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Epagneul Breton: FCI Standard 2003
FCI-Standard N° 95 / 05. 05. 2003 / GB - BRITTANY SPANIEL (Epagneul
Breton) - ORIGIN: France.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD: 25.03.2003.
UTILIZATION: Pointing dogs.
F.C.I. CLASSIFICATION: Group 7 Pointing Dogs and Setters.
Section 1.2 Continental Pointing Dogs, Spaniel type.
With working trial.
BRIEF HISTORICAL
SUMMARY
Of French origin and more precisely from the centre of Brittany.
At present, in first place numerically among French sporting
breeds. Probably one of the oldest of the spaniel type dogs,
improved at the beginning of the 20th century by diverse outcrosses
and selections. A draft of a breed standard drawn up in Nantes
in 1907 was presented and adopted at the first General Assembly
held in Loudéac (in former Côtes du Nord department, now Côtes
d’Armor), June 7, 1908. This was the first standard of the «
Naturally Short-Tailed Brittany Spaniel Club.
GENERAL
APPEARANCE
Smallest of the pointing breeds. The Brittany spaniel is a dog
with a Continental spaniel-type head (braccoïde in French) and
a short or inexistent tail. Built harmoniously on a solid but
not weighty frame. The whole is compact and well-knit, without
undue heaviness, while staying sufficiently elegant. The dog
is vigorous, the look is bright and the expression intelligent.
The general aspect is « COBBY » (brachymorphic), full of energy,
having conserved in the course of its evolution the short-coupled
model sought after and fixed by those having recreated the breed.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS
The skull is longer than the muzzle, with a ratio of 3:2. Head
is in proportion to the body. The depth of the chest, from withers
to brisket, is slightly less than half the height of the dog.
The scapulo-ischial length (from the point of the shoulder to
the point of the buttocks) is equal to the height at the withers
(the dog fits in a square).
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT
Dog adapting itself to any environment, sociable, with an intelligent
and attentive expression, mentally balanced. Versatile pointing
dog, for any game on any terrain, precocious in revealing its
hunting passion. Remarkable in its searching for game, its gaits,
its scenting ability, its ranging in the field, its spontaneity
and duration of pointing, its retrieving and its aptitude for
training.
HEAD
The features are finely chiselled. The skin fits tightly.
CRANIAL REGION
Skull: Slightly rounded
as seen from the front or the side. Seen from above, the lateral
surfaces are slightly convex. The top lines of the head and
the muzzle are parallel. The width of the skull measured between
the zygomatic arches is less than its length. The supercilliary
arches are not prominent but form a slightly rounded curve.
The frontal furrow as well as the sagittal crest are slightly
defined. The occipital crest as well as the zygomatic arches
are moderately defined.
Stop: moderate.
FACIAL REGION
Nose: Large, with very
wide, humid and well-open nostrils, of a colour in harmony with
that of the coat, as is the case of the edges of the eyelids
and natural orifices.
Muzzle: Straight, with
lateral surfaces practically parallel.
Lips:
Not loose, not very large, relatively thin and fitting tightly.
The lower is discreetly masked by the upper whose contour bends
progressively until reaching the commisure, which is not too
apparent and tightly closed. The whole is free of depigmentation.
Jaws/Teeth: The teeth are set square to the
jaws and form a complete and healthy set. Scissors bite.
Cheeks: Not heavy, the skin fitting tightly.
Eyes: Slightly oblique. With an intelligent, soft
and frank expression. Somewhat oval, not protruding, with fine,
well pigmented, tightly fitting eyelids. The colour of the iris
is in keeping with the colour of the coat, preferably dark.
Eye expression coupled with upward movement of the base of the
ears gives rise to the true « Brittany expression ».
Ears: Set high, triangular in shape, relatively large
and rather short, (drawn forward, the tip of the ear reaches
the stop). Partially covered with wavy hair, especially in the
upper part, the extremity being covered by short hair. Always
quite mobile when the dog is attentive or in action.
NECK
Of medium length and well muscled, in the form of a slightly
curved, never arched, truncated cone. Set smoothly to the shoulders
and without dewlap.
BODY
Top line:
Level to the loins and the beginning of the croup.
Withers: Sufficiently mobile and hardly protruding, without
being loaded.
Back: Straight, short and rigid,
well coupled.
Loin: Short, broad and muscular.
Hip: Very slightly slanting, broad and muscular.
Chest: Let down to elbow level, broad with
ribs well sprung but not barrel chested. Sternum wide and scarcely
rising towards the rear. The rearmost ribs long and supple.
Abdomen: Slightly tucked-up.
Flank:
Slightly rising and short.
TAIL
Set high, carried horizontally (or slightly lowered), often
lively when the dog is attentive or in action. The Brittany
Spaniel can be born tailless or with a very short tail.
When the tail is docked the ideal length is from 3 to 6 cm,
the docked tail should not exceed 10 cm.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS
Limbs well poised. Joints flexible and sturdy.
Shoulder:
Mobile, long (30% of the height at the withers), close to the
body with thick muscle. Its slope is that of a galloper, between
55 and 60 degrees from the horizontal. The tips of the shoulder
blades are separated by 5 cm (2’’).
Arm: Heavy,
thick and very muscular. It is slightly longer than the shoulder
blade. The scapulo-humeral angle (between the shoulder blade
and the arm) is between 115 and 120 degrees.
Forearm:
Muscular and clean. Slightly longer than the arm. It should
be practically perpendicular to the ground. Elbow: Close
to body - neither in nor out.
Metacarpus (Pastern):
Solid while maintaining a certain flexibility, slightly oblique
(between 15 and 20 degrees from the vertical).
Feet:
Rather round, toes tight, pads firm, toenails short.
HINDQUARTERS
Limbs well poised and parallel when seen from behind.
Thigh: Important with thick and bulging muscles. It should
be slanted between 70 and 75 degrees from the horizontal.
Lower thigh: Very slightly longer than the thigh
with clean, bulging muscles. Broad in the upper part, diminishing
gradually in size towards its junction with the hock. The angle
between the upper thigh and lower thigh is close to 130 degrees.
Hock: Clean, with visible tendons.
Metatarsus (Rear pastern): Solid, nearly vertical when
seen from the side.
Feet: Longer than the forefeet,
while maintaining the same characteristics.
GAIT
/ MOVEMENT
The different gaits are easy but powerful, even and lively.
The legs move straight without exaggerated bouncing of the body
and without rolling, the top line staying level. The canter
is the most common gait in the field, the strides are rapid
and of medium length, the hind legs having little extension
to the rear (collected canter).
SKIN
Fine, tight fitting and well pigmented.
COAT
HAIR: The coat is fine but not silky, lying flat
on the body or with a hint of a wave. Never curly. Short on
the head and the front of the limbs. The hind part of the latter
has a heavier coat, furnished with abundant feathering, diminishing
along their length down to the carpus (wrist) or the tarsus
(hock), or even lower.
COLOUR: White and orange,
white and black, white and liver, with more or less extensive
irregular white patches. Piebald or roan, sometimes with ticking
on the top and sides of the muzzle or the limbs. 0 Equally,
in the case of tricolour coats, with tan spotting (orange to
dark tan) on the top and sides of the muzzle, over the eyes,
on the limbs, on the chest and under the base of the tail. A
narrow blaze is desirable with any colour of coat. A self coloured
coat is not allowed.
SIZE
Height at
the wither :
Males:
48 cm minimum (18.9’’) with a tolerance of 1 cm (0.4’’).
51 cm maximum (20.1’’) with a tolerance of 1 cm (0.4’’).
Females:
47 cm minimum (18.5’’) with a tolerance of 1 cm (0.4’’).
50 cm maximum (20.1’’) with a tolerance of 1 cm (0.4’’).
Ideal height
Males: 49 to 50 cm (19.3’’
to 19.7’’).
Females: 48 to 49 cm (18.9’’ to 19.3’’).
FAULTS
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered
a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded
should be in exact proportion to its degree.
Character:
Timidity, shifty-eyed.
Head planes: Somewhat divergent.
Nose: Very slightly depigmented, interior of the nostrils
depigmented.
Teeth: Pincer bite, teeth out of line.
Muzzle: Pinched or snippy.
Lips: Heavy, pendulous,
upper lip covering the lower either insufficiently or excessively.
Eyes: Prominent, round or almond shaped.
Ears:
Hung too low or falling away too sharply
Back: Arched
or saddle back.
Croup: Too narrow or falling away
too sharply.
Abdomen: Bulky or too tucked up (whippety).
Feet: Splayed, too round or too long.
Neck:
Heavy and lacking reach. Throatiness.
Loin: Long,
narrow, weak.
Flank: Too hollow, often accompanied
by a weak loin lacking breadth.
Limbs: Insufficient
bone. Out at the elbows, pigeon toed, slew feet.
Coat:
Not heavy enough on the body.
SERIOUS FAULTS
Behaviour: Sluggish.
Skull: Zygomatic arches
too prominent stop very pronounced, superciliary arches too
prominent.
Eyes: Light, mean look, haw-like expression.
Neck: Excessively long, distinct dewlap.
Gait:
Poor mover.
ELIMINATING FAULTS
Any fault in temperament such as: snapping, aggressiveness towards
dog or man, excessive shyness.
Lack of type: Insufficient
breed characteristics, which means the animal on the whole doesn’t
resemble other samples of the breed.
Height: Outside
the limits defined by the standard.
Head planes:
Marked convergence.
Abnormal markings: White spot
on the ear or eye in a white patch.
Eyes: Very light
in colour, heterochromia (eyes of different colours), squinting
entropion, ectropion.
Jaws: Overshot or undershot
mouth.
Teeth: The first premolars of both jaws and
the last molars of the lower jaw are considered without importance.
Can only be admitted the absence of 2 PM2 or 1 PM2 and 1 PM3.
Contiguous absence of these two teeth (PM2 and PM3) is eliminating.
Absence of any other tooth is eliminating.
Pigmentation: Distinct unpigmented areas on the nose or eyelids.
Presence of dewclaws, even if rudimentary.
Serious morphological anomaly.
Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities
shall be disqualified.
N.B.: Male animals should
have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the
scrotum.
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