Vet's Corner with Dr. Dan Rice
Quote of the month is attributed to MME. Roland 1754-1793:
“The more I see of men, the better I like dogs.”
Vet Feature Article:
The Brittany
A poem by Charles Kingsley (1819-1875) goes like this:
When all the world is young, lad,
And all the trees are green;
And every goose a swan, lad,
And every lass a queen;
They hey for boot and horse, lad,
And round the world away;
Young blood must have its course, lad,
And every dog his day.
The Brittany originated in France and in America is found in the AKC Sporting Dog Group. Like many other sporting dogs, the friendly, fun-loving Brittany is owned by many American urban and rural families as a companion rather than a hunting dog.
Brittanys were developed in Britagne, a French province that sometimes is confused with Britannia (England). In the U.S.A., the breed’s name was recently changed from “Brittany Spaniel” to “Brittany,” the reason was that Brittanys are natural pointers rather than flushing spaniels, they have smaller, higher set ears, are leggier than spaniels, and share European heritage with other fast, rangier breeds of pointers and setters. They have gained popularity in America as great “weekend hunters,” because of their excellent nose and retrieving ability, both on upland birds and waterfowl. Those attributes are combined with ease of care, size, temperament, and personality. During the week, owners have a fine companion and playmate for the children, which is transformed into an accomplished gun dog on weekends.
The Brittany is a versatile dog. Its phenotypic features are beautifully balanced and are combined with intelligence, soundness, and symmetry of motion. Ambitious? I've never seen a Brittany that wasn’t birdy to a fault! In short, here is an admirable companion that you can be proud of in the field and if you choose, is a conformation competitor. Brittany breeders are committed to continuing those roles for their dual-purpose dogs. “Dual purpose” implies that differences are nonexistent between a show-class, confirmation winning Brittany, and a field trial or hunting Brittany, and American breeders have produced more dual champions than any other breed!
Beauty is in the eyes of…and from that limited standpoint, a heavily feathered Irish or English setter floating across the conformation ring is considered by many to be more beautiful than the quick, ground-covering speed of the alert Brittany. In the sporting-dog class, the big setters draw more than their share of the spectators’ applause. Those people are only seeing the classic carriage and long flowing locks of conformation competitors. Unfortunately, that short-sighted view usually doesn’t include the smaller, shorter haired, orange, or liver and white retriever. Those fanciers can't focus on the Brittany’s brains and trainability that are at least equally important, nor the hunting prowess of the smaller dog.
A leggy Brittany stands between 17 and 20 inches at the withers and weighs between 30 and 40 pounds. They are much trimmer than many spaniels and aren't as large as Golden Retrievers or Labradors. Brittany’s coats are long enough for weather protection but short enough to be easily groomed. Brittanys are excellent field trial candidates, but are happy to share your pickup seat on the way to seek, point, and retrieve a few birds for a tasty Sunday dinner.
Training is important for all dogs, and a Brittany is certainly trainable. Small enough to double as a house pet, they adapt easily into the family companion role. The Brittany is an active dog that hates monotony and requires daily mental and physical exercise to stay fit. Boredom has spoiled more Brittanys, and vices caused by boredom have landed many potentially great companions in shelters. An alarm should sound in an owner’s brain if a naturally dynamic, curious, happy dog becomes apathetic and indifferent. Luckily, boredom has a remedy, and one which every dog owner must accept. To investigate and discover why your dog is bored, simply gaze into a mirror. The remedy for boredom costs no cash and requires only your time, but interaction with your beautiful canine companion is significant! If you haven't time to spend with your dog, buy a nice goldfish or a parakeet. They won't cost as much as a Brittany and you will be way ahead.
Congenital health issues are about the same as those common in other active breeds, and a Brittany is a long lasting investment; up to about 15 years. This medium-sized sporting dog is quite sensitive, and resents heavy-handed training techniques. A Brittany is often called independent but I believe the curiosity and spirit of a Brittany, added to the breed’s quickness and agility are actually signs of high intelligence.