Brittany Dog

Breed overview

The Brittany Spaniel or Breton Spaniel (Épagneul Breton) is a French breed of gun dog of spaniel type, bred primarily for bird hunting. In the United States it may be called simply Brittany. It developed between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries in Brittany in north-west France, and was officially recognised early in the twentieth. It is one of five French breeds of spaniel, the others being the Épagneul Bleu de Picardie, the Épagneul de Pont-Audemer, the Épagneul Français and the Épagneul Picard.

• Breed type: dog breedBreed reference breed kind.
• Country of origin: BrittanyBreed reference country of origin.

Breed facts

• The Brittany Spaniel originated in the Brittany region of north-western France, for which it is named.
• Scenes of orange-and-white dogs of similar type hunting and retrieving game appear in tapestries and paintings from the seventeenth century.
• The earliest written description of such dogs is that of Reverend Davies in 1850, where he described hunting with small "bobtailed" dogs who pointed and were excellent retrievers.
• The Breton was first recognised as a breed in 1907 when an orange-and-white dog named Boy was registered in France.
• As a result, the first standards were outlined in the same year.

Size and appearance

The Breton Spaniel has a spaniel-type head, a bob-tail, and cobby appearance. The tail may be short or completely absent, or may be of normal length - in which case it is usually carried more or less horizontal. Where legal, it may be docked to a length of between 3 and 6 cm; the Épagneul Breton is not on the list of breeds that may participate in shows of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale with a docked tail.

• Height reference: Up to 50 cmBreed reference height. female, maximum.
• Height reference: 47 cm or moreBreed reference height. female, minimum.
• Height reference: 49 cm or moreBreed reference height. male, minimum.
• Height reference: Up to 51 cmBreed reference height. male, maximum.

• Coat length: medium
• Height category: medium

Personality and behavior

Care planning: record what your dog enjoys, how they greet visitors, and how they respond to new places. Add notes after walks and training so you can see their habits over time. Where this profile includes behavior research, use the same named measures when comparing your shortlist.

• Attachment and attention seeking (C-BARQ mean): 1.96 / 4Owner-reported attachment and attention seeking factor mean for US reference population Brittany.
• Chasing (C-BARQ mean): 2.68 / 4Owner-reported chasing factor mean for US reference population Brittany.
• Dog-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.84 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Brittany.
• Dog-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.92 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Brittany.
• Energy (C-BARQ mean): 2.49 / 4Owner-reported energy factor mean for US reference population Brittany.
• Excitability (C-BARQ mean): 2.29 / 4Owner-reported excitability factor mean for US reference population Brittany.
• Familiar-dog aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.37 / 4Owner-reported familiar-dog aggression factor mean for US reference population Brittany.
• Non-social fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.57 / 4Owner-reported non-social fear factor mean for US reference population Brittany.
• Owner-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.08 / 4Owner-reported owner-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Brittany.
• Separation-related problems (C-BARQ mean): 0.69 / 4Owner-reported separation-related problems factor mean for US reference population Brittany.
• Stranger-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.40 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Brittany.
• Stranger-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.49 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Brittany.
• Touch sensitivity (C-BARQ mean): 0.70 / 4Owner-reported touch sensitivity factor mean for US reference population Brittany.
• Trainability (C-BARQ mean): 2.55 / 4Owner-reported trainability factor mean for US reference population Brittany.

Exercise and activities

Care planning: build a weekly routine with walks, play and time to explore. Enter the minutes and sessions that work for your dog, then compare the weekly total with your available time. Keep notes about the activities your dog enjoys and adjust the routine together.

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

Care planning: use the coat details above to discuss a grooming routine with your groomer. Record brushing sessions, baths and appointments in the app. Add the tools you use and your preferred schedule so the whole household can follow the same routine.

• Coat length: medium

Health and lifespan

A 2015 French study found an median longevity of 12.6 years. A 2024 UK study found a median longevity of 11.1 years for the breed, lower than the average of 12.5 for all dogs.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

Compare breeds

Compare supported adult height and weight ranges, matching research measures and sourced coat and care categories.

Breed history

The Brittany Spaniel originated in the Brittany region of north-western France, for which it is named. Scenes of orange-and-white dogs of similar type hunting and retrieving game appear in tapestries and paintings from the seventeenth century. The earliest written description of such dogs is that of Reverend Davies in 1850, where he described hunting with small "bobtailed" dogs who pointed and were excellent retrievers. It was around the same time that the modern breed to have been bred by mating with English Setters. The Breton was first recognised as a breed in 1907 when an orange-and-white dog named Boy was registered in France. As a result, the first standards were outlined in the same year. It was approved by the American Kennel Club in 1934; in 1982 the "Spaniel" was officially dropped from the name.

Clubs and further reading

• American Brittany Club, Inc.
• Brittany Spaniel - article and references

Sources

1. Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
2. National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
3. File:Zuri txakurra 1 (cropped).JPGWikimedia Commons Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Zuri txakurra 1 (cropped).JPG - Olatz / souligne. CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zuri_txakurra_1_(cropped).JPG. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
4. Brittany Spaniel - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, Brittany Spaniel, revision 1375126678. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brittany_Spaniel&action=history
5. Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.
6. AKC national parent club directoryAmerican Kennel Club Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Factual reference only. Names and verified external links only. No source descriptions, logos or endorsement reused.