French Brittany (dog)
The French Brittany is a breed of gun dog that is bred for bird hunting. In French, the name of the breed is "Épagneul Breton". In French, the word "Épagneul" means a longhair pointing dog and the English word "Spaniel" means a flushing breed. So we cannot name the breed "Spaniel". Why use the word "French"? It is because there are 2 different Brittanies. There is the "American Brittany" which is in the United States of America (standard owner is the AKC with the ABC as parent club) and in Canada under the CKC and there is the "French Brittany". In the FCI countries, they use another standard, the French standard done by the CEB of France.
General Appearance
Smallest of the pointing breeds. The French Brittany is a dog with a Continental epagneul-type head (braccoïde in French) and a short or inexistent tail. Built harmoniously on a solid but not weighty frame. The whole is compact and well-knit, without undue heaviness, while staying sufficiently elegant. The dog is vigorous, the look is bright and the expression intelligent. The general aspect is «COBBY» (brachymorphic), full of energy, having conserved in the course of its evolution the short-coupled model sought after and fixed by those having recreated the breed.
Brief Historical Summary
Of French origin and more precisely, from the centre of Brittany. At present, in first place numerically among French sporting breeds. Probably one of the oldest of the epagneul type dogs, improved at the beginning of the 20th century by diverse outcrosses and selections. A draft of a breed standard drawn up in Nantes in 1907 was presented and adopted at the first General Assembly held in Loudéac (in former Côtes du Nord department, now Côtes d’Armor), June 7, 1908. This was the first standard of the «Club de l'Épagneul Breton à courte queue naturelle. / Naturally Short-Tailed French Brittany Club ».
