Information on AKC Brittany Puppies
AKC MEET THE BREEDS®: Brittany
The Brittany is a medium-sized, leggy, dual-purpose dog, equally suited for sport and companionship. According to AKC® Registration Statistics, it has surged in popularity in the last 50 years due to its talents as both a hunting and show dog. Originally called the Brittany Spaniel, it is now referred to simply as the Brittany, as its hunting style more closely resembles that of pointing breeds. Its dense, flat or wavy coat can be orange and white or liver and white in either clear or roan patterns.
A Look Back
The Brittany was named for the French province where it originated, but records of its development are largely lost. There is a great deal of resemblance between the Brittany and Welsh Springer Spaniel, which leads many people to believe that the two breeds share the same ancestors. It is possible that native Brittany spaniels mated with English pointing dogs around 1900, intensifying their hunting prowess in the process.
Right Breed for You?
The Brittany is strong, quick and agile, requiring exercise and activity to occupy his body and mind. He is a happy and alert dog who possesses willing attitude. Regular brushing is important, but their shorter coats need minimal maintenance.
If you are considering purchasing a Brittany puppy, learn more here.
- Sporting Group; AKC recognized in 1934.
- Average size: 30 to 40 pounds and 17 ½ to 20 ½ inches at the shoulder.
- Bird dog, companion.
© The American Kennel Club, Inc.
Brittany Breed Standard
General Appearance
A compact, closely knit dog of medium size, a leggy dog having the
appearance, as well as the agility, of a great ground coverer. Strong, vigorous,
energetic and quick of movement. Ruggedness, without clumsiness, is a characteristic
of the breed. He can be tailless or has a tail docked to approximately four inches.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Height--17½ to 20½ inches, measured from the ground
to the highest point of the shoulders. Any Brittany measuring under 17½
inches or over 20½ inches shall be disqualified from dog show competition. Weight--Should weigh between 30 and 40 pounds. Proportion--So leggy is he that his height at the shoulders
is the same as the length of his body. Body Length--Approximately the same as the height when measured
at the shoulders. Body length is measured from the point of the forecast to the
rear of the rump. A long body should be heavily penalized. Substance--Not too light in bone, yet never heavy-boned and cumbersome.
Head
Expression--Alert and eager, but with the soft expression of a bird
dog. Eyes--Well set in head. Well protected from briars by a heavy, expressive
eyebrow. A prominent full or popeye should be penalized. It is a serious fault
in a dog that must face briars. Skull well chiseled under the eyes, so that the
lower lid is not pulled back to form a pocket or haw that would catch seeds, dirt
and weed dust. Preference should be for the darker colored eyes, though lighter
shades of amber should not be penalized. Light and mean-looking eyes should be
heavily penalized. Ears--Set high, above the level of the eyes. Short and triangular,
rather than pendulous, reaching about half the length of the muzzle. Should lie
flat and close to the head, with dense, but relatively short hair, and with little
fringe. Skull--Medium length, rounded, very slightly wedge-shaped, but evenly
made. Width, not quite as wide as the length and never so broad as to appear coarse,
or so narrow as to appear racy. Well defined, but gently sloping stop. Median
line rather indistinct. The occiput only apparent to the touch. Lateral walls
well rounded. The Brittany should never be "apple-headed" and he should never
have an indented stop. Muzzle--Medium length, about two thirds the length of the skull,
measuring the muzzle from the tip to the stop, and the skull from the occiput
to the stop. Muzzle should taper gradually in both horizontal and vertical dimensions
as it approaches the nostrils. Neither a Roman nose nor a dish-face is desirable.
Never broad, heavy or snippy. Nose--Nostrils well open to permit deep breathing of air and adequate
scenting. Tight nostrils should be penalized. Never shiny. Color: fawn, tan, shades
of brown or deep pink. A black nose is a disqualification. A two-tone or butterfly
nose should be penalized. Lips--Tight, the upper lip overlapping the lower jaw just to cover
the lower lip. Lips dry, so that feathers will not stick. Drooling to be heavily
penalized. Flews to be penalized. Bite--A true scissors bite. Overshot or undershot jaw to be heavily
penalized.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck--Medium length. Free from throatiness, though not a serious
fault unless accompanied by dewlaps, strong without giving the impression of being
over muscled. Well set into sloping shoulders. Never concave or ewe-necked. Topline--Slight slope from the highest point of the shoulders to
the root of the tail. Chest--Deep, reaching the level of the elbow. Neither so wide nor
so rounded as to disturb the placement of the shoulders and elbows. Ribs well
sprung. Adequate heart room provided by depth as well as width. Narrow or slab-sided
chests are a fault. Back--Short and straight. Never hollow, saddle, sway or roach backed.
Slight drop from the hips to the root of the tail. Flanks--Rounded. Fairly full. Not extremely tucked up, or flabby
and falling. Loins short and strong. Distance from last rib to upper thigh short,
about three to four finger widths. Narrow and weak loins are a fault. In motion,
the loin should not sway sideways, giving a zig-zag motion to the back, wasting
energy. Tail--Tailless to approximately four inches, natural or docked.
The tail not to be so long as to affect the overall balance of the dog. Set on
high, actually an extension of the spine at about the same level. Any tail substantially
more than four inches shall be severely penalized.
Forequarters
Shoulders--Shoulder blades should not protrude too much, not too
wide apart, with perhaps two thumbs' width between. Sloping and muscular. Blade
and upper arm should form nearly a ninety degree angle. Straight shoulders are
a fault. At the shoulders, the Brittany is slightly higher than at the rump. Front Legs--Viewed from the front, perpendicular, but not set too
wide. Elbows and feet turning neither in nor out. Pasterns slightly sloped. Down
in pasterns is a serious fault. Leg bones clean, graceful, but not too fine. Extremely
heavy bone is as much a fault as spindly legs. One must look for substance and
suppleness. Height at elbows should approximately equal distance from elbow to
withers. Feet--Should be strong, proportionately smaller than the spaniels',
with close fitting, well arched toes and thick pads. The Brittany is "not up on
his toes." Toes not heavily feathered. Flat feet, splayed feet, paper feet, etc.,
are to be heavily penalized. An ideal foot is halfway between the hare and the
cat foot. Dewclaws may be removed.
Hindquarter
Broad strong and muscular, with powerful thighs and well bent stifles, giving
the angulation necessary for powerful drive. Hind Legs--Stifles well bent. The stifle should not be so angulated
as to place the hock joint far out behind the dog. A Brittany should not be condemned
for straight stifle until the judge has checked the dog in motion from the side.
The stifle joint should not turn out making a cowhock. Thighs well feathered but
not profusely, halfway to the hock. Hocks, that is, the back pasterns, should
be moderately short, pointing neither in nor out, perpendicular when viewed from
the side. They should be firm when shaken by the judge. Feet Same as front feet.
Coat
Dense, flat or wavy, never curly. Texture neither wiry nor silky. Ears should
carry little fringe. The front and hind legs should have some feathering, but
too little is definitely preferable to too much. Dogs with long or profuse feathering
or furnishings shall be so severely penalized as to effectively eliminate them
from competition. Skin--Fine and fairly loose. A loose skin rolls with briars and
sticks, thus diminishing punctures or tearing. A skin so loose as to form pouches
is undesirable.
Color
Orange and white or liver and white in either clear or roan patterns. Some ticking
is desirable. The orange or liver is found in the standard parti-color or piebald
patterns. Washed out colors are not desirable. Tri-colors are allowed but not
preferred. A tri-color is a liver and white dog with classic orange markings on
eyebrows, muzzle and cheeks, inside the ears and under the tail, freckles on the
lower legs are orange. Anything exceeding the limits of these markings shall be
severely penalized. Black is a disqualification.
Gait
When at a trot the Brittany's hind foot should step into or beyond the print left
by the front foot. Clean movement, coming and going, is very important, but most
important is side gait, which is smooth, efficient and ground covering.
Temperament
A happy, alert dog, neither mean nor shy.
Disqualifications
Any Brittany measuring under 17½ inches or over 20½ inches
A black nose
Black in the coat
Approved April 10, 1990
Effective May 31, 1990
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