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The morphological characteristics of the Brittany Hound. We often hear about the pedigree of dogs, but good pedigree does not necessarily mean good body shape. There is an international FCI standard for dog body shape. Dogs that meet this standard are mostly dogs that meet the aesthetics of experts. The editor still believes that as long as you like it, the dog that suits your eyes is the best, so quickly. Let’s take a look at the morphological characteristics of the Brittany Hound with the editor

A compact, close-knit medium-sized dog The appearance of the dog is that of a long-legged dog, which is very agile, has a very large stride, is strong, energetic, active, quick in action, strong but not clumsy, this is the Brittany dog. He can be tailless or docked, retaining 4 inches in length.

[Size]

Height: Approximately 17.5 inches at the withers

Weight: Approximately 30

Proportion: The legs are long and graceful, so the body length is equal to the height at the withers.

Length of body: equal to height at withers. Body length is the distance from chest to buttocks.

Physique: The bones should not be too light, but they should not be too heavy either, making them appear bulky.

[Head]

Expression: Alert and intense, but with the soft expression of a bird dog.

Eyes: well placed on the head, protected by thick, expressive brows. Excessively full or prominent eyes are a fault. Must have correct face, otherwise it is a serious fault. The contours under the eyes are clear, so there should be no ectropion of the lower eyelids, bags under the eyes, exposed nictitating membrane, mud or weeds. Dark eyes are preferred, but light (amber) eyes are acceptable. Light-colored eyes or eyes that look uncomfortable are to be seriously faulted.

Ears: set high above eye level, short, triangular, somewhat droopy, extending to half the length of the muzzle. Flat and close to the head, covered with short, relatively short hair, with a slight fringe.

Skull: Medium length, round, slightly wedge-shaped, but well proportioned. Broad, but not too wide, equal in width to length, not too wide to look bulky, nor too narrow to look like a racing dog. Very clear, but slightly sloping stop with vague midline. The occipital bone can only be protruded when touched and is rounded laterally. Brittany dogs should not have an "apple head" or a jagged stop.

Muzzle: medium length, about 2/3 of the length of the head (the length of the muzzle is from the tip of the nose to the stop, and the length of the head is from the occipital bone to the stop). The muzzle is tapered, tapering laterally or longitudinally toward the nose. There is neither a Roman nose nor a plate face. Neither wide and heavy nor slender.

Rhinoscope: The nostrils are wide, allowing deep breathing and a more sensitive sense of smell. Closed nostrils are a fault. Never shine. Colors: brown, camel, shades of brown, dark pink. A black nose is a disqualification. Bi-colored nose is a fault.

Lip: Tightly closed, with the upper lip covering the lower jaw and lower lip. Lips are dry; so the appearance is not smooth. Drooling is a serious fault. A dropped upper lip is a fault.

Bite: A true scissors bite, an overshot or undershot bite are serious faults.

[Neck, Topline, Body]

Neck: Medium length, free of dewlap, although dewlap is not a serious fault. Strong, but not overly muscular, well integrated into the sloping shoulder blades, without a slump or sheepish neck.

Topline: Slightly sloping from the highest point of the shoulder blades to the base of the tail.

Chest: Deep, extending to the elbows. It shouldn't be too wide or too arched to interfere with the position of the shoulder blades and elbows. The ribs are well sprung and of good depth and width, providing ample room for the ribcage. A narrow or flat chest is a fault.

Back: Short and straight, never hollow, saddle-like, swaying or arched. Slightly drooping from croup to base of tail.

Waist pit: round. Fairly full, not excessively lifted, weak or saggy. The loin is short and strong, the distance from the last rib to the upper thigh is short, about 3 to 4 fingers wide. A narrow, weak waist is a fault. When exercising, the waist cannot swing from side to side, causing the back to move in a "Z" shape, which wastes energy.

Tail: From no tail to about 4 inches long, natural or docked. The tail should not be so long that it affects the overall balance of the dog. The high position is actually an extension of the spine and is at the same level as the spine. Tail length exceeding 4 inches is a serious fault.

[Forequarters]

Shoulder blades: The shoulder blades are not very prominent and cannot be too far apart. The distance between them is about 2 finger widths. Shoulders are sloping and muscular. The angle between the shoulder blade and the upper arm bone is almost 90 degrees, and the shoulder is flat. The Brittany's shoulders are slightly higher than the hips.

Forelegs: Viewed from the front, vertical but not too wide apart. Elbows and feet turn neither in nor out. Pasterns slightly sloping. Down pasterns are a serious fault. The leg bones are clean and graceful, but not too delicate. Heavy bones or spindly legs are serious faults. Must appear to have both substance (bone and muscle) and flexibility. The height of the elbow is equal to the distance from the elbow to the withers.

Feet: The feet are strong, slightly smaller and compact than those of the Snipe Dog, with rounded toes and thick pads. Brittany dogs do not have "up toes" and the toes are not heavily feathered. Flat paws, open feetClaws, paper-thin feet, etc. are serious faults. The ideal paw should be somewhere between a rabbit's foot and a cat's foot. Dewclaws can be removed.

[Hindquarters]

Broad, strong, and muscular, with powerful thighs and stifles well bent to provide the correct angle for powerful driving forces. Hind Legs: The stifles should be bent, but the angle of the stifles should not be so great that the hocks are too far behind and under the body. Straighter knees should not be considered a fault until the referee observes his action from the side. The knee joint cannot turn outward to form a cow's limb. The thighs are feathered, but not excessively, extending halfway from the thigh to the hock. Hock (rear pastern) slightly short, turning neither in nor out. Perpendicular to the ground when viewed from the side. Looked solid when the referee shook him.

Feet: Same as forelimbs.

[Coat]

Dense, flat or wavy, not curly. It's neither bristle nor silk. There are a few bangs on the ears. The forelegs and hind legs are feathered, but light feathering is preferable to heavy feathering. Long, thick feathering is a serious fault and should firmly exclude them from the show. Skin: Fine and quite loose. Excessively loose, pocket-like skin is undesirable.

[Color]

Orange and white or liver and white, the pattern is clear or mixed. Solid stripes are ideal. Orange or liver color forms particolor or markings. Faded color is undesirable. Three colors are allowed, but not ideal. Tri-color refers to liver-colored and white dogs with orange markings on the eyebrows, muzzle, cheeks, inside the ears and under the tail, and spots on the underparts. Any color other than this is a serious fault. Black coat is a disqualification.

[Gait]

When trotting, the Brittany’s hind paws will fall on the footprints of the front paws. When coming or leaving, the movements are neat, which is very important. It is important, but most important, to look at the gait from the side, it should be smooth, efficient and long in stride.

[Temperament]

A cheerful and alert dog, neither mean nor shy.

[Disqualification]

Height at the withers less than 17.5 inches or more than 20.5 inches.

Black nose.

Black coat.