Brittany
History
The Brittany
(or Brittany Spaniel as it is know in all parts of the
world save the United States) is derived from
early land Spaniels and setters and is generally believed
to have been developed in the Bretagne region of France
(hence the name Brittany) and is thought
to represent
a
cross between
the
English Setter and small French land spaniels. However, much
speculation exists at to which spaniel and which setter
form the basis
for the breed.
The
fact is that the French did breed their spaniels to some
of the
dogs brought over by the English sportsmen.
Some of the dogs brought over by the English were spaniels
and some setters. The setter being bred to the spaniel
to enhance the nose of the spaniel and his staunchness,
thereby making him a more useful dog in the field. There
is clear indication that there was a tendency to short
or no tail and to the white-orange or white-liver coloration.
The short tail was preferred as it was less likely to get
torn up by the heavy cover of the region. The loose skin
was also preferred as it lessened the likely hood of damage
in the dense cover. By 1904, the Brittany Spaniel had evolved,
with the help of man, into a distinct breed. The first
Brittanys were brought to North America by Senor Juan Pugibet
of Villa Obregon, near Vera Cruz, Mexico in 1928. The next
individual of note is Louis A. Thebaud who imported Brittany
Spaniels into the United States in 1933. Upon Mr. Thebaud's
request the French Kennel Club sent him the "Standard
of Perfection" for the breed in July, 1934. The American
Kennel Club recognized the breed in August, 1934, but did
not approve the standard until March 12, 1935, after an
acceptable translation of the standard had been completed.
The Brittany Spaniel Club of North America was founded
in 1936 and it received official membership in the AKC
on September 15, 1936.
World War II greatly hurt the Brittany Spaniel Club of
North America, due to the inablity to locate many organizers.
A seperate club was established and in 1944 the two clubs
merged. The Brittany Spaniel also struggled in France during
the war. Because of the much depleted gene pool for the
Brittany Spaniel in Europe, black was allowed as an acceptable
coloration. The gene pool
in the United States, however was sufficiently rich that
there was no need to change the standard.
A large number of Brittany Spaniels have been imported
from France and other parts of Europe since the end of
WWII and interbreeding has occurred to the point where
it is impossible to clearly delineate a dog by origin.
Juan
Pugibet, of Villa Obergon, near Vera Cruz, Mexico, and
Louis Andre Thebaud of Morristown, New Jersey were
the two men who have been given most of the credit for
introducing the Brittany to North America. Mr. Pugibet's
CasaBlanca Kennels became famous in Mexico, the U.S. and
Canada. It was discovered that the Brittany adapted easily
to the different climates but also it was easily trained
to the different types of feathered game in the Americas.
Prior to September 1, 1982 the Brittany was known in America
as the Brittany Spaniel. The American Kennel Club officially
changed the name to simply the Brittany. One of the reasons
for this change was that the the manner in which the Brittany
hunts is more pointer-like than like a spaniel. Brittanys
bond and work closely with their human partner. So
they tend to make their trainers look good.
This breed does well in obedience trials, agility trials,
flyball competitions (as well as in the more traditional
field trials and hunting & tracking tests). The Brittany
is easily handled, but sensitive if treated harshly. |
