The Brittany is a compact, athletic French gundog that combines the pointing instinct of a setter with the size and agility of a spaniel, bred to find and point game birds across the varied countryside of Brittany. Bright, eager, and tireless, it is one of the most versatile and trainable of the bird dogs, a true do-everything hunting companion that has also become a beloved family dog. The Brittany is friendly, affectionate, and bursting with energy and enthusiasm, a wonderful partner for an active owner and a poor match for a sedentary one.
That eager, high-energy, sensitive nature is the key to training one. The Brittany is exceptionally intelligent and people-oriented, so it learns quickly and reward-based training is a genuine pleasure. The things to plan around are its very high exercise needs, its strong bird and scent drive that affects recall, and a real sensitivity that means harsh handling backfires badly. Meet the substantial exercise need, channel the bird drive, and keep training upbeat and gentle, and you get a brilliant, biddable, joyful companion. Under-exercise it or correct it harshly, and that enthusiasm turns to restlessness, anxiety, and mischief.
This guide covers what works with a Brittany, week by week, built around how an eager, high-energy pointing breed actually learns.
What Makes Training a Brittany Different
Four breed traits shape your approach.
1. Exceptionally biddable and intelligent. The Brittany is one of the most trainable gundogs, eager to please and quick to learn, which makes reward-based training fast and enjoyable. This brilliance also means the breed needs real mental work, or it gets bored and inventive.
2. Very high energy. This is a hard-working bird dog that needs substantial daily exercise plus a chance to use its nose. Under-exercised, the Brittany becomes restless, anxious, and destructive, and obedience cannot substitute for the missing exercise.
3. A strong bird and scent drive. The urge to range, scent, and point is hardwired, and a bird or interesting smell can override recall. The pointing instinct is to be appreciated, not fixed, but recall must be built carefully around the drive.
4. Sensitive and soft. Behind the bouncy enthusiasm is a notably sensitive dog that wilts under harsh handling. Corrections and harsh tones create a worried, anxious dog, while gentle, upbeat, reward-based training brings out its willing, joyful best.
Week-by-Week Training Plan for Your Brittany
Below is the framework we use at TailorPup for a Brittany-specific 12-week plan. Run it at home; the order and emphasis are the point.
Weeks 1 and 2 : Foundation, Socialization, and Exercise
Engagement is easy with this eager breed. Run three to four five-minute sessions a day with high-value rewards, socialize broadly, and establish a real exercise routine, because a Brittany with unspent energy cannot focus. Keep the tone upbeat and gentle from the start. Our puppy basics guide covers the foundations.
Weeks 3 and 4 : Core Commands and Tricks
Brittanys learn very fast. Lure sit, down, and stay, mark, and reward, adding cues once reliable, then add tricks and name games to give this brilliant breed the mental work it craves. Build duration to balance the bounciness.
Weeks 5 and 6 : Loose Leash Walking
An enthusiastic Brittany pulls toward scent and excitement. Use stop-and-stand: stop the instant the leash tightens, advance only when it loosens, stay quiet. A front-clip harness helps. Allow scheduled sniff breaks, since the nose is a real part of this gundog, and pair leash work with plenty of running.
Weeks 7 and 8 : Recall (The Critical Skill)
Recall is everything for a ranging bird dog. Build it on a long line in low-distraction areas, jackpot every success, and never call the dog for anything it dislikes. Proof it slowly around the bird and scent drive, using the breed's biddability to your advantage, and earn off-leash freedom over time.
Weeks 9 and 10 : Channeling Energy and Drive
Give the breed serious outlets: gundog work, fetch, scent games, long runs, hiking, and dog sports like agility all suit this versatile athlete. A Brittany that gets to run and use its nose daily is a calm, settled dog. This is where exercise and channeling truly pay off.
Weeks 11 and 12 : Generalization
Prove the skills in the real world: loose-leash walking past distractions, recall in larger spaces with temptation present, and settling indoors after exercise. A Brittany that performs at home but falls apart in the field is only partly trained, and these last two weeks finish the job.
Common Brittany Training Mistakes
Three mistakes show up over and over with this breed.
Mistake 1 : Underestimating the exercise need. The friendly, biddable nature fools people into treating the Brittany as an easy housedog. Under-exercised, it becomes restless, anxious, and destructive. The breed requires substantial daily exercise, including a chance to use its nose.
Mistake 2 : Using harsh handling. This is especially damaging with a Brittany, which is one of the more sensitive gundogs. Corrections and harsh tones create a worried, anxious dog and undermine the close bond. Keep everything gentle, upbeat, and reward-based.
Mistake 3 : Rushing recall around the bird drive. The urge to range and chase birds overrides an unproofed recall. Build recall carefully on a long line and earn off-leash freedom gradually. The full list is in our Brittany training mistakes guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Brittanys easy to train ? Yes, exceptionally, with a gentle approach. They are among the most biddable and intelligent gundogs, eager to please and quick to learn, so reward-based training is fast and enjoyable. The challenges are the very high energy, the bird drive, and the sensitivity rather than the learning itself.
How much exercise does a Brittany need ? A lot: well over an hour of vigorous daily activity plus mental work and a chance to use the nose. This is a hard-working bird dog, and under-exercised Brittanys become restless, anxious, and destructive. The breed is a poor fit for sedentary homes.
Why is my Brittany so sensitive ? It is simply the breed's nature: a soft, people-oriented gundog that takes harshness hard. Respect it by keeping training gentle and reward-based, and the sensitivity becomes a strength, producing an exceptionally responsive, willing partner.
Can I let my Brittany off-leash ? Eventually, in safe areas, once recall is well proofed, but it must be earned. The bird drive makes an unproofed recall unreliable, so build it carefully on a long line first, using the breed's biddability to your advantage.
Is positive reinforcement effective for Brittanys ? Yes, it is essential. The sensitive, biddable breed responds beautifully to gentle reward-based training and shuts down under harsh handling, which creates anxiety in this soft gundog.
Are Brittanys good family dogs ? Yes, excellent ones, for active families. They are affectionate, biddable, and great with children, with a joyful temperament. They thrive only when their substantial exercise needs are met and they are included in active family life.
Is the Brittany a spaniel or a pointer ? It is a pointing breed, often historically called the Brittany Spaniel, though it points rather than flushes like a true spaniel. Functionally it is a versatile pointing gundog with the size and agility of a spaniel.
Why TailorPup Was Built for Brittanys
A generic plan ignores what defines this breed: the brilliance, the very high energy, the bird drive, and the real sensitivity. That mismatch is why standard advice leaves Brittany owners with a restless, anxious dog.
TailorPup builds a 12-week plan around your specific dog: its pointing-gundog nature, its age, and the behaviors you are seeing. For a Brittany that means an exercise-first structure, gentle upbeat reward-based methods, careful recall work around the bird drive, and plenty of mental work for a brilliant mind.
Daily 12-minute sessions plus weekly adjustments based on your dog's progress. Free for 7 days, no card required.
Start your Brittany's plan free at tailorpup.com →
Related: Brittany Training Mistakes · Recall Training · Leash Pulling · Puppy Training Basics