Brittany Spaniels; any owners here?

[emilio]

My wife and I are considering a Brittany puppy, anyone here have one or has owned them in the past? Pros/cons, please offer experiences, thanks, emilio...fwiw, there may be hunting in this dog's future

[soapvox speaker]

i had a brittney mix. he was by far my favorite pet- sweet, intelligent, and very handsome! we had a hard time breaking him of chewing, and he needed a big yard. those dogs have to run. but all in all, i loved that dog, and so did everyone who met him.

[cvansickle]

From the title, I thought this thread was going to be about some new pop star!

[goodtone]

Spaniels are the most loving, dedicated, and loyal dogs. Very intelligent as well. They make fantastic family pets and have nothing but love to give. They can easily grow on your heart. Make sure they are spayed or neutered in their early years. I had two and am now down to one (daughter). My first dog Molly was a mix her mom was a Brittany and her dad was an English Springer Spaniel . She passed from breast cancer just recently. The unfortunate thing about these beautiful creatures is their short life span. My life has definitely been enhanced by their presence and so will yours. Good luck ! As far as hunting I can't speak for Brittanys but I know my dogs love water, birds, and rabbits especially when there being walked they automatically start pulling the daylights out of me. These dogs are very strong !Try walking two at the same time !

[Jarrett]

I've got two English Springer Spaniels. One is a super loving dog, the other one is borderline vicious. She will attack and try to kill anything smaller than her. Puppies, kittens, cats, baby goats, you name it. She's killed a few of them. And periodically, she will just turn on the other Springer and they will get into a bloody fight that I can't separate. Just have to wait for them to run out of stream. After six years of putting up with it and it just getting worse, today she is headed to the local Springer Rescue organization.

The other (sweet) Springer is over 10 years old now. I don't expect her to be around a whole lot longer. She's a sweet dog, but because of the other one I will never get a Springer again. I'm guessing she has Springer Rage Syndrome I'm sticking with Golden Retrievers from here on out. I just picked up a new GR puppy last Thursday. Here is her pic:

[todd richman]

Not to derail but that has got to be the most adorable Golden puppy I have ever seen!! I have a 4 year old Yellow Lab who is sweet and beautiful and want a GR also. Can you PM me with info where you got yours-name of breeder?

[nitehawk55]

We has a spanial mix some years ago and they can be aggressive in some ways , it's sort of their nature but will vary from dog to dog . If you have kids , other pets or a lot of guests that is something to consider .

When the time is right I will get another Golden retriever too , thery are such a great companion .

[Doug H]

I think she's a good dancer but could use some voice lessons. But that youtube guy that was crying about her was a case wasn't he?

Oh wait a minute...

[fetishfrog]

Originally Posted by emilio

My wife and I are considering a Brittany puppy, anyone here have one or has owned them in the past? Pros/cons, please offer experiences, thanks, emilio...fwiw, there may be hunting in this dog's future

My dad's brittany of many years just passed a few weeks ago. She was a fantastic hunter. They are super smart, loyal, friendly to people (my dad's dog was not too friendly with other dogs though...too much alpha female in her). They have tons of energy and as Bones said, trouble will abound if they do not have something to do. If you have a yard, that would be a bonus as they need exercise.

[dead mike]

I've competed my dogs against britts for years. 2 of my good friends also have britts. We field trial are dogs and hunt 30+ days. If your an avid hunter they are a great dog. DO NOT buy this dog if your just the average dog owner who thinks they look nice. Why have a Ferrari and keep it parked in the garage?

[vandi]

Had a brittanyy/springer mix growing up. She was absolutely one of the sweetest and most devoted dogs I have ever had the privilege of knowing. They definitely need to run so a big yard or frequent walks will be necessary. Aside from that, socialize them and they will behave. They can also be excellent dogs with children provided they are taught how to keep their energy level in check when around smaller kids. Easily done with some time spent training. They are a working breed so plan on spending adequate time with your spaniel.

[pickslide]

I had a Brit years ago. Sweet dogs, but loads of energy and smart. You really have to take the time to train them properly, get them lots of exercise (I would bet at least 1.5 hours per day) and maybe even try to do something with them that stimulates them...like some kind of obstacle course class or something fun like that. We did not really do those things with our dog and he would bolt out of the house every time the door was open. Lots of things to think about before getting a dog like this. But again, sweet loving dogs.

[blood5150]

I know Brittany Daniels from Joe Dirt....

[8Painting]

My first childhood dog was a Brit.

First few years were a little rough as far as behavior was concerned. After that she was probably the best dog I've ever had. Gentle animal, that still wasn't afraid to protect me from other people, maybe it was because I was around 8-9 in age.

Like it had been said before, they do love hunting. Whenever we had to take her in the car she automatically thought we were going hunting, and ended up going ballistic. It'd probably be a good idea to get one if you planned on hunting, but if not, check out some other breeds.

[emilio]

thank you all for the responses.