The moment you bring an Epagneul Breton into your home, life will never be the same. Renowned for their excellence in the field, these “little” dogs will capture your heart with their bright intelligent expressions and joyful nature.
Truly versatile, the Epagneul Breton is an aggressive hunter in the field, tenaciously finding, pointing and retrieving game in all types of terrain and environments. In the home, they are calm and sociable, making them desirable companions for all ages. With proper care and exercise, they are adaptable, easily trained, and get along well with other animals.
Also known as the “French Brittany,” the Epagneul Breton originated in the central region of Brittany in France. It is one of the oldest spaniel-type dogs and the smallest of the pointing breeds. Its body is compact, often described as “cobby” or square. The coat is slightly wavy with feathering on the legs. Acceptable colors are white and orange, white and black, white and liver, and tricolored. The dog is energetic and endurant, able to hunt vigorously alongside bigger sporting breeds. It is close-working in hunting style, instinctively quartering in the field and finding birds that long-ranging dogs often miss.
General Appearance
Smallest of the pointing breeds. The Epagneul Breton (French Brittany) is a dog with a Continental spaniel-type head (braccoïde in French) and a short or non-existent tail. Built harmoniously on a solid, but not weighty, frame. The whole is compact and well-knit, without undue heaviness, while staying sufficiently elegant. The dog is vigorous, the look is bright, and the expression intelligent. The general aspect is “cobby” (brachymorphic), full of energy, having conserved in the course of its evolution the short-coupled model sought after and fixed by those having recreated the breed.
Behavior/Temperament
Dog adapting itself to any environment, sociable, with an intelligent and attentive expression, mentally balanced. Versatile pointing dog, for any game on any terrain, precocious in revealing its hunting passion. Remarkable in its searching for game, its gaits, its scenting ability, its ranging in the field, its spontaneity and duration of pointing, its retrieving and its aptitude for training.
Excerpts from the CEB & UKC website