c-natalie Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 (edited) ooops title is meant to say Can Anyone Share Their Experiences With 'brittany' Dogs And English Springer Spaniels Hi me and my partner are looking at adding one of these to our family early next year. We know they are very different dogs but we feel that either of them would fit in with our lifestyle. Does anyone have any experiences with these breeds that can share a bit of insight into what they are like to own? We are mostly concerned about their suitability to being the only dog in the household and also being happy in both a suburban and farm environment. As well as getting along with felines. Would also love any tips to reputable local (QLD) breeders. Price is not too important - research has led us to believe that anywhere up to $1500 is reasonable, so we will be looking for the best breeders. Speaking of which, what things should we be looking for in the pups? Should we be looking for breeds that do hip scores and that kind of thing? Edited October 26, 2011 by c-natalie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missymoo Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 (edited) Hi there! There a few Brittany people on here, me being one of them I havnt bred a litter for years as I concentrate on another breed, so I cannot help with price.. Wamika Brittanys is a breeder for QLD and I and Helen are proud to hold thier lines. They are lovely people too Definatly give them a call There are a handful of breeders interstate as well, but it still a very small genepool and not an abused breed (as in BYB) so whomever you decide to go with you will be in good hands I owned my first Brittany when I lived in the USA and trained horses..I wanted a dog to keep up with me on horseback but have a snuggle on the couch in the evening and sleep on my bed! They are great with kids (I have 3 kids!) and very very smart! They do shed coat and bitches mostly drop it in a bundle pre heat, but if its a pet and desexed it would just be a normal moult. They are very loving to family and give a good bark if they are wary of people..not really attack dogs or biters though They like alot of gundogs tend to take a couple of years to 'grow up' and can be a bit jumpy and exuberant! Training is a must!! There is a Brittany thread in sub forums, perhaps go have a lurk or a chat there!! edited to add - sorry for spelling an grammer..I just type... Edited October 26, 2011 by Missymoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ons Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I met the lady who has Wamika Brittanys at Inverell Show recently. She was very nice and very helpful because I asked her a few questions. Interestingly they were bred to be "nannys" for the children of French peasants and I overhead a gentleman tell a family who was looking at the brittanys to never lift their hands at a child whilst a brittany is around because of this. It's a breed I am interested in too so will look forward to the outcome of this thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purdie Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Gosh C-natalie ;I was just reading about the Brittany on a couple of sites and was thinking they may suit you.I like the look of these dogs but sadly they are too energetic for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-natalie Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Gosh C-natalie ;I was just reading about the Brittany on a couple of sites and was thinking they may suit you.I like the look of these dogs but sadly they are too energetic for me. Haha that's really funny! We were reading up on them because they looked a little like the springer to us physically, and we felt really compatible with the breed after reading a few websites and forum posts about them. They seem to be really, really lovely dogs - I can't believe we've only just heard of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atua Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I also recommend Wamika Brittanys. Either give them a call or perhaps a email and they will be happy to talk to you about their much loved breed. As for English Springer Spaniels there are quite a few reputable breeders so just make some phone calls or send some emails and go with the one that you get along with most and is most helpful with your enquiries Just rememeber no question is a silly question. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Remember gundogs require a lot of mental stimulation and work, which is separate to just going for a run every day. If you want to do dog sports, training, tricks, hunting etc go for it have not really seen a young gundog that is happy to just go for the odd walk ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ons Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 are brittanys generally more active than golden retreivers? I know every dog varies on activity level, my male golden is far less than active than my female but on a general basis? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I posted in your other thread Happy to answer any other specific questions though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-natalie Posted October 27, 2011 Author Share Posted October 27, 2011 Thanks everyone for the great replies. Spotted Devil - you said on the other thread you don't think a springer is the kind of dog that can be left outside alone, can you elaborate? Do you find they are more pack dogs? Also does anyone know what the energy levels are between the Brittany and the Springer - is there a big difference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-natalie Posted October 27, 2011 Author Share Posted October 27, 2011 (edited) Also, just an idea here, would both breeds get along if we got a springer puppy and a brittany puppy at the same time? It may be an option for us as we like both breeds a lot - but would need some thinking over of course. Edited October 27, 2011 by c-natalie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkyTansy Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 c-natalie... not always a good idea to get two pups at once. a lot of hard work! I suggest you try and get to a couple of dog shows or call a couple of breeders and talk to them about each breed, meet some and decide which you prefer. Have a read about each breeds history (what they were bred for). Brittanys and Springers were bred for different work and that does dictate the differences in their temperaments. Most Brittanys still have a strong instinct for what they were bred for, and I think that there are varying degrees of instinct in certain lines of Springers (TSD for example has a working springer, but a show line springer might not have such a high drive to work). You will find that many Gundogs generally do not like to be outside for long periods and they do generally prefer company. Gundogs are generally quite intelligent and have a level of independence because of what they were bred for. Like many breeds, gundogs require training and can be naughty puppies when bored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purdie Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 http://www.welshspringeraust.com/owning-a-welsh-springer.asp The Welsh springer is a bit smaller than the English,My neighbour had one and his activity level was similar to a cocker spaniel from what i saw of him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RallyValley Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 At work so can't post a big reply but I don't think my Brittany would cope with being an outside dog, she loves being a part of the family. My Brittany lives on a 3 acre block with horses and cows nearby, but many people have them in suburbia too. Mine is only a puppy so I can't really comment on energy levels.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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