The Brittany gets its name from a province in northern France, Bretagne or Breton, where it is believed to have originated, possibly as long as 1,800 years ago. While there is no consensus on the origins of the breed, many experts believe the dog is a product of crossbreeding between English pointers and spaniels native to Brittany. The strong historical ties between Brittany and southern Britain lend strong support to this theory, as frequent interaction between merchants, politicians, and hunters could easily have resulted in pairings between English and French hunting dogs. There are depictions of dogs bearing a strong resemblance to the Brittany. They can be found in paintings and tapestries dating back to the 17th century. In them one sees the dog being used to locate and capture game, as it is used today.
The Brittany as we would recognize it today, however, traces its origins back to the mid-19th century. The first written account of a Brittany (or a dog very much resembling one) dates back to 1850, when an English clergyman by the name of Reverend Davies wrote about hunting with small, bobtailed dogs that pointed, retrieved, and worked well in the brush. During this period, it was common for the British to bring their hunting dogs over to France for their hunting use. With the restrictions on the return quarantine, they would often leave the dogs in France for future use.
At about this time, it is claimed that a local hunter in the French town of Pontou bred his white-and-mahogany bitch with a yellow-and-white dog owned by an English sportsman who was in Brittany on a hunting trip; the resulting litter produced two tailless puppies, arguably the first of the Brittany breed.
The Brittany was first officially recognized in France in 1907 with the registration of “Boy,” an orange-and-white, as the first épagneul Breton queue courte naturelle (Brittany Spaniel with short natural tail. Though the first Brittany registered was an Orange and White, the European (French) Brittany could be Liver and White, Black and White, flesh colored nose or black colored nose or any combination thereof. The Brittany was brought to the United States in 1931 and recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1934. The AKC did restrict the Brittany to the “American Brittany”, having a flesh colored nose and mouth. Any indication of Black coloration in coat or skin was a disqualification from being registered with the AKC.
In a twist of fate, the American Brittany is now being brought back to Europe for breeding stock and diversification of the blood lines.
In 1982, the AKC dropped “Spaniel” from the breed’s name in recognition of the dog’s pointer / setter-like characteristics, though the breed is still called Brittany Spaniel in other countries. To this day, the Brittany’s agility, obedience, and strong nose make it a perennial favorite among hunters and dog fanciers alike.
The European Brittany does have its own clubs and shows in the US and Canada. Though the AKC does not allow the European (French) Brittany (displaying any black colorations) in the ring in the US (they are not restricted from field events), the European competitions have no restrictions on the American Brittany in their shows, since they also have the flesh colorations in their lines. Both groups have almost identical standards.