Brittany Spaniel Dog

The breed of dog who is named after the region they originated from.

Brittany Spaniel Dog is hunter’s best friend, as they were bred especially for the purpose of bird hunting.

Brittany Spaniels came into the picture from a region called Brittany, a disputed province between northwest France, between 17th and 19th century.

They are great family companions and in early times worked more closely to the hunter than other pointing breeds.

A Brittany Spaniel is a happy, fun-loving and energetic dog.

They are often also known to be very hyperactive and really amazing family members.

Depends on the person who’s looking for a pet, a Brittany has a lot of energy to spare and would put your activity levels to test.

But if you can keep up with them, they’re a top-notch dog breed to get home with their medium-ranged size and high-on-life attitude.

Quick Facts

Average Height: 17.5 to 20.5 inches

Average Weight: 30 to 40 pounds

Life Expectancy: 12 to 13 years

Dog Group: Sporting Group

Colors: White and Reddish-Brown

At a Glance

• Size (3/5)

Brittany Spaniels stand at a very moderate size group, where they stand between 17.5 – 20.5 inches in height and weight not more than 30 – 40 pounds.

• Affection Level (5/5)

Brittany Spaniels come under the group of gun dogs and have been known to be highly affectionate with hunters and family members they lived with.

They are especially work-oriented and would tend to destruct things if they’re left alone at home for too long.

• Apartment Friendly (1/5)

This breed of dogs is certainly not for everyone, and especially not for people living an apartment-sized life.

Being hyperactive in nature, a small area would be less for a breed of dogs that have a lot of energy to spare.

• Cold Weather Tolerability (4/5)

They are good with cold weather, and wouldn’t require additional protection to beat the chilly atmosphere around.

They are single coated and highly energetic which is sufficient to keep them warm in the winters.

• Hot Weather Tolerability (3/5)

Chances are that they are vulnerable to overheating and dehydration, but if their activity levels are monitored from time to time, they are equally good for hot weathers.

• Barking Tendencies (3/5)

Even though their energy levels are at par, they are comparatively calm and composed dogs and shows minimal tendencies to bark annoyingly all day.

• Cat-Friendly (2/5)

Brittany Spaniels are gun dogs and usually have an instinct to hunt.

They are bound to be aggressive towards smaller animals, so it’s better to keep them away.

But if a Brittany is raised with a cat from its puppy stage, they would possibly grow with better social skills and wouldn’t be a trouble to other animals.

• Dog-Friendly (4/5)

They love to make friends with other dogs, as they’re intelligent and highly enthusiastic they won’t show aggressive behavior towards dogs.

Unless they are kept isolated for too long.

• Exercise Needs (5/5)

Being gun dogs, Brittany Spaniels have tipping exercise needs.

They need an hour of daily exercise in order to keep them away from becoming neurotic and destructive.

• Grooming Needs (2/5)

There are very rare seasons when Brittanys shed, so they require pretty less grooming to appear good.

Brittany Spaniel Shedding is not the concern of people who own the breed.

• Playfulness (5/5)

These four-legged creatures have all the energy in the world, you have to spend one hour every day to keep them stimulated and exhausted.

Not everyone can have a Brittany, as it’s difficult to keep up with them.

They are suitable for people living an active life.

• Trainability (3/5)

They are difficult to train because they’re smart and would show stubbornness while training them.

Patience is what is helping the owners, as Brittany Spaniels are also very sensitive to rough punishments and they tend to get depressed.

• Intelligence (5/5)

Being intelligent they will easily grasp basic commands you would teach them.

They are intelligent but also sensitive to scoldings and punishments.

So beware of how you talk to them.

• Mouthiness (3/5)

They are moderately chewy during the puppy stage of their life.

Making them habituated to chew toys would keep them away from being mouthy with their owners.

• Price Group (4/5)

Brittany Spaniels are one of the breeds that are expensive, depending on the breeder their price ranges from $1200 – $3800 USD.

A Brittany Spaniel rescue price averages at $700 USD.

About Brittany

Brittany Spaniels in general, are sporting breeds, breeds that have been popular gun dogs in the 17th and 19th century.

They are often claimed to be very hyperactive and have high training needs for them to function optimally.

Brittanys are excellent for dog sports – obedience, agility, flyball, dock diving.

Name it and they’ll ace every sporting event.

Brittanys are also very sensitive dogs at the same time, they don’t take harsh training methods and punishments.

Where Do Brittany Spaniels Originate From?

Brittany Spaniels is the westernmost region of France where most versatile bird dogs were known to originate and were named after the place itself ‘Brittany’.

The Brittany Spaniel started emerging as the best friends of hunters by the 17th century in France and ever since been recognized as a great family and gun dogs.

As time went by, Brittany Spaniels were named as Brittanys and were a happy, fun-loving and intelligent breed of hunting dogs.

Brittany Spaniels are in today’s world an amazing dog for families and are very gentle with children and other dogs.

Size

Brittany Spaniel Dogs and of moderate size.

They are strong and muscular.

They stand at 17.5 – 20.5 inches in height and weight not more than 30 – 40 pounds.

We mustn’t think of accommodating them in apartment-sized living, as an apartment can’t sustain the energy levels they carry.

Trainability

Training a Brittany Spaniel is easy, as they are highly intelligent – they would easily learn some basic commands.

Although you must be patient with them as they don’t take punishments well, they might tend to get aggressive and stubborn.

They need exhaustive training regularly in order to keep them stimulated and drain their excessive energy.

Brittany Spaniel puppies are recommended to be trained not more than 15 – 20 minutes, as during puppyhood their joints are not properly formed and they lack muscle coordination.

Grooming

Brittanys have a very smooth and short coat, which ensures that not a lot of grooming is required in order to keep the aesthetic.

All you would need to do is brush and comb their fur once or twice a week to keep them looking good, and bathing them once in every 2 – 3 weeks would be fine.

The underside of their ears should be monitored and cleaned, and nails should be trimmed from time-to-time if not naturally worn out.

Common Diseases

Brittany Spaniels are generally rough and tough dogs, but they too are vulnerable to some diseases.

It can be due to irresponsible breeding, or maybe due to the lack of appropriate care from the owner’s side.

• Hip Dysplasia

Many factors contribute to this condition, it can be either genetics or environment or maybe lack of proper diet.

In minor cases, with proper diet and care the dog can live a healthy and active life.

But if it’s severe, surgery might be required.

• Epilepsy

This a frightening condition where there can be severe or mild seizures.

Epilepsy is usually inherited and can be caused due to metabolic disorders, tumors or maybe exposure to the poison.

You can detect symptoms when the dog is running frantically (as if being chased) or staggering or hiding.

This condition can’t be cured, but still, they can lead an active life.

However, seizures can be controlled with medication and care.

• Hypothyroidism

This condition is when the thyroid glands produce abnormally low levels of the hormone, mild signs of the disease can be infertility.

Other obvious signs can be obesity, mental dullness, drooping of the eyelids, low energy levels and irregular heat cycles.

The coat becomes brittle and starts falling, the skin tends to become rough and dark in appearance in this condition.

But not to lose hope, treatment is still possible and a well-treated dog can live a happy and normal life.

Feeding

They are recommended to be fed approximately 1.5 to 2 cups of high-quality dry food, which should be divided into two meals.

While feeding a Brittany Spaniel, keep in mind that they are sporting breed and you must get him food that satisfies his metabolic needs.

Brittany Spaniels should not be overfed, as obesity might lead to unfavorable diseases.

Instead, make a schedule of feeding him twice a day and fix a quantity.

Brittany Spaniel puppies require more food and should be fed 2.5 – 3 cups of moist or semi-moist food divided into three meals a day.

Suggested: Senior Dog Food

Vaccination and Care

Brittany Spaniels love to run and play in open spaces, so create a space in the yard where their energy can be put in their sporty activities.

Brittanys require minimum 1 – 1.5 hours of exercise every day after 2 years of age.

Brittany Spaniel puppies shouldn’t be made to exercise more than 15 – 20 minutes as their joints are not fully formed and even muscle coordination isn’t achieved.

They must be vaccinated with canine distemper, canine hepatitis, and rabies after the first three months of their birth, and then after one-year canine parvovirus can be given.

Suggested: Beginner’s Guide To Dog Vaccination

Monthly Expenditures

Raising a Brittany Spaniel wouldn’t be that hard on your budget, as they function really well just by proper diet and nutrition.

For a month the cost of raising a Brittany would estimate up to $150 – $200 USD and yearly expenditure would fall in the range of $2500 – $3000 USD.

Behavior With

Children

Brittany Spaniels are known to be incredibly kid-friendly, and having them would be providing your children with a best friend.

But still, they should always be monitored.

Dogs

They are amazing with their social skills, and wouldn’t cause any problems with other dogs.

But they should never be kept isolated and aloof, that would only make them more aggressive and misbehaved with other dogs and strangers.

Cats

Brittany Spaniels being gun dogs might cause some trouble with other smaller animals, but they’re generally friendly.

Having good social skills from their puppyhood would avoid them to be aggressive with cats and other animals.

Overview

If you’re a person who’s pursuing an active life, Brittany Spaniels are definitely a breed you can bring home.

With the energy they possess, you can yourself have an overall body workout and still, they’ll have some energy to spare.

Brittany Spaniel temperament is a benchmark that not all dogs have achieved, and with such temperament, they are a delight to pet.

They should strictly be exercises every day for a minimum 1 – 1.5 hours, only then would they live a happy life.

These energy bombs are amazing as companion dogs and would be an amazing family member with all their loyalty and affection.

I hope you learned all about Brittany Spaniels.

Do check out other breeds, to match your preference.

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