Tell me about Brittanies please

I'm curious to know your experience with Brittanies.

I have a soft spot for the gundog group in general, but especially Brittanies and Vizslas. I like that the Brittany is such a happy breed, no DA tendencies and is very affectionate... this is just going on what I have heard in the past.

They are a lovely size and look gorgeous. They are fairly low-maintenance in the grooming department.

Do they have an off switch?

How much exercise would keep a Brittany content? Realistically I think they are too active for me. I can provide around 45-60min per day of walking/off lead and I do training everyday.

Are they are healthy breed?

What are they like to train?

I'm sure I'll have more questions as I remember them.

All I can tell you is that I used to watch my neighbor's Brittany when they were away. She was a very sweet girl (yes, she passed away). Their daughter has a Brittany that I've met, and again is very very sweet. Sorry I can't offer more info.

Keep in mind that my experience is limited to one Brittany (mine, a rescue) and everything indicates that he is not well-bred. I had his AKC registration papers at one point and his parents had names like "Johnson's Mad Max". With that being said...

Rowan is exactly the dog I wanted. He's medium sized with a feathered coat that is super easy to maintain and just an incredibly sweet disposition. He is by far the cuddliest dog I've ever owned and follows me everywhere. No one ever told him that he's 40 lbs because he seems to think that his ideal spot is on my lap.

I've found him fairly easy to train, at least when we're indoors. He gets bored, and then frustrated, somewhat easily but that is countered by keeping training sessions short and fun. Outside I have found it nearly impossible to get his focus because his prey drive toward squirrels is so strong. There doesn't even have to be one around; the fact that we're outside where squirrels SOMETIMES are is enough for him to be completely tuned out to me. However, in his defense, this is not something I have worked too hard on with him. Since we don't do a lot of training outside, I haven't put in the time and effort to gain his focus. I imagine something like using Control Unleashed would make a difference.

As far as other dogs, he seems a bit weird, at least compared to other Brittanys I have briefly interacted with. He is not too enthused with them. He's not aggressive and doesn't actively avoid dogs, but he does not hesitate to tell off a dog that is being rude. Once he decides a dog is okay, he plays well. The other Brittanys I've met seem to be more widely accepting of other dogs.

The biggest difference I've seen between Rowan and a "proper" Brittany is his energy level. He doesn't require much exercise at all. In fact, he can be downright lazy. If we go for a week without doing anything, he'll get antsy, but it doesn't take much at all to wear him out. I worked a double one day and he went with me, so it was 10 hours of daycare. 5 hours in, he was done. He slept the rest of the day, and almost the entire next day. When I spoke with a Brittany breeder at a show and interacted with her dogs, I found that not only did they have a lot more stamina, but they had a lot more nervous energy. They were always moving somehow, turning, looking around, waiting for something to happen. On the other hand, Rowan sleeps until I let him know something is happening, and then he's game to go It was for this reason that I decided against getting another Brittany. I found the energy to be very unfocused and almost frantic, and I wouldn't care to live with that, as I find it somewhat grating. Of course, this was just one breeder and her dogs, so again it is a narrow experience.

I'm on my phone so this will be short and poorly written

I like brittanys over some of the other gundogs because they are a little harder dogs in my experience.

Bryn is the only Brittany I have alive but we have had 6 or so in total I think.
Anyway an hour of off leash running in the morning, a few training sessions and then a 20 minutes walk around the block in the evening is what Bryn gets and he sleeps pretty much the rest of the day.
Bryn is DA and while he is the only DA Brittany I have owned he is not the only one I have met.

They are really easy to train and fun to train with. Bryn is wicked smart.
They are very under rated sport dogs imho.

Wash and wear coat is great.

Is Bryn and American Brittany or a French Brittany? Do you have pictures?

He is a frenchie. I shall post pictures when I get on my computer tomorrow.

the two Brittanys i grew up with were very sensitive dogs. in that yelling really seemed to genuinely hurt their feelings. they were exceedingly sweet though. they both could have been great sporting dogs, but they were just pets that ran around the farm. very good off switches, all sorts of intelligent and more than happy to outsmart six-year-old me.

the first one was bred, the puppies sold to hunting homes and my aunt kept one for herself. the mother, Aja, died of heart cancer at, i believe, around 12 or 13ish. Katie, the daughter, is now around 12 as well i think, and still the same dog i remember from my childhood. very sensitive, if not moreso than before, but still so sweet and loving.

I've got two that come to daycare regularly, and one that is in my agility classes.

Both dogs are boys, and are sweet, affectionate, and eager to please. They are sensitive, and like to be right. One of them has a coat that does need regular grooming or the neuter fuzz takes over, the other is young and still has a nice harsher coat.

They are both happy to play like crazy for a while, but will settle down and nap amid the chaos. One is a fetcher and has a great sense of humour- will play by himself with a toy. The other is more serious. But they both like to cuddle.

Both dogs are very friendly and good with other dogs.

I like the breed working wise aswell- the agility guy has a pretty good work ethic and tries hard to stay focused on his handler. His nose does get the better of him sometimes, but mostly he sticks to his job.

All in all nice dogs I think!

My friend has an almost 2 year old one that is being trained for agility and possibly some hunt tests. He is a great dog - very smart, very trainable, driven and gets along well with people and most dogs. I agree they are underrated sport dogs, as he is going to be awesome in agility.

I know they have more dual CHs than any other breed, so while there is a show/working split to some degree it isn't as extreme as in other breeds. If you are looking for a sport dog, I'd definitely suggest going to a breeder who does field trials (many also show in conformation, so you don't necessarily have to choose). Or I know there's at least one breeder competing in high levels of agility with her's.

Here he is.
He will be 10 years old this year.
In his life time he has competed in Agility and been the go to dog hunting wise. Just an all around fun dog.

IMG_1607 by AussieHike!, on Flickr

IMG_1721 by AussieHike!, on Flickr

IMG_1593 by AussieHike!, on Flickr

He also loves little people. Even ones that are scared of him

IMG_2823 by AussieHike!, on Flickr

Great snuggler

IMG_2837 by AussieHike!, on Flickr

Happy to dress up in stupid costumes for school plays

SNV31895 by AussieHike!, on Flickr

Gets old and grey graciously!

IMG_2817 by AussieHike!, on Flickr

I can't wait to have my boy back in July!