American Brittany Club

General information

The Brittany is a compact, closely knit dog of medium size, between 30 to 40 pounds, and from 17-1/2 to 20-1/2 inches at the shoulder. He is a leggy dog that can cover ground with agility. He is strong, vigorous, energetic and quick of movement.
His small size makes him easy to carry in a car. His short tail, which can be either natural or docked, is an asset. He has enough coat to protect him from the briars but not enough to catch burrs to any great extent. He can be either orange and white, or liver and white, with either clear or roan patterns. He is not a heavily coated dog, but is lightly fringed.
He works in the same manner as a pointer, but without the great range. He points and holds his game. He retrieves both on land and in water. He is used primarily on upland game in the United States, but is used on both fur and feather in France.
He is noted for an exceptionally keen nose and a very biddable disposition. Many of the country's top dogs have been house pets as well as field winners and fine hunting dogs. The Brittany is a high energy dog who is bred to hunt. He does need lots of exercise or opportunities to hunt to keep him happy.
He has a typical friendly disposition and is very willing to please his master. He may be expected to absorb training more easily than some of the other pointing breeds, needing only a sharp scolding or slight punishment. The natural ability of the Brittany sells him as a breed to many neophytes in the field of hunting as he seems to know better what to do than his master.
He gains his admirers from his excellent working ability. The Brittany, with his shorter range, is becoming more popular as hunting becomes limited to smaller fields with more fences. His exceptional nose, which guarantees that he will pass up few birds, also helps to account for his popularity.
The American Brittany Club was established in 1942 as a member of the American Kennel Club and is the recognized breed sponsor by the American Field.
The club is composed of many regional or local clubs located from coast to coast. Most hold a licensed AKC trial for championship points in the spring and fall seasons. Many hold a specialty (conformation) show also. The regional clubs hold meetings to discuss mutual problems, fun trials, training sessions, hunting tests and other events of interest to their members.
The purpose of the American Brittany Club is to promote cooperation and friendship among the breeders and owners of a Brittany and to encourage the highest standards in breeding, training and showing of Brittanys in the field and in the show ring; to discourage the breed from becoming split into groups of "field dogs" and "bench dogs" and to strive to keep it forever a "dual dog".

The American Brittany Club holds their National Specialty Show, National Championships and National Gun Dog Championships in the Fall each year. The ABC holds a Summer Specialty Show and three regional Futurities (for both field and show). The ABC sponsors the following Classics/Championships: Quail, Pheasant, Prairie Chicken, Chukar, Grouse-Woodcock and Gun Dog.
A monthly magazine is published and sent to all members of regional clubs and members-at-large as part of their membership dues. The magazine contains reports of trials, shows, and club activities as well as articles on care and training of the Brittany. There are also articles of general interest. It carries a listing of kennels, dogs at stud and trainers.
Yearly membership is $50.00. Membership in one of the regional clubs carries an automatic membership in the American Brittany Club. You may join a regional club or as a member-at-large. Contact an ABC Director for the club nearest you. Click here for American Brittany Club Membership Application in Adobe Acrobat format.