I’d like to start right off by saying that I don’t think the French Brittany (Epagneul Breton, EB, etc) is the dog for everyone. I won’t even say that they are the best dogs ever put on this planet, but they are the best for me– right now.
The diminutive EB is a controversial dog. Like most of the breeds we use in the United States, the EB was developed on the European Continent–specifically in France. You can read a full and extensive history here at the CEB-US website. Here are some basics: The EB was developed in France as a companion for walking hunters, as opposed to horseback hunters. The French breeders were after woodcock and Hungarian Partridge (aka Huns). The French Brittany and the American Briattny began to split after WWI when relatively few EB’s were imported into the US. The theory goes that these EB’s were bred with other pointing breeds to adapt the Brittany to the American style (horseback) and terrain (big). As an owner of both American and French Britts, I wouldn't let this bit of history dissuade me from one or the other. You can really get lost in the weeds on color, genetics, phenotypes, standards, etc, but the jest of it all is that in general the EB is a smaller compact dog, available with black coloration, that generally hunts closer than an American Brittany. The American breed shouldnt have a black (skin or coat) and is slightly bigger and longer.
Now with the office keeping out of the way, I can talk about why I enjoy my EB’s– Lumiere and Sue. There are essentially three reasons I landed on the EB. First is the Brittany– American or French– personality. Growing up around guiding, and then guiding for six seasons, you see a few dogs. My dad kept English Pointers, Labs, and Vizslas. I’ve had a Setter/Vizla drop, German Shorthaired Pointer, and an English Cocker Spaniel. In my working strings I’ve hunted with Setters, Brittanys, Pointers, GSPs, and Vizslas. When it came time for me to start buying dogs for myself, I found that I enjoyed the personality of Vizslas and Brittanys over the pointers and setters. From my perspective, all of the dogs I worked with hunted just fine. They all did the job. Each breed had great examples, stubborn examples, goofy examples, and robots, but the Vizslas and Britts just had something about them. We clicked. I think this is a very personal preference. I was just fortunate enough to spend a good bit of time around a variety of dogs.
The Britt personality is goofy. They don’t take life too seriously. My Britts always seem happy to see me– much like my English Cocker. If there aren’t any birds to be found, the Britts are entertaining to watch. Moving on past just living with them, the American and French dogs are smart. They don’t like endless repetition. Training does need to be kept fun, which can really slow things down. My American can do more reps and take a little more correction. My EBs are babies. They are pretty soft, and they do get butt hurt about it. They are not quite as touchy as a Cocker, but definitely on that end of the spectrum. If you have no idea what I am talking about, consider that English Pointers and Labs are probably on the other end of that spectrum. You can dump and project on those dogs (not that you should), and they will do a hundred more reps for you. EBs are not like that–something to keep in mind.
Reason two is related to reason one– the off switch. EBs–even compared to American Britts– do have an off switch. It may take a minute to manifest. Lumi started switching off around 18-24 months. What is the “off switch”? It is the phenomenon of the EB that lets them chill the heck out when we are done training or hunting. My EB’s have drive for days in the field. I can’t ask more of Lumi when he is hunting, but when we are done, he is done. I don’t have to wrestle him into a box. He is content sitting in my lap or on a chair when we get home. In other words, he isn’t always on. It is hard to quantify, but my friends get what I am saying. He knows when we are hunting and when we are not.
Reason three is size, shape, and color. Size is easy enough to defend objectively for me. I was looking for smaller dogs. I have a small child. My back is getting older. I keep 4-6 dogs at my house. Smaller dogs eat less, take up less space, and do less back damage when I need to lift or transport them. I can fit two EBs in an intermediate Ruffland for traveling. They all stay in an intermediate Ruffland at night. The size up in crates can be over $50 per crate. I like my small dogs. Same reason I have a Cocker instead of a Lab. I love Labs. I understand what they can do versus my Cocker, but day in and day out I’d prefer to feed, house, and play with a small Cocker Spaniel. Same goes for EBs. Shape and color are completely a taste preference. I like the variety of color in the EBs and the blocky shape of the EB. Lumi is orange roan and Sue is black tricolor. I think they are both really good looking dogs. Others disagree. I don’t really care.
But why should you get an EB? I think most people pick dogs based on looks before anything else. It is a shame that Sporting dogs look so good. Thousands end up in the homes of people who have no business owning a field bred dog. Folks aren’t committed to the amount of exercise, training, and work that these dogs need. Again and again I hear stories of someone “not being able to handle” a sporting dog. I say all that, because I think the EB is a good fit from someone who needs a companion hunter. For me, the EB is like the English Cocker Spaniel of the pointing world. EB’s make more tolerable companions when you aren’t hunting. They aren’ the only breed known for this, but they are the smallest pointing breed. If you are new to all of this, you’ll be not hunting much more than you are hunting. If you live in a small space, or can’t keep your dog outside in a kennel, I’d highly recommend looking at an Epagneul Breton.
I’ll leave you with this analogy. Choosing a bird dog is in many ways like choosing a fishing boat. Before you go to the marina, you’ll need to decide where you’ll be fishing, the style of fishing you’re going to do, as well as the space and budget you have for boat storage and transportation. Now some folks fish offshore. They need a big boat to get them out there. Some folks want comfort and some want speed. Some folks want to fly fish in the skinny water. That takes a small open boat. Some folks fish for panfish and bass in the small winding blackwater rivers close to home. A Gheenoe might be your boat of choice. All of these boats have different storage needs, but they all serve a purpose. I fish the small black water rivers near my house. I don’t need horsepower. I need maneuverability. My game is not about covering miles of water with a fish finder. I pick apart the river bank and sunken logs with a small fly or beetle spin. I can move my 13ft Gheenoe around the yard without a car. I can tow my boat with a Jeep. My boat fits my needs. Dogs are the same. Some folks need a high horsepower pointer to cover thousands of acres of open cover being handled off horseback. I need a small compact dog that handles off foot and picks apart the 300 acres I hunt at a time. Like my small boat, it is not a big ordeal to load up and go. I don’t need space for an outside kennel (although I do have an outside kennel). Lumi is just fine chilling inside. With some basic manners, they are relatively easy keepers.
Update: Between writing and publishing this article I was able to take Lumi to a UKC field trial here in Georgia. While I was there, several folks showed up just to see the dogs in action. This is a great idea and well worth your time before you make an investment. There is no better place to meet folks who are passionate about their breed, see tons of examples in size, color, and temperament, as well as just observe the dogs hunting and chilling in the shade between stakes. You can do all of the internet and podcast research you want. You can join all of the facebook groups and ask tons of questions, but showing to see the dogs is probably the best way to research. For field trials near you, check out the AKC and UKC parent club websites for your breed. It can be intimidating, but the field trial secretaries I have called have all been very welcoming. It can also be a good chance to meet some breeders and trainers as well. I can’t repeat enough how helpful this could be.
All Photos are by Jimmy Cobb and used with his permission. He can be found @jimmycobbphotos on Instgram or on most of the EB Facebook groups.