Brittany Spaniel
The Brittany is a bright, athletic companion known for boundless stamina and an eager, upbeat personality. Living well with this bird dog means committing to rigorous daily runs and engaging their sharp mind, making them an incredible partner for active, outdoorsy households.

Daily-care planners
House-training
Easy to house-trainSmart and responsive. The main issue is their hyper-focus on birds and smells, which can make them forget to potty when first taken outside.
Walks
Very high exercise needsHigh stamina runners. They need off-leash time in safe areas to burn energy. On a leash, their nose dictates their pace. They make outstanding running and hiking companions.
Plan walksTemperament
Energetic and fiercely intelligent, the Brittany thrives when given a job to do and a wide-open space to run. They are enthusiastic partners eager to join you on any adventure.
With their very high need for exercise and mental stimulation, these dogs do best in homes with a secure yard rather than confined apartments. They need substantial daily running, ideally off-leash in safe areas, along with training or scent work to keep their active minds settled.
They are deeply affectionate and biddable, picking up on training quickly, but their moderate risk for separation anxiety means they prefer households where someone is often home. While generally good-natured, their boundless energy requires supervision around young children to ensure play remains calm and safe.
Brittanys are typically very social and get along well with other dogs, especially active playmates. However, their strong prey drive means interactions with cats or smaller pets require careful introductions and ongoing management.
Originally bred in the Brittany region of France as versatile pointing and retrieving dogs, they are built for long days in the field. They adapt well to a wide range of climates but truly shine in active homes that can offer them the vast outdoor access they crave while managing their activity during moderately hot summer days.
What life with a Brittany Spaniel asks of you
Grooming & coat
- Grooming effort
- Low grooming
- Shedding
- Seasonal shedding
- Coat
- Medium coat
Exercise & enrichment
- Daily exercise
- Very high exercise needs
- Mental stimulation
- High mental stimulation
- Trainability
- Eager to please
Temperament & sociability
- With people
- Enthusiastically friendly
- With dogs
- Sociable with other dogs
- With kids
- Good with considerate children (supervise)
- Barking / noise
- Moderately vocal
- Chase instinct
- High prey drive
- Time alone
- Moderate separation-anxiety risk
Home & climate fit
- Hot weather
- Moderate heat tolerance
- House-training
- Easy to house-train