Brittany Spaniel 270

The Brittany Spaniel originated in France sometime between the 17th and 19th centuries. More specifically, they were originally bred as a gun dog commonly used for bird hunting and game retrieval in the French province of Brittany. They are often referred to as a type of spaniel, but, thanks to their birding background, their characteristics and style of working are more similar to a setter or a pointer.

The Brittany Spaniel first appeared in art, tapestries, and writings in the 17th century. They appeared in the Paris Dog Show in 1900. This led to France recognizing the breed in 1907 and outlining the first breed standards. The Brittany Spaniel came to the United States in 1931.

The AKC recognized the Brittany Spaniel in 1934 as part of the Sporting Group. Since then, the American and French lines of the breed have diverged. French lines and in France, the dog breed is still called a Brittany Spaniel. American lines tend to be more setter-like than traditional spaniel and this dog breed has been named simply the Brittany in the United States since 1982.