Brittany questions

[waxworm09]

I am still searching for the perfect hunting and family dog and am now looking into Brittanys. I was wondering if anyone on here that owns them can give me some info? I hunt pheasants 80% and waterfowl 20% of the time, so I would prefer a dog that is real good with pheasants, and decent with waterfowl. Are Brittanys big enough to handle geese? I havent hunted goose yet, but in the near future I would love to hunt geese in a field so I would like to get a dog that could handle retrieving them. And how are they in the water? Are they good at retrieving ducks in the water? One last question, how are they in the house? I want a dog that I can let run the house with our Lab when we are at work, are they calm in the house? Thanks!

[LightningBG]

I am still searching for the perfect hunting and family dog and am now looking into Brittanys. I was wondering if anyone on here that owns them can give me some info? I hunt pheasants 80% and waterfowl 20% of the time, so I would prefer a dog that is real good with pheasants, and decent with waterfowl.

A Brit can certainly handle that. Excellent dogs in the field

Are Brittanys big enough to handle geese?

I havent hunted goose yet, but in the near future I would love to hunt geese in a field so I would like to get a dog that could handle retrieving them.

On dry land, they should be OK.

And how are they in the water? Are they good at retrieving ducks in the water?

They can swim OK. You should be able to train them to retrieve ducks.

One last question, how are they in the house? I want a dog that I can let run the house with our Lab when we are at work, are they calm in the house? Thanks!

Ours were absolutely wild. They were hunting machines and could care less about anything else. I wouldn't have even left those dogs alone in the garage unattended. They would have knocked everything over. That being said. My neighbor growing up had 2 brits, and they were total cuddlers. docile as could be, but they also never hunted them. I think it all depends on the dog and how they are raised.

Britman is the expert on these dogs, so I'd listen to him the most.

[jigging-matt]

My Britt is closing in on 4 now, and I am so happy that I got him. He is an outstanding pheasant dog. I don't hunt waterfowl, but I think he would have picked it up if I had needed him to. Ours is not a house dog. He is pretty high strung. He has a large kennel under my workbench that goes outside to a run. I also have invisible fence in the yard for when I am home. I spend a lot of time outside/in the garage. He is allowed in our basement from time to time when it gets really cold (just so I can spend more time with him). He is a great family dog (plays well with my 8 year old daughter). I think you would be very happy with one. Just make sure you give it lots of excercise.

[DANR]

We have had Brittanys in our house for years, two at the same time for several years. They are wonderful family dogs - great with kids. BUT they are atheletes and need a lot of exercise and attention.

[kentuck_ike]

This is exactly right. Most people that have "Hyper Brittanys" are not getting them the exercise they need. That amount can very from dog to dog, but they will require regular excerise.

If you are looking for a Britt I can help you out. My e-mail is [email protected]

[jparrucci]

I have a 6 year old brittany. He is my first dog, and has been nothing short of amazing. I did all the training myself since I could not afford to send him to a pro. They are one of the smartest breeds of dogs. Like others have said, they need their exercise, especially when they are young. Mine has always been a house dog, and is just fine alone in the house, has been this way since he was about a year old or so. Their drive for hunting is very high. Mine hunts all day long even in the off season. He stalks birds, chipmunks, squirels, rabbits, crayfish, sunfish/bluegills, and bugs. He has also caught all of the above, the crazyfish get annoying because he dives downs and eats them, and then usually throws them up later. I have to make him stop this as he has become very efficient at catching crayfish. He rarely sits still if he is outdoors. Inside he usually just sits next to me on the couch in the evening, and during the day watches animals through the windows.

Hunting with him has been awesome. He is a machine out pheasant hunting, is learing to stay in range and work closer for grouse, and is the best waterfowl dog I have hunted behind. He has no problem retrieving ducks and geese in the water. Make sure you kill any winged geese, as it will get into a big fight with your dog out of range, and the dog will come back bloody. (he refused to give up, the goose will still very alive but coasted out a long ways, the dog was out there for about ten minutes fighting with the goose and wouldn't give up) As far as field hunting geese, it may be a bit of a challenge, mine has not gotten to do this yet, but has dragged the geese on land back up to me in the blind. I can't say enough about the waterfowling ability of the breed, he has the drive and is an excellent swimmer, as I haven't seen a lab beat him to a duck yet, and a few have tried. If you plan on hunting late season, you will need a neoprene vest, and a towel. He does just fine in the cold, just not cold and wet. I will be getting a second one this spring or next. Good luck.

[leech~~]

I had a Black and white French Brit, and it was great all around dog. You have to really spend a ton of time training with them up front when they are young and the results will pay later. Our's was great with kids and we had it trained to stay in the kitchen unless called out to play in the living room. It would go right to the kitchen door and lay there with it's paws over the carpet line but would not move an inch past it unless called and then would go back when sent. Not really sure how they would do handling Geese, size wise? If the Goose was not out it could give them a good fight. As far as hunintg for just about any bird I would put them up against any other breed. I had mine "Whoa" trained so well that when on point I could actually walk up to it, pick it up and set it back down and it would still be set in a point just like a statue. It was a great dog.

[FCspringer]

WM I would not get hung up on goose hunting. If you field hunt, you can just walk over and pick the darn thing up. I see most guy's doing this field hunting. No matter what breed.

[R. Miller]

I had 3 brits before I decided to try a setter. Love those dogs. Excellent pheasant dogs, and we got them started their first year retrieving ducks, so they loved water and loved retrieving. Geese did seem a little big for mine but I couldn't say for all brits. My dogs became house dogs later in life, where much more hyper than my setter, who hardly needs any excerise to be mellow and calm in the house, but lie Kentucky Ike said most dogs that aren't getting excerised properly will be more "hyper" etc. That being said my brits were extremely sweet dogs and were very friendly. And again, were hunting machines.

[NoWiser]

When I got my britt I wanted something a bit calmer for in the house. I did some research and found that one with the "Maverick" bloodline would have the tendency to have this trait. I couldn't be happier. The thing is crazy in the field and has been awesome on pheasants for 5 years now, and has just recently mastered the art of grouse hunting (much tougher for dogs than pheasants). He is a blast to hunt with and is the most loyal dog I have ever had. I swear if I told him to run off a cliff, he wouldn't have second thoughts, just to make me happy.

As soon as he crosses the threshold of the door and enters the house he becomes a completely different dog and is the calmest, most well mannered of any dog my family has ever had. He just lays down next to you, and enjoys being with the family. Although we kennel him outside when we are gone, I have on quite a few occasions let him alone in the house without a second thought. If I tell him to stay on the rug, I could come back 6 hours later and he'd still be there, patiently waiting for me.

I have also seen britts though, that are like bouncy-balls flying off the wall. So, I don't know if it really was the bloodline I got, or if I just lucked out. All I know is right now I probably have the best dog that I ever will have, so I'm trying to enjoy it as much as I can!

[Acemac]

my 8 month old 41 lbs French Britt just got back from a late season hunt in SD she was the only one that was not ready to go home. I was amazed at how hard she hunted in below zero temps with 4 foot snow drifts.

Mine is in the rebeling stage so she is a handfull but if you keep control of them and dont let them win the small battles they are great dogs.

She has ton of energy but calms down in the house pretty quick she is learning every day how to act in the house, but has already been a awsome feild dog.

[brittman]

To the poster above - thanks, but I am no expert - just well experienced with Brittany bird dogs. I have owned Brittany(s) now for almost 30 years with my first one purchased at age 18. My brother also has owned quite a few.

All my Brittanys have lived in the house with us. Right now I have three (retired, prime and pup – 11 months). They certainly need exercise and can be destructive if given the chance … the trick is to not give them the chance – just like a younger child.

I suggest you kennel them when gone. As they age you let them be loose for longer periods of time until they prove themselves. Rawhide chew bones are great to have around.

I have trained all my bird dogs although at times I have been a member of the St Croix Valley Brittany Club. SCVBC is a good resource for those new to bird dog training.

Again I am no expert, just experienced - but I tend not to use collars, bird throwers, etc... First and foremost you need to purchase a bird dog from someone dedicated to providing solid gun dogs that are also from genetic disease free lineage.

My avatar is my 5 year old Britt in a wheat field. She retrieved around 30 ducks and geese that morning.

[brittman]

The Brittany is an excellent walking man’s upland bird dog. Great noses and strong desire. I tend to focus on upland birds – grouse, pheasants, etc… with my younger dogs. I prefer to hunt in small groups of people or solo until the dog is well experienced. Brittanys tend to cover ground as conditions naturally tell them to and not quarter through a field on whistle commands like a well trained flusher might do. If you hunt pheasants in large groups and want the dog to quarter on command across the group - rethink a pointing dog.

Patience is the key. Each dog has its own strengths and weaknesses that will need to be worked with as they gain experience in the field. Brittanys are first an upland bird dog. Great noses and strong desire. I cannot stress enough that building a strong obedience relationship is just as important if not more important than exposure to birds for dogs under 1 year’s old.

I have found that the 1 year old dog is the most difficult. They tend to "know more than their owner" and often like to chase deer. All my Britts have struggled with consistent performance at 1 year old, but excelled at 2 and beyond. It is like a flip switches in their head!

My Britts usually hunt ducks over water at around 2 or 3 and field hunt geese around age 4. The ability to sit still determines when they get to be out there. My dogs have all retrieved geese (snows, lesser) and mallards in the field without issue. Birds that are knocked down, but glide 100 – 200 yards from the spread are quickly tackled and brought back … this keeps the birds working the spread on those “hot flight” days. Hunters running around the field would flare those flocks.

Summer water training is great to prevent overheating and a must if you plan to hunt waterfowl with them.

Remember though that Brittanys do not have the same body mass and oily coat as a lab. If not careful, they can be prone to hypothermia …. Be cautious hunting waterfowl with them in icy water or where the temps are sub freezing …. Upland is a different story, I usually have no issue hunting them down to 0 F or so.

My last two dogs came from Ben’s Brittanys (aka Kentucky Ike on this forum). Can’t say enough about them. They know their place in the home (great temperament, great with kids, nice size for inside living) and great natural instructs.

Starting with proven dogs is why I can say that I am very experienced and not an expert – they have challenged me at times, but finding, pointing, holding birds has never, ever been an issue.

[R. Miller]

Great looking dog Acemac!

[Acemac]

she looks great but the last few weeks she sure is testing me..... I had a 20 min stand off with her this morning to get in her out door kennel. I gave the Kennel command and she sat and looked at me for 20 mins before slowly walking into her kennel defeated!

[Capt. H (Ret.)]

I had 2 female Brittanys back to back for a total of 28 years. I loved those dogs. I hunted the 1st one often for pheasants. The second one not so often. I was getting older!! We kept ours in the house and they were great with the kids and just a pleasure to have around. They were easy to train as they always want to please. They are natural hunters. Didn't take them swimming very much so I don't know about retrieving ducks and geese. Actually my 1st dog would retrieve some of the time but the 2nd dog had trouble carrying a pheasant especially if she stepped on it. My last dog died about 8 years ago and I really wanted another for companionship but I was getting ready to retire and wanted to travel. The travel didn't happen and quess what I ended up with?? Another spaniel only this is a cocker!! She is a hunting machine but that won't happen because I am even older and this is the wifes dog. Get the Brittany!!! I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Mike

[870Express]

Have a nearly 2 yo brittany and been around them a lot for the past three years. One thing I'd make sure of is that you want a pointing dog. If you're on the fence, think long and hard. Training a pointing and retrieving dog is no easy task. That being said, I did it and many others have done it. They can usually tell difference from "hunt" and "retrieve" but my dog has been known to point crippled ducks in cover. Brittanys' coats can differ quite a bit. Mine has a very thin coat and a vest is necessary in the water. Mine is a water fene. Not as fast and powerful as a lab but very satisfied through only two seasons.

As far as geese being too big, if they're shot dead, they should be no problem. It's actually easier for a dog to retrieve a big bird in the water than on land because they don't need to support the weight the whole way. I've just started yard work with frozen snows and he's learning to manage them.

I'd recommend getting Julie Knutson's "Training the Pointing Labrador". Not brittany book BUT very good on how to train a dog that is expected to point and retrieve birds. Set your standards high and get the britt. Mighty big personalities in these little dogs.

[fishinben351]

i have had a brittany nice dogs but i would go with a weimaraner imo best dog out there!

[brittman]

i have had a brittany nice dogs but i would go with a weimaraner imo best dog out there!

Your choice of breeder and the pup you chose probably had more to do with your opinion than the breed of dog.

[H2o_fowl]

i have a brit that is 6mo old and it just seems he has NO intrest in playin fetch or retrieving but he will point with no problem and he has been great around the house...any help hints or ideas to cure this would be great

[shooter72]

Would highly recomend a brittany have 4yr old 60# male stands shoulder to shoulder with most labs and will retrieve anything i tell him to an absolute machine yet will try to lay on my lap

[jparrucci]

60 pounds is awfully heavy for a brittany. Mine is a average male and weighs 40 even. I've never seen one over 50 before.

[870Express]

"4yr old 60# male"

Whoa! My male is 45-50 lb. range and people second take at hunt tests, almost to ask "that's a brittany, right?" Breed standard is 30-40 lbs. My dog's dad is under 30 lbs, so who really knows...

[shooter72]

H2o_hate to say but you may need to force fetch should be able to find videos online somewhere

[Tom7227]

I have a 14 year old male that weighs 42 lbs or so and was great back in the day. I have a two room outside kennel that the dog has lived in his entire life. I also have a 2 year old male that only weighs 28 lbs and can pull be around if I don't force him to heal. He is a hunting machine and loves to retrieve and play. Great with the family and no problems indoors. Both have been trained by professionals and given my temperament that is the only way it would work for me. Both by temperament and training hunt close - a deliberate choice on my part. Some range out quite a bit. I use electronic collars with remote locate that comes in handy in heavy cover. I absolutely love the smaller dogs around the house, in the truck, when cleaning up, bathing.....

That said my first Brit was a show dog that I bought before I knew what was going on. Worthless for my purposes. I returned the dog after 3 very frustrating months.

Chose your breeder carefully, look for the characteristics you want, and I'm sure you'd be happy with a Brit.

Check out Covey Rise Kennels and you will be well on your way.