When I was 6, my parents brought home Molly, my first Brittany. I grew up with Molly, but it wasn’t until she passed away that I realized that the level of obedience, loyalty, and intelligence that Molly possessed is found only in a Brittany. Since those days, I’ve been continuously impressed by the firm but gentle nature of the Brittany Spaniel.
The Brittany Spaniel is adept to almost any task. Just as comfortable amongst children as in the field, there are more dual champion Brittanys than all other sporting breeds combined. Despite its name, the Brittany is actually a pointing breed and typically weighs between 30 and 45 pounds. It comes from 19th century France and is the smallest in size of the group classified as “gun dogs.” It’s said that the Brittany was favored among the French peasants who used the “close-hunting” Brittanys to hunt the royal land on which they were not allowed. Common colors on a Brittany are liver and white, orange and white, or a combination of the three. Rarely you will see a solid color Brittany, but those that are solid are not acknowledged by the A.K.C. The Brittany is renown for its keen nose and will point, hold, and retrieve game on land and in the water. Brittanys very intelligent and easily trained, but it is important to keep in mind their sensitive nature. A harsh word to a Brittany is the equivalent to a swat on the nose in many other breeds, and too strict a handler can inadvertently cause a Brittany to become timid. This in mind, I can assure you that with some patience, a Brittany will reward you with companionship in all walks of life, at a level that is hard to rival.
