A French breed known on the Continent for centuries, the Brittany Spaniel might properly be called a setter, judging from his size and manner of working. He is liver and white or, preferably orange and white; either without a tail or with a tail only a few inches long.

Of ancient lineage, the Brittany Spaniel was bred up from the original spaniel size in much the same manner that the British, using similar stock, produced the setters. In fact, there is reason to believe that the Brittany attained his present size long before his cousins across the channel had taken on a recognizable type. Some maintain that the Brittany was related to the red-and-white Setter which preceded the golden-red Setter in Ireland.

The modern history of the Brittany Spaniel dates back only to the beginning of the present century. At that time the breed had degenerated badly, principally because it has been closely inbred, but also because it had not been regarded as a show specimen. Eventually it caught the attention of Arthur Enaud, a French sportsman with a biological turn of mind, who admired the all around working qualities of the breed so highly that he undertook to improve its appearance.

He went about his work thoroughly, and he did not try to accomplish too much in too short a time. He was forced to use certain crosses, but after each cross he returned immediately to the old breed. Unfortunately, like many breeders who have done the same thing with other breeds, he left no clear record of the different dogs that entered into this restoration.

The intensification of the desired orange and white colour was one of the chief aims of M. Enaud, and for this he found two breeds that had not only the colours but keen scenting ability. One was the Italian Bracco, or Pointer, the other the Braque de Bourbonnais, also a Pointer. This second breed was the more suitable for his purposes, for besides its other points it was possessed of a very short tail. The only drawback to the use of Pointers was that the coat of the Brittany Spaniel might be affected; but as sparing use was made of crosses and as the rest was a matter of selective breeding, the modern dog was still the counterpart of his ancient Breton ancestors. By 1907 the breed had been restored to all its former glory.

The first Brittany Spaniels were imported to America in 1931 and they have been exhibited at many shows since that time. They have proved to be capable gun dogs and, like most of the Continental bred sporting dogs, they can be trained easily as retrievers. They have proved they can hold their own in field trials - indeed, the first time in competition in America, a Brittany Spaniel carried off a prize against a field of more experienced dogs of other breeds.