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Breed guide · Dogs
She sulks for an hour if I raise my voice. I've learned to say "no" very nicely.
Last updated 14 October 2026
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What they brought with them.
Tap a card to see what is going on.
At home
Head up, body still, one front paw in the air, locked on a pigeon or the cat by the bins.
What's going onThat is a point, and it is what Brittanys were bred for: they are showing you where the bird is. The trouble starts when it flies, so keep the lead on near roads.
At home
Called a spaniel, but they never push a bird into the air the way a Springer or a Cocker does.
What's going onA Brittany finds the bird and holds still until the hunter walks in. That is why the American Kennel Club took "Spaniel" out of the breed's name in 1982.
At home
Nose down from the moment the door opens, zigzagging across the pavement and deaf to their name.
What's going onThey were bred to cover field after field by scent, and a pavement walk barely touches that. Ten minutes of finding their breakfast does more for them than another lap of the compound.
At home
Goes flat, hides or stops listening after a raised voice, sometimes for an hour.
What's going onA Brittany takes a cross word to heart. They are sensitive, not guilty, and a telling-off makes them shut down. Reward what you want, calmly, and they will give you far more.
At home
Slow to get up, sitting with a back leg out to the side, or a limp after a game of fetch.
What's going onHip Dysplasia (a poorly fitting hip joint) and a damaged knee ligament are both on their record while they are young. Short puppy walks on soft ground, a lean body and rugs on the marble all help.
At home
Still wants more after an hour's walk, and invents jobs in the evening, like digging up the sofa cushions.
What's going onMore running builds a fitter dog who needs even more running. What settles a Brittany is work for their head: searching, carrying and short training sessions. In the heat, you decide when they stop.
The bit nobody tells you.
Their day
Built for: Cool, hedged fields, nose working all day.
In Dubai: Often indoors, with nothing to find.
Their weather
Built for: A damp French autumn.
In Dubai: Hot pavement for half the year.
Their job
Built for: Finding birds and freezing to show one person where they were.
In Dubai: Pointing at the pigeons on the balcony.
The nose-down zigzagging and the evenings they cannot settle mostly come from that gap.
You cannot give them a French field. You can give their nose a job and their stillness a use, and the ten things below are how.
Your plan is built around their breed: the risks on a Brittany Spaniel's record at every age, and the care that goes with each one.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Ten things that make their life better.
They were bred to search field after field by scent, and searching tires them more than walking.
Every age, with easy searches at floor level from 7 years
Why
They were bred to search field after field by scent, and searching tires them more than walking.
What to do
Scatter part of their breakfast on the grass or on a towel indoors. Hide a toy and send them to find it. On the hottest days, do ten minutes of search games instead of a walk.
They work best a short way in front of you, crossing the ground from side to side.
Every age, in short sessions on soft ground for puppies
Why
They work best a short way in front of you, crossing the ground from side to side.
What to do
A harness, a five to ten metre line and a quiet, open space early in the day. Let them work the ground, call them in every few minutes and reward them when they come.
Once their nose has found something, their name stops reaching them. A whistle does.
Every age, starting at mealtimes in puppyhood
Why
Once their nose has found something, their name stops reaching them. A whistle does.
What to do
One sound for "come back", one for "stop". Start at mealtimes indoors, pay them every time, and only use it outside once it works at home. Add a hand signal as they get older, in case their hearing fades.
The freeze is bred in. Staying put when the bird flies has to be taught.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years, when chasing peaks
Why
The freeze is bred in. Staying put when the bird flies has to be taught.
What to do
When they lock on to a pigeon, stand still with them, then ask for a stop and reward them before the bird goes. Walk on together. Keep the lead on near roads and bins.
Brittanys were expected to bring the bird back too, and they still like something in their mouth.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
Brittanys were expected to bring the bird back too, and they still like something in their mouth.
What to do
Keep a soft toy or a small canvas dummy that is theirs. Five to ten throws along the ground, then stop. Swap anything they steal for a treat, and never chase them for it.
Cataracts (cloudy lenses) and gradual loss of sight are on their record from puppyhood. Their ears are rarely a worry, but a weekly look keeps them used to being handled.
Every age, most of all up to 4 years
Why
Cataracts (cloudy lenses) and gradual loss of sight are on their record from puppyhood. Their ears are rarely a worry, but a weekly look keeps them used to being handled.
What to do
Once a week, lift their ears and look inside so they are used to it. Then look at their eyes in good light. If you see cloudiness, or they bump into things in the dark, tell your vet that week.
With their nose working, they will not notice they are overheating.
Every age, most of all puppies and from 7 years
Why
With their nose working, they will not notice they are overheating.
What to do
From May to September, walk before sunrise and after dark. Put the back of your hand on the pavement for five seconds: if you cannot keep it there, they cannot walk on it. Carry water and keep hard play short.
They were bred to work close to one person, and a long, empty day is hard on them.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
They were bred to work close to one person, and a long, empty day is hard on them.
What to do
If you are out for more than a few hours, arrange a midday walk, a visit or daycare. Hide part of their lunch before you go. If they are distressed when you leave, contact your vet.
Atopic dermatitis (itchy allergic skin) is on their record from puppyhood into prime adulthood.
Every age, most of all up to 7 years
Why
Atopic dermatitis (itchy allergic skin) is on their record from puppyhood into prime adulthood.
What to do
Brush them twice a week and work out any knots in the feathering on their legs and belly. Part the coat as you go and look for red skin, and notice if they keep licking their paws. An allergy work-up (tests to find what they react to) is in your plan from six months, and allergy management from age two.
Hip problems and a damaged knee ligament are both on their record while they are young.
Every age, most of all up to 2 years
Why
Hip problems and a damaged knee ligament are both on their record while they are young.
What to do
Feel their ribs, spine and hips once a week: you should feel their ribs easily. Notice if they are slow to get up, sit with a back leg out to the side, or limp after play. Weigh them once a month. And brush their teeth every day, because dental disease is on their record from prime adulthood.
Three of these are in your plan. The rest you can do at home.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Their health, at every age.
How old are they?
Their age
the first six months
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
6 months to 2 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
2 to 4 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
4 to 7 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
7 to 10 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
10 years and over
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Breed predispositions indicate an increased risk rather than certainty of disease. What is right for them always comes from their own history and an evaluation.
Before they come home.
One breed, three names
In France the breed is the Epagneul Breton, in America simply the Brittany, and in the UAE most people say Brittany Spaniel. Whatever the name, this is a pointing gundog, and a family Brittany keeps the nose and the freeze.
Colours
Brittanys come in orange and white or liver and white, in clear patches or flecked all over (roan), and now and then in three colours. Whatever their colour, the feathering on their legs and belly needs the same brush.
The first six months
Vaccinations, microchip and Dubai Municipality registration come first, with a baseline hip evaluation. Keep walks short and on soft ground while their joints are forming, and start the whistle at mealtimes.
Puppy health, 0 to 6 months
Getting the home ready
Put rugs down where they will run on marble, and find a harness, a five to ten metre line and a gundog whistle. A snuffle mat earns its place on the hottest days.
Ten things that make their life better
Before you commit
Hip Dysplasia and eye disease are on their record from puppyhood. Ask the breeder what is known about both parents' hips and eyes, and meet the mother if you can.
Before the clinics open
AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199. No payment now.
For a new puppy: First 30 days with a new puppy · Puppy vaccinations in the UAE · Heatstroke in dogs
When it is not behaviour.
They'll keep taking your tone personally. If they stop caring what you say, tell your vet.
Before they were yours.
Before 1900
Farmers and hunters in north-west France kept a quick, light-footed dog to find woodcock and partridge in hedged fields, and to freeze and show the hunter where they were.
What they still carryThe nose, the point and the wish to be near their people.
1907
French breeders formed the breed's club in 1907. In France it is still the Epagneul Breton.
What they still carryA working dog, then and now.
1934
The breed reached North America in the early 1930s, and the American Kennel Club recognised it as the Brittany Spaniel in 1934.
What they still carryA field dog, valued for how well they point.
1982
The American Kennel Club dropped "Spaniel" from the name, because the Brittany hunts like a pointer: they find the bird and hold still instead of flushing it.
What they still carryThe freeze with one front paw lifted.
Today
A family dog in villas and flats, a long way from the hedgerows, pointing at the pigeons instead.
What they still carryA body built for cool, wet fields, in 45°C heat.
The ones you type at midnight.
If the Brittany suits you, so might these.
Springer SpanielThe same kind of dog: an energetic gundog spaniel, a little bigger and friendlier with strangers.
VizslaAnother tireless hunting dog, taller, in a short golden-rust coat, and famously close to their people.
Australian ShepherdThe same high energy and need for daily work, in a herding dog that copes less well with the heat.
Cocker SpanielA similar family life, in a slightly smaller spaniel with a fuller coat that needs more grooming.
