BREEDING FRENCH BRITTANYS
"If you want the best source for 'real' French Brittanys, you need to go to France to find the genuine article," Bruce Mooney believes. "That is, the Brittanys that have been diligently bred for many years to fulfill the requirements of time honored and stringent breed standards. These original French Brittanys have been carefully developed for three main qualities.

"First and foremost, the true French Brittany must be an exceptional hunter with a high degree of prey drive, natural pointing ability, instinctive retrieving skill, and an inborn tendency to quarter in the field close to the shotgunners," Mooney states. "All these traits have been created by hundreds of breeders with thousands of dogs from which to choose in breeding programs that have been in continual existence for decades. . .most all the top-rated French Brittany breeders run their dogs in organized testing events in which the dogs are judged and scored for their hunting instincts and performance," Mooney emphasizes.

"Second, and not any less significant, the French Brittanys in France and other European countries are bred for temperament with lots of emphasis on calm dispositions, good cooperation, and a real willingness to please. Headstrong and overly aggressive dogs are not tolerated no matter what positive qualities they may otherwise have," Mooney says.

"French Brittanys are born to be laid-back in the yard and in the home but can quickly switch over to dynamos when hunting gamebirds. . .'angels in the house, demons in the field' is a common phrase applied to French Brittanys in France--and in this country," Mooney claims.

"A third major objective among French Brittany breeders in France is conformation. The goal is to produce dogs that have a 'cobby' structure. This means a 'square' physical profile in which the dog is as long from the front of its chest to the tip of its butt as it is high from it feet to the top of its back," Mooney explains.

"This 'cobby' quality creates dogs with a short but powerful gait or stride developed for hunting in heavy cover up close to the gunner. A truly cobby Brittany is one in which form and function come together to produce a dog well suited for the on-foot hunter who wants to walk up pheasants, ruffed grouse, woodcock and quail.

"French Brits have what is called a 'cobby' or square conformation so that, in profile, they are as long from the front of the chest to the tip of the butt as they are high from bottom of the feet to the top of the torso," Bruce Mooney (left) points out to the author. "This 'form' is related to 'function' because this 'cobby' structural design naturally creates a powerful short-range and up-close running style well suited to hunting in thick grass when gunning for pheasants in prairie grass or when searching in snarly brambles for Northwoods ruffed grouse," Mooney says.

"Unlike many field trial bred bird dogs in America, French Brittanys don't require a horse for a hunter to follow and keep up with them," Mooney says. "Nor do you need to tie log chains on these dogs or strap on electric collars to keep most French Brittanys in bird-killing shotgun range."

TRAINING FRENCH BRITTANYS
"French Brittanys are bred and genetically programmed to be close working, natural-quartering, instinctive-retrieving, and owner-pleasing pointing dogs. But all these traits, as with any breed of gun dog, have to be shaped and developed through training," John Mooney notes.

"If you don't use a check cord to establish the preferred distance for quartering, some of these dogs may choose a hunting range way beyond a hunter's preference," Mooney points out. "Likewise, if you don't do your yard work on basic obedience or retrieving, most French Brits will make their own decisions on how to do these things," Mooney adds.

"The natural hunting instincts are definitely inherent in French Brittanys, but the trainer must be prepared to give them a final form," Mooney advises. "As a training program for our dogs, we suggest the usual course of yard work to include lessons on heel, come, and whoa. Out in the field, we introduce our dogs to birds beginning with pigeons and released quail. Later we move on to pheasants. We also follow the usual procedures for breaking young dogs to gunfire and to water," Mooney adds.

"Most French Brittanys are natural pointers with lots of prey drive, good noses, and plenty of stamina in the field. They tend to mature early so that many pups, in a systematic training program which includes major exposure to gamebirds, will be ready to use for hunting when they're still under a year old," Mooney states. "Don't expect any young French Brit, however, to perform like an old veteran. But do expect a well-started pup to find some birds, point them, and retrieve them.

"One key to training French Brittanys is to contain their enthusiasm. These little dogs can be 'bird crazy' and are genetically programmed to find anything out there with feathers. They are also genetically developed to be cooperative, owner-pleasing companions in the field. Bringing out and combining these traits are major training objectives," Mooney says.

Who can train a French Brittany? "That's a good question," John Mooney says. "Our answer is: 'Anyone who wants to find a well-bred French Brit in the first place hand is willing to apply 'standard procedure' gun dog training methods easily learned from reading the well-recognized and respected books or watching good videos on the subject. For those without the confidence or experience to train their own dogs, we will do it for them, or refer them to trainers we know with good credentials in training this breed of dog."

FINDING A FRENCH BRITTANY: THE FRENCH CONNECTION
"First, learn about the history of these dogs so you can appreciate what objectives the European breeders have been striving for during the last 100 years," John Mooney advises. "You can get some basic background information from some of the French Brittany breed clubs that recently have been formed in the United States. They have historical material on their websites and in their literature," Mooney points out.

French Brittanys can be used for waterfowl hunting. "Do expect these dogs to retrieve ducks and geese in muddy cattail sloughs or in deep water lakes," says John Mooney. "But don't expect them to retrieve all day when the temperature is way below freezing, the wind is howling, and there's ice with the cold water," he adds.

The French Brittany Gun Dog Association (Club de l'Epagneul Breton) is an established American-based organization of French Brit fanciers. The club's goal is to preserve and improve the European version of these gun dogs. The FBGDA has succeeded in having the French Brittany recognized by the United Kennel Club as a separate breed that will be included in the UKC registry system and hunt test programs.

The French Brittany Gun Dog Association also is working toward the introduction of a sanctioned field test system based on European standards and has sponsored the first "natural ability" test in the United States. The FBGDA publishes the L' Epagneul Breton magazine, which provides general background history on the breed as well as specific information on topics such as breeding standards and future hunt tests.

"When and if you're ready to buy a French Brittany, consider breeders who have gone to the European sources for their brood stock. Look for the 'French Connection' when searching for a French Brittany in the United States. Breeders in this country with dogs obtained directly from the French and European 'source' of French Brittanys probably will have the widest diversity of breeding lines. These European dogs represent the purest genetic strain of the characteristics that make the French Brittany the gun dog that it has become over 100 years," Mooney feels. "When searching for French Brittany pups or started or finished dogs, ask the sellers if they have been to France to actually see and buy their brood stock or if they have any personal relationships or direct contact with reputable and well-recognized European breeders," Mooney adds.

Ska, an 18-month-old French Brittany male, shown here with John Mooney, is an import directly from France.

"When shopping for a French Brittany, try to find breeders who actually train and hunt some of their personal gun dogs. This is one very good way to get vital information on what their line of dogs will really do in the field," Mooney suggests. "And if the breeder doesn't train or hunt, ask for references to satisfied customers who do. And call those people to see how easy their pups were to train and how well they do in real-life hunting experiences.

"Inquire about guarantees on general health and genetic history. Most popular lines of French Brittanys have good health histories and few genetic flaws with a minimum of joint and eye problems. But having a specific guarantee is still a good idea," in Mooney's opinion. "Most purebred French Brittanys sell in the $800 price range, which is one big financial reason to be sure about the quality of the dog you're buying," he says.

IS A FRENCH BRITTANY A GOOD "FIRST DOG"?
"Not only is a French Brittany a good 'first dog,' it's also a good 'last dog,'" John Mooney believes. "Because these dogs are bred for their people-pleasing dispositions and their natural bird hunting instincts, a French Brit is a reasonable choice for someone just getting started with a first gun dog.

"The same thing, however, holds true for an older hunter maybe looking for a combination house dog and a bird dog that is generally easy to maintain and keep around home and to train and hunt in the field. A dog, in other words, that won't require a lot of supervision in the house and won't take a track star to keep up with it out on a hunting trip," Mooney contends. For more information on the French Brittany, contact Bruce and John Mooney at L'Escarbot Kennels in Hampton, Minnesota; (651) 480-7841 or (651) 480-7839; www.lescarbotkennels.com