Breed Priorities – Brittany

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338 – The Annual, 2025-26

By Nikki Riggsbee

In the 19th century, French sportsmen from Brittany (in northwest France) began crossing their French spaniels with English Setters, and the result was the Brittany Spaniel. It differed from the French spaniels in being shorter bodied, with more leg, and it was more active.

The Brittany Spaniel was recognized by the AKC in 1934. American fanciers had the “Spaniel” dropped from the breed’s name in the AKC in 1982, likely to reflect that its working style was not entirely spaniel-like. In France and FCI, it is still called Brittany Spaniel.

The Brittany has more dual champion dogs than any other AKC breed. The parent club strives to keep it a “dual dog,” not split into show dogs and field dogs, as has happened with some other sporting breeds. One sporting judge suggested their success at this is helped by their standard saying “too little (coat/feathering) is definitely preferable to too much.” The Brittany has been one of the consistently popular sporting breeds, ranking 31st in recent registration statistics.

Twenty-nine Brittany experts were invited to complete a survey on their breed, both breeder-judges and the parent club breed standard and judges’ education committee members. Twenty agreed to contribute. Sixteen surveys were returned, and their input is the basis of this article. These experts have been in the breed for over thirty-four years on average. The judges have been approved for the breed for an average of more than thirteen years. More than half have judged at their national specialty, and most others have judged other Brittany specialties.

Prioritizing Virtues

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338 – The Annual, 2025-26

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