Brittany

Sporting Group Medium (25-50 lbs)
Height 17-21"
Weight 30-40 lbs
Lifespan 12-14 years
Price $700-$1,500

About the Brittany

Compact, leggy and built for covering ground, the Brittany is one of the most capable bird dogs available in a size that fits an ordinary house, and that combination has made it a favourite of hunters worldwide. Energy is the central fact of ownership. This breed needs serious daily exercise, ideally running, hiking, fieldwork or dog sport, and an hour of walking will not cover it; under-exercised Brittanys become anxious, hyperactive and destructive. Temperament is bright, willing and notably sensitive, with many individuals soft enough that raised voices genuinely upset them, so training should stay upbeat and encouraging, at which point learning is quick and cooperation excellent. Reserve or shyness toward strangers appears in some lines, making early socialisation important. These dogs bond hard and dislike being left, sometimes to the point of separation anxiety. Grooming is easy for a sporting breed: a flat or slightly wavy coat with modest feathering, brushed weekly, with ear checks after fieldwork and burr removal in season. Barking is moderate but excitement-driven. Homes with active outdoor lives, ideally with a job of some kind, suit them, while sedentary households do not. Distinctively, the breed both points and retrieves, and many are born naturally tailless or with a very short tail.

Temperament

Affectionate Great with Kids Dog-Friendly Playful Easy to Train
Affection Level
Good with Children
Good with Other Dogs
Playfulness
Protectiveness
Trainability
Energy Level
Barking Level
Intelligence
Adaptability

Physical Characteristics

Size Category Medium (25-50 lbs)
Height 17-21"
Weight 30-40 lbs
Coat Type Double
Coat Length Medium
Colors
Hypoallergenic No

Care Requirements

Exercise Needs

Very High (90+ min/day)

90 minutes per day recommended

Grooming

Moderate - Weekly

Shedding:

Mental Stimulation

Needs plenty of mental challenges

Drooling

Living Conditions

Apartment Friendly
Good for First-Time Owners
Tolerates Being Alone
Cold Weather Tolerance
Hot Weather Tolerance

Cost of Ownership

Purchase Price $700-$1,500
Annual Cost $1,200/year

Costs vary based on location, breeder, and individual needs. Annual costs include food, veterinary care, grooming, and supplies.

Health Considerations

Like all breeds, Brittanys may be prone to certain health conditions:

Regular veterinary check-ups and proper care can help prevent or manage many health issues.

Best For

  • Families with Children
  • First-Time Owners
  • Active Owners

May Not Be Ideal For

  • Apartment Living
  • Long Work Hours Away
  • Sedentary Lifestyles

Guides for your Brittany

The story behind the Brittany

Hunting dogs of Brittany type developed in the Brittany region of northwestern France, and pointing dogs resembling the modern breed appear in French art and tapestries from earlier centuries, though deliberate breeding is documented from the 1800s. French hunters worked their dogs on woodcock and other birds across small mixed farmland, and crossing with English setters and pointers brought over by British sportsmen is generally credited with refining the modern type. A club and standard were established in France in the early 1900s. The breed reached North America in the 1930s and became extremely popular with American upland hunters, where it was long called the Brittany Spaniel before the name was shortened to reflect its pointing rather than flushing style. It remains a common and successful field dog.

Originally bred for: Pointing, Retrieving, Hunting. You can trace how working roles shaped today’s breeds across our dog guides.

Feeding a Brittany

A hard-running medium gundog needs a quality food with sufficient fat and protein for sustained fieldwork, increased during the shooting season and reduced afterwards. Feeding toward a lean athletic outline suits this build, and the breed rarely needs rich feeding to hold good condition.

Watch for: No breed-wide food intolerance is documented for this gundog. Drop ears and heavy fieldwork make ear irritation a recurrent theme unrelated to ingredients, and anxious individuals sometimes develop stress-linked loose stools. Persistent problems should be reviewed by a veterinarian before diet changes.

Mealtime extras: training treats worth keeping in your pocket. Everything else lives in our dog nutrition and feeding hub.

Living with a Brittany

Day to day, the basics matter most: how much exercise your dog needs, how often to get out for a walk, and how much sleep is normal.

For play and enrichment, browse our favorite dog toys and interactive toys for rainy days.

Gear that fits the breed makes life easier: a well-sized dog bed, a properly sized crate.

Raising a puppy? Work through crate training and the teething timeline — or see how old your dog is in human years with our dog age calculator.

Compare Brittany with Other Breeds

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