The Brittany is truly the gun dog for the 20th century. Although his lineage goes back many, many hundreds of years, this modern hunting dog has lost none of its love for hunting and retrieving any and all types of game.
He should be around 50 to 52cm at the shoulder and a little shorter (49cm) in length, be well boned with good muscle, taking on the appearance of a true cob. The Brittany is a very distinctive dog with a clear cut silhouette, thickset in a typically Breton way, sturdy, muscled and very active and fast when hunting. He is well balanced, attentive, has extremely fast reflexes, is highly intelligent and is easy to train; provided that he is trained from the earliest age with gentleness and firmness. In a word the iron fist in the velvet glove.
He is a true hunt, point and retrieve gun dog and although he is the smallest of the pointers, he more than makes up for it by being extremely fast, rock steady on point, an excellent retriever on land and in water, and is possessed with a great stamina and endurance. unmatched by other dog breeds.
The Brittany has a short to medium length coat that can be orange & white, black & white, liver & white or tri-coloured and should have some ticking or roaning through the coat. It is possible for all these colours to be produced in the one litter of pups, there is no such thing as a bad colour, it is usually a bad handler.
The Brittany was introduced into Australia in 1974 from their place of origin 'Brittany' a very rugged western provenance of France, where they were bred to hunt and point woodcock and partridge, to track and retrieve hare and to point and retrieve snipe, duck and all other waterfowl from the marshes, lakes and rivers that abound in this part of France. A tough rugged little dog for a rugged country. Since the Brittany has been in Australia they have developed a very strong following by dedicated hunters from all walks of life, who hunt all manner of game. In Australia they have successfully been used on quail, snap pheasant, partridge, pigeon, wild turkey, bush hen, deer, hare, rabbit, wallaby, possum, all breeds of duck, geese, swans and other waterfowl, along with wild Pig, goat, fox and feral cats. The breed has the ability to adapt themselves to suit almost any hunting situation, all with a great deal of exuberance and skill.
In Brittany they are sometimes used to bring in the cows at milking time, and a chap assures us that he has moved a flock of over a hundred merino with the aide of a well trained Brittany. They are excellent companions, good watch dogs, are truly great with children and do very well at obedience work. But their one true love is as an hunting companion, he only takes up a very small space, except, that is in his masters heart.
The "Maximum of Quality in the Minimum of Size!' a quote by Monsieur Gaston Pouchain.
'Mum’s dog during the week, Dads dog on the weekend' quote from the American Brittany Club. Each country has a quote of their own about this grand little hunting dog that has been able to adapt to nearly every country in the world. From Africa to Mexico; from Sweden to New Zealand and in Australia from Darwin down to Hobart you will see them pointing quail and retrieving duck.
In Brittany (France) 200 years ago his ancestors, known for their great hunting ability and courage were simply called 'Le Fougueres’ (the high spirited one). Their great heart, spirit and courage have changed little since then.
The breed is born with the desire to retrieve. and an inherent love of water and the game birds that inhabit the marshes and swamps here. He will hunt. point and retrieve fur as well as he hunts feather, tracking a wounded hare for hundreds of yards and delivering it back to his handler. He loves to work in conjunction with ferrets retrieving the rabbits shot as they bolt from their burrows. In Tasmania he is used very successfully to hunt and retrieve the native Wallaby and to locate the big possum scenting them in the high tree tops. The Brittany is truly a hunting dog made for our big, rough country and has already made a home for itself here in Australia.
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