How does the Brittany work in the field?
The Brittany is a compact French gundog, classed in Britain as an HPR, that hunts fast and wide. It finds game with an excellent nose, points firmly and retrieves.
The Brittany is a compact, athletic gundog from France, classed in Britain as an HPR. It hunts fast and wide, in a style closer to the English setter than most HPRs, finds game with an excellent nose, points firmly and retrieves, and its size and agility suit rough ground and tight cover. Brittanys are lively, determined workers with great stamina, and they suit walked-up and rough shooting and handlers who enjoy a dog that covers ground. The breed has a growing following in Britain. Look for parents with working test or HPR field trial experience, and ask the breeder how they are worked and whether you can see them hunt.
What is the Brittany like to live and work with?
Energetic, affectionate and eager to please, and usually good with people and dogs. It needs plenty of exercise and work.
Brittanys are energetic, affectionate and eager to please. They are usually friendly with people and good with children and other dogs, and they bond closely with their handler. They are sensitive and respond best to positive, consistent training. Their energy is considerable, and a Brittany without enough exercise and work can become restless. They suit active owners who enjoy training and want a smaller, more manageable HPR. Look for parents that are confident and outgoing, keen to hunt, and still responsive to the whistle when they are working at range.
Which health tests matter for the Brittany?
Both parents should have hip scores, ideally elbow grades, and a current eye certificate. Ask directly about epilepsy, which has no DNA test.
Ask for both parents' hip scores under the BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme, elbow grades where they have been done, and a current eye certificate under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme. Epilepsy has been reported in the breed and has no DNA test, so ask the breeder directly whether it has appeared in the parents' close relatives. The breed club keeps an up-to-date list of recommended tests, and DNA tests for further conditions are available from canine genetics laboratories, so ask which have been done and see the certificates rather than accepting 'health tested' on trust. Results for Kennel Club registered dogs can be checked on the Kennel Club's Health Test Results Finder. Our guide to buying a working gundog covers the other checks to make.
How much training and exercise does the Brittany need?
The full HPR syllabus, with extra work on the stop whistle because Brittanys range wide. An adult needs well over an hour of hard exercise a day.
Training covers the full HPR syllabus: obedience and the stop whistle first, then quartering, pointing, steadiness and retrieving. Because Brittanys range wide and fast, a reliable stop whistle and recall matter more than usual, and they should be built early. Short, varied, positive sessions suit them best. Many mature slowly and are not finished until two or three years old. An adult Brittany needs well over an hour of hard exercise a day. The coat is easy to care for with a weekly brush, but check ears, feet and feathering for grass seeds after work.
How long does it take to train the Brittany?
For the Brittany, readiness for the intended role matters more than a birthday. Check demonstrated foundations, physical suitability and the support needed for the next stage.
Brittanys are keen and quick, so the challenge is control rather than drive. Early learning includes socialisation, recall and a reliable stop whistle, which matters more than usual in a dog that will range wide. After comfortable everyday foundations, it learns to quarter in a pattern, its point is encouraged, and retrieving is built with dummies. With reliable foundations, it is steadied on point and to flush and meets real game on walked-up days. To start from the beginning, browse the Brittany puppies for sale. Use the training progression guide to discuss readiness with a reward-based trainer. Ask your vet about physical demands, and plan game, water and gunfire introductions with competent help.