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French bird dogs

Brittany care on Cape Ann

French hunters developed the Brittany to work on just about anything with feathers, the AKC says, and the breed stands about 20 inches and weighs 30 to 40 pounds. Our Brittany grooming page covers the coat and the burrs. This guide covers the soft temperament, the daily dose of running, fall in the woods and the ticks that come home from cover.

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Pointer looking over the play yard fence

Last reviewed October 10, 2026 · by the Dogtown team

A soft bird dog

A soft, busy bird dog: high drive and gentle feelings in one body

The AKC's trait chart pairs top marks for energy and trainability with a three for affection with family and a four for getting along with other dogs, and its training note calls Brittanys gentle souls who do best with patient, encouraging training. That combination can surprise new owners: a dog that would run all day yet droops at a raised voice. Praise, food and a thrown toy all work as rewards. Harsh handling works against everything the AKC describes.

A Brittany in a playgroup may spend as much time exploring the edges of the yard as it does playing, and that is fine. Our groups of 7 to 10 are matched by size, play style and temperament, and the free evaluation, weekday mornings between 6:30 and 9:30, shows where your Brittany fits. Handlers who keep their voices light suit the breed, and a Brittany that finds a crowd a lot to take in can begin with half days at $33.

  • Energy and trainability: five out of five on the AKC chart
  • Patient, encouraging training, never harsh
  • Half days first if a crowd overwhelms your dog
  • Praise and play as rewards alongside food

The daily dose

A bird dog's daily dose: real running, a job for the nose and a busy brain

The AKC says the Brittany needs lots of exercise and enjoys long, brisk walks, hikes and running on a leash beside its person, and it names field trials, agility, FAST CAT and dock diving as outlets for the breed's energy. A loop around the block barely registers. On Cape Ann, the fenced Gloucester Dog Park at Stage Fort Park gives a safe run, Ravenswood Park sits on The Trustees' off-leash list, and the off-season beaches reopen to dogs from October 1.

Indoors, a Brittany with energy left over tends to invent its own projects, so plan the week rather than the day. On workdays a matched playgroup covers most of the running, and a Dogtown Academy day at $89 adds the thinking: scent games, the sensory garden and a session with a trainer. The sniff room, a $7 add-on, hands the nose a job between play rounds, and a 10-pack of full daycare days is $380.

  1. 01

    Every day: a long, brisk walk or a leashed run beside you

  2. 02

    Two or three days a week: a full daycare or Academy day

  3. 03

    Weekends: a long-line hike at Ravenswood or a fenced run at Stage Fort Park

  4. 04

    Most days: five minutes of training games paid with praise and food

  5. 05

    After any outing through grass or brush: a tick check before the car

Ticks after cover

Ticks after cover: why a bird dog working the brush needs a check every time

A Brittany quartering through cover brushes past far more grass and leaves than a dog on the path, and the CDC says dogs are very susceptible to tick bites and tickborne diseases. Its advice for pets is a daily check, and it lists where to look: in and around the ears, around the eyelids, under the collar, under the front legs, between the toes, between the back legs and around the tail. On Cape Ann, tick season runs from April to November.

The CDC adds two points owners often miss. Signs of a tickborne disease may not appear for 7 to 21 days or longer after a bite, so a Brittany that seems tired or off its food weeks after a woods walk deserves a vet visit. And pets carry ticks into the house, where they can bite people. Ask your vet about a preventive and about the Lyme vaccine, since Lyme is the only tickborne disease the CDC says dogs can be vaccinated against.

  • Ears, eyelids and the collar line
  • Under the front legs and between the back legs
  • Between the toes and around the tail
  • Tired or off its food weeks later: call your vet

Fall in the woods

Fall in the woods: blaze orange for a bird dog in hunting season

Fall is when a Brittany most wants to be in the cover, and it overlaps with hunting seasons. The Trustees allow authorized bow hunting for deer at Ravenswood Park in West Gloucester from the first Monday in October through December, Monday to Saturday, with no hunting on Sundays. Essex County Greenbelt permits hunting with written permission on some of its land for white-tailed deer, waterfowl and certain other species. Check the land manager's page before you walk.

Then make yourself and your dog easy to see. A blaze-orange vest or bandana on a fast white-and-orange dog, something bright on you, marked trails and a long line in woods you do not know cover most of the risk. Greenbelt properties are open from sunrise to sunset, and the Greenbelt asks owners to pick up and carry out dog waste and to prevent digging and destructive behavior.

Health and Dogtown

Health notes and a Brittany's week at Dogtown

The AKC calls the Brittany a very healthy breed with few genetic health issues and recommends hip and eye evaluations for breeding dogs, so ask for the parents' results. It also asks for the ears to be checked regularly to remove foreign matter and wax buildup, and for the teeth to be brushed regularly. After a run through tall grass, look in the ears for that foreign matter, and call your vet about a head shake that does not stop.

At Dogtown, the free evaluation comes first, with Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records and a current city license. A full daycare day is $42, and the bath, $65 for a dog of 26 to 50 pounds, can follow the play so a muddy dog goes home clean; nail clipping is $16 for a dog that does not wear its nails down. Brittany owners in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea can book the Pup Van at $10 each way.

At Dogtown

Dogtown services for Brittanys

Playgroups for the running, Academy days and the sniff room for the nose, and a bath after the field.

Husky standing on the turf play yard at Dogtown, looking at the camera Dog DaycareFrom $33 · Explore Dogtown trainer playing with a small doodle on the outdoor turf Dogtown AcademyNewFrom $69 · Explore Groomer blow-drying a red goldendoodle in front of the Dogtown Grooming sign Dog GroomingFrom $55 · Explore Black lab enjoying a lick mat Enrichment Add-OnsNewFrom $5 · Explore

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Asked and answered

Questions people ask about this

Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.

How much exercise does a Brittany need?
A lot. The AKC rates energy at five out of five and recommends long, brisk walks, hikes and running on a leash, plus activities that work the mind. Most Brittanys need a real run every day and a job for the nose. On workdays, a daycare or Academy day covers it once the dog has passed the free evaluation.
Is a Brittany a spaniel?
Not by name any more. The AKC registered it as the Brittany Spaniel from 1934 until 1982, when the name was shortened to Brittany because American breeders considered it more pointer than spaniel in working style. In France it is still called the Brittany Spaniel. Either way, it is a versatile bird dog.
How should I correct a sensitive Brittany?
Mostly by rewarding what you want instead. The AKC says patient, encouraging training works best with these gentle souls. Interrupt a mistake calmly, show the dog what to do, and pay it with praise, food or a retrieve. Our trainers are fear- and force-free, and private sessions start from $94 if you want help.
What should I do if I find a tick on my Brittany?
Remove it right away and note the date. The CDC says signs of tickborne disease can take 7 to 21 days or longer to appear, so watch for tiredness or a poor appetite over the following weeks and call your vet if you see either. Our how-to on removing a tick from a dog shows the method.
Should my Brittany wear orange in the fall?
It is a sensible precaution in woods where hunting may be allowed. Essex County Greenbelt permits hunting on some of its land with written permission and on a few properties without it. A blaze-orange vest or bandana makes a fast, white-and-orange dog easier to see; keep it close and stay on marked trails.

More questions? Read the full FAQ

Sources

Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.

Keep reading

Dog grooming in GloucesterBrittany groomingEnglish springer spaniels on Cape AnnTicks and Lyme on Cape Ann Breed guides All guides

Next step

Run the bird dog, check for ticks.

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