing things out. For example, you can train his sense of smell by hiding a bag of treats and letting him search for them. You can do this outside or indoors, of course.
Or you can throw him balls, sticks and other toys and let him fetch them. The more exercise he has, the better. In principle, you can use any toy you can buy from a pet shop or online.
As this breed is considered a small all-rounder, it is also well suited to various dog sports. These include obedience and agility, for example.
In these dog sports, you master a parkour with your dog and give him precise instructions on what to do and when. Of course, this requires a lot of time, patience and training. But the Breton definitely has enough stamina for such a sport.
Other accessories that are part of every dog's basic equipment: collar or harness with lead, dog basket or dog mat as a retreat, water and food bowl, tick tweezers, claw clippers, mild dog shampoo, brush and comb, transport box for transportation in the car and a first aid kit for at home. Ask your vet what should be in the first aid kit.
Origin & History
The Brittany Spaniel originates from a region in the west of France, the heart of Brittany. It used to be called a henhound and was used to help with bird hunting.
The first records date back to the year 200 AD. A book entitled "Kynogetika" already reports on hunting with the "bird dog" as a companion. The small red and white dog can also be seen in medieval paintings and embroideries.
Many dogs were kept in kennels at that time. There, an English Setter bitch and a Brittany Spaniel male were probably mated.
An estate manager was so enthusiastic about this litter that he decided to continue breeding them. He even named one bitch as the foundation bitch and took her to a dog show in Paris, where everyone else was also enthusiastic about the breed. In 1907, the "Club L'Epagneul Breton à queue courte naturelle" was founded by the same estate manager.
In France, the country of origin of the Brittany Spaniel, a separate breed standard was created for this breed in 1907.
