Brittany Bourbonnais

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Brittany Bourbonnais is the result of a cross between two French breeds, the Brittany and the Braq du Bourbonnais. An agile, medium-sized dog, the Brittany Bourbonnais is considered a reliable hunting dog as well as a family pet and companion.

The Brittany, formerly called the Brittany Spaniel because of its appearance, is considered to be more of a pointer/setter type because of its hunting style. There are two subsets within the breed, the American and the French Brittany, and differences are mainly in standards. Overall, the Brittany is used a a hunt-point-retrieve dog, and is sensitive and loyal to its owner.

The modern Braque du Bourbonnais is a recreation of an older breed that is believed to have died out after World War II. A Frenchman, Michel Comte, revived it by starting out with mixed breeds possessing characteristics of the the old breed, and strained out identified traits mostly by inbreeding until a line was created and registered in the 1970's.

Color

Coat colors are varied for the Brittany Bourbonnais, but specific to each of the parent breeds. The Brittany is typically tri or bi-colored, with white as the base and other colors being orange, black, and liver. A roan pattern of the colors mentioned is also possible. The Braque du Bourbonnais is distinctively a faded lilac or fawn, with heavy ticking or spots.

Coat

The Brittany Bourbonnais is possessed of a single coat that is short, flat and close to the skin.

Personality

The Brittany Bourbonnais is a dual dog, equally good in the field as in the home. Gentle and playful enough for kids, and sensitive to people's moods due to acclimatization to living with humans, the Brittany Bourbonnais makes a loyal and dependable companion overall. It is very people-oriented, and will not do well left outside or made to stay in separate quarters. Possessed of a calm and gentle disposition, the Brittany Bourbonnais can be shy in strange company, and be affected by harsh words. It gets along well with other dogs and animals in the house. Its sweet disposition, however, is displaced in the hunting field by a keen intelligence and a sound ability to point and retrieve prey for its owner.

Care

The Brittany Bourbonnais can be easily groomed with a soft brush weekly. Frequent bathing is not necessary, and the dog is not a heavy shedder, as it does not have an undercoat.

Training

The Brittany Bourbonnais is an amiable and highly trainable dog that responds well to positive and reward-oriented training. Severe measures or corrections will damage this gentle dog's personality and are unnecessary. Socialization is a must, to overcome its natural shyness and help develop its personality to be more outgoing and assertive.

Activity

The Brittany Bourbonnais needs sufficient room for a dog its size to effectively romp about. An active dog, it will require to be taken out for at least an hour daily. Long walks or runs will suit its natural athleticism and make sure it is a well-stimulated and happy dog. An under-exercised Brittany Bourbonnais is a bored an unhappy one that can develop destructive behavior around the house.