The Brittany History Or How He Came to Be

It has often been stated that the first "tail-less" Brittany spaniel was born about a hundred years ago in a little town in the Valley of Douron, the result of a breeding between a white and mahogany native dog and a lemon and white dog brought to Brittany by an Englishman for the woodcock shooting. This pup became famous as a hunter and so everyone wanted to have his pups in turn.

But a French sportsman by the name of Arthur Enaud is given credit for the early development of the Brittany as it is known today. His idea was to intensify scenting ability and also breed for the orange and white color. He used for outcrosses, the Italian Bracco and the Braque de Bourbonnais, both pointing breeds. The latter had another desirable characteristic, a short tail. It had long been the custom of sportsmen in the Brittany region to dock, or cut short, the long tails of their dogs to keep them from being injured in the great fields of furze. So it was very desirable to have naturally tail-less or short-tailed dogs.

In 1896 the first Brittany spaniel was shown in a dog show in his native land. He was entered in the miscellaneous class because there was no regular class for the so-called "Short-tailed Brittany." In 1906 at a show in Toulouse the breed was given a class of its own for the first time, a circumstance due entirely to a railroad accident which prevented the sole Brittany entry from being on time for the miscellaneous spaniel judging. Therefore, it had to be judged alone. However, at a show in Nantes on May 31, 1907, the French Spaniel Club was founded and a committee assigned to draw up a standard (desirable conformation points) for the Brittany spaniel. This standard was presented to the then newly organized Club de L'Epagneul Bretagne.

Again, just as it had gained them fame in their own land, it was the hunting prowess of the Brittanys that first drew the interest of Americans who travelled in France. Brittanys were first brought here in 1931 and they soon began to make a dent. In 1934 the American Kennel Club granted the breed official recognition. Sportsmen took the hard working little dogs to heart. The home folk liked their looks and jaunty, endearing ways. Less than ten years later, 1942 to be exact, there were enough enthusiasts spread around the country to found the American Brittany Club. Since their first appearance Brittanys have made a prominent place for themselves in field trials, bench shows, and obedience competition but, most of all, as an all-around pet which can, as the saying goes, "double in brass."