FarOut Fields Brittanys

Brittany Information




Brittany Breed Standard

American Brittany Club Code of Ethics

Responsible Breeding

Glossary Of Dog Show Lingo

Other Brittany Resources




Breed Standard for the Brittany


General Appearance

A compact, closely knit dog of medium size, a leggy dog having the appearance, as well as the agility, of a great ground coverer. Strong, vigorous, energetic and quick of movement. Ruggedness, without clumsiness, is a characteristic of the breed. He can be tailess or has a tail docked to approximately four inches.


Size, Proportion, Substance
Height:

17 1/2 to 20 1/2 inches, measured from the ground to the highest point of the shoulders. Any Brittany measuring under 17 1/2 inches or over 20 1/2 inches shall be disqualified from dog show competition.


Weight: Should weigh between 30 and 40 pounds.

Proportion: So leggy is he that his height at the shoulders is the same as the length of his body.

Body Length:

Approximately the same as the height when measured at the shoulders. Body length is measured from the point of the forechest to the rear of the rump. A long body should be heavily penalized.


Substance: Not too light in bone, yet never heavy-boned and cumbersome.

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

Eyes:

Well set in head. Well protected from briars by a heavy, expressive eyebrow. A prominent, full or pop eye should be heavily penalized. It is a serious fault in a dog that must face briars. Skull well chiseled under the eyes, so that the lower lid is not pulled back to form a pocket or haw that would catch seeds, dirt and weed dust. Preference should be for the darker colored eyes, though lighter shades of amber should not be penalized. Light and mean-looking eyes should be heavily penalized.


Ears:

Set high, above the level of the eyes. Short and triangular, rather than pendulous, reaching about half the length of the muzzle. Should lie flat and close to the head, with the tip rounded very slightly. Ears well covered with dense, but relatively short hair, and with little fringe.


Skull:

Medium length, rounded, very slightly wedge-shaped, but evenly made. Width, not quite as wide as the length and never so broad as to appear coarse, or so narrow as to appear racy. Well defined but gently sloping stop. Median line rather indistinct. The occiput only apparent to the touch. Lateral walls well rounded. The Brittany should never be "apple-headed" and he should never have an indented stop.


Muzzle:

Medium length, about two-thirds the length of the skull, measuring the muzzle from the tip to the stop, and the skull from the occiput to the stop. Muzzle should taper gradually in both horizontal and vertical dimensions as it approaches the nostrils. Neither a Roman nose nor a dish-face is desirable. Never broad, heavy or snipy.


Nose:

Nostrils well open to permit deep breathing of air and adequate scenting. Tight nostrils should be penalized. Never shiny. Color: fawn, tan, shades of brown or deep pink. A black nose is a disqualification. A two-tone or butterfly nose should be penalized.


Lips:

Tight, the upper lip overlapping the lower jaw just to cover the lower lip. Lips dry, so that feathers will not stick. Drooling to be heavily penalized. Flews to be penalized.


Bite: A true scissors bite. Overshot or undershot jaw to be heavily penalized.

Neck, Topline, Body
Neck:

Medium length. Free from throatiness, though not a serious fault unless accompanied by dewlaps, strong without giving the impression of being over-muscled. Well set into sloping shoulders. Never concave or ewe-necked.


Topline: Slight slope from the highest point of the shoulders to the root of the tail.

Chest:

Deep, reaching the level of the elbow. Neither so wide nor so rounded as to disturb the placement of the shoulders and elbows. Ribs well sprung. Adequate heart room provided by depth as well as width. Narrow or slab-sided chests area fault.


Back: Short and straight. Never hollow, saddle, sway or roach backed. Slight drop from the hips to the root of the tail.

Flanks:

Rounded. Fairly full. Not extremely tucked up, or flabby and falling. Loins short and strong. Distance from last rib to upper thigh short, about three to four fingers widths. Narrow and weak loins are a fault. In motion, the loin should not sway sideways, giving a zig-zag motion to the back, wasting energy.


Tail:

Tailless to approximately four inches, natural or docked. The tail not to be so long as to affect the over-all balance of the dog. Set on high, actually an extension of the spine at about the same level. Any tail substantially more than four inches shall be severely penalized.


Forequarters
Shoulders:

Shoulder blades should not protrude too much, not too wide apart, with perhaps two thumbs' width between. Sloping and muscular. Blade and upper arm should form nearly a ninety degree angle. Straight shoulders are a fault. At the shoulders the Brittany is slightly higher than at the rump.


Front Legs:

Viewed from the front, perpendicular, but not set too wide. Elbows and feet turning neither in nor out. Pasterns slightly sloped. Down in pasterns is a serious fault. Leg bones clean, graceful, but not too fine. Extremely heavy bone is as much a fault as spindly legs. One must look for substance and suppleness. Height at elbows should approximately equal distance from elbow to withers.


Feet:

Should be strong, proportionately smaller than the spaniels', with close fitting, well arched toes and thick pads. The Brittany is "not up on his toes." Toes not heavily feathered. Flat feet, splayed feet, paper feet, etc., are to be heavily penalized. An ideal foot is halfway between the hare and the cat foot. Dewclaws may be removed.


Hindquarters:

Broad strong and muscular, with powerful thighs and well bent stifles, giving the angulation necessary for powerful drive.


Hind Legs: Stifles well bent. The stifle should not be so angulated as to place the hock joint far out.

Feet: Same as front feet.

Coat:

Dense, flat or wavy, never curly. Texture neither wiry nor silky. Ears should carry little fringe. The front and hind legs should have some feathering, but too little is definitely preferable to too much. Dogs with long or profuse feathering or furnishings shall be so severely penalized as to effectively eliminate them from competition.


Skin:

Fine and fairly loose. A loose skin rolls with briars and sticks, thus diminishing punctures or tearing. A skin so loose as to form pouches is undesirable.


Color:

Orange and white or liver and white in either clear or roan patterns. Some ticking is desirable. The orange or liver is found in the standard parti-color or piebald patterns. Washed out colors are not desirable. Tri-colors are allowed but not preferred. A tri-color is a liver and white dog with classic orange markings on eyebrows, muzzle and cheeks, inside the ears and under the tail, freckles on the lower legs are orange. Anything exceeding the limits of these marking shall be severely penalized. Black is a disqualification.


Gait:

When at a trot the Brittany's hind foot should step into or beyond the print left by the front foot. Clean movement, coming and going, is very important, but most important is side gait, which is smooth, efficient and ground covering.


Temperament: A happy, alert dog, neither mean nor shy.

Disqualifications

Any Brittany measuring under 17 1/2 inches or over 20 1/2 inches. Black in the coat. A black nose.

The above Standard was approved by the AKC on April 9, 1990 and went into effect May 29, 1990.

AMERICAN BRITTANY CLUB CODE OF ETHICS


Adopted November 30, 1996


The following principles are to be used as an educational guide and a tool for Brittany breeders for the purpose to develop more genetic and disease free dogs, while being ethical in all matters with the public and with our peers.


Objective and Purpose

To promote cooperation and friendship among the breeders and owners of Brittanys and to encourage higher standards in breeding, training and showing of Brittanys in the field and in the show ring; to discourage the breed from becoming split into groups of "field dogs" and "show dogs" and to strive to keep it forever a "dual dog".


Ethical breeders should:

  1. Comply with all ABC and AKC rules and regulations.
  2. Maintain a high standard of health, care, and cleanliness for dogs under one's care.
  3. Truthfully and realistically represent the Brittany being bred and/or sold in terms of quality, health, and genetic history. Refrain from breeding a bitch or using a stud until they are two (2) years old.
  4. Consult with your breeder and with knowledgeable, experienced members of the ABC, regional clubs, or local kennel clubs to broaden your understanding and knowledge of the history of the breed BEFORE breeding your Brittany.
  5. Breed only stock which are physically and temperamentally sound and in good health. No dog or bitch should be bred that is known to have serious inheritable defects or genetic diseases, such as:
  6. Not attempt breeding without the ability to distinguish between correct and incorrect physical attributes. This ability requires a careful study of the breed standard, principles of genetics, and a study of both the sire and the dam's pedigrees. Breeders should study and learn the good points within our dogs, looking to both field ability and conformation.
  7. Have their breeding stock OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals), GDC (Genetic Disease Control) or PennHip certification numbers for hips on, at least, both the sire and the dam; preferably for three (3) generations on both sides of the pedigree. In addition, other tests (brucellosis, eyes, elbows, and other unspecified tests) should be declared in agreement between owners of the sire and the dam prior to breeding.
  8. Refuse to sell to commercial wholesalers, retail brokers, or research laboratories.
  9. Have tails docked and dew claws removed soon after birth. Prior to the sale of the puppies, initial shots for known infectious diseases should be given and worming administered. A buyer should be supplied with a four- (4) generation pedigree, registration certificate, information on all veterinary care, and instructions for the care, feeding, and training of the Brittany.
  10. Remember your responsibility, as a breeder does not end with the sale of the puppy. A breeder should have contact with the buyer of a pup throughout the life of the dog. This information will enhance breeding knowledge and improve the foundation for a good long-term breeding program. This will also help your regional club to grow with new members and possible participants and workers.
  11. Use spay/neuter agreements and/or consider limited registration if it is known or believed to manifest hereditary defects detrimental to the breed. THE LONG TERM INTEREST OF THE BRITTANY SHOULD BE THE GOAL OF EVERY BREEDER.
  12. Consider DNA finger printing for all dogs in your breeding programs.


Responsible Breeding


The following is the standard of excellence in breeding that Rescue endorses:

RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS...

...have made a wholehearted commitment to the well-being and improvement of their breed of dogs. They make the health and temperament of their dogs their first priority in breeding.

...have studied and researched their breed and know, intimately, its history and Standard, its strong points and drawbacks. They make working ability of their breed a top priority in breeding, and do not breed any dog that has not been proven to have good to excellent working ability.

...continually strive to learn more about their breed and to get to know many different bloodlines in an effort to improve their own.

...spend time, effort, and money researching and proving the qualities and health of their potential breeding stock. Those that do not prove out are not bred. Dogs are not bred until they have proven their worthiness in health, working ability, and structure (this means at least two years old, when the dog is fully mature and eligible for all health clearances).

...consider their dogs' health and well-being above all else. They do not perpetuate genetic defects OF ANY KIND; all of their potential breeding stock is proven and, if possible, certified clear of defects such as hip dysplasia, epilepsy, and hereditary eye and heart disorders.

...plan a litter only with the goal of puppies better than the parents, in an effort to improve what they have. Responsible breeders have a waiting list of potential buyers before they ever breed a litter.

...honestly and objectively evaluate their litters, and have others they respect do the same for them. They make every effort to match puppy to buyer in temperament, attitude and energy level as well as physical qualities.

...sell only to responsible, loving homes. While some exceptional pups may be saved for special competition homes, the responsible breeder realizes that not every puppy in ever litter is "competition quality" and welcomes responsible pet homes.

...sell their non-competition stock on Limited Registration backed up by a spay/neuter agreement, in order to discourage breeding of anything but the few exceptional puppies in their litters.

...assume responsibility for the lives they create, carefully screening buyers, helping find new homes, making a comfortable life for their older, retired dogs, and, yes, being able to make the decision to euthanize when a dog with a serious defect has no chance for a quality life.

...do not have so many dogs that they have little time for individual attention, play, training, and upkeep of grooming. They place any dogs that need more work or attention than they can give.

...build a good reputation slowly based on dedication and consistent quality, not on volume, advertising, or from haphazard breeding to make or break records or to satisfy their ego.

...go further and assume some responsibility for the problems of their breed as a whole. They are active in an organization for the breed, they continue to read about new developments, and they work to help reduce the number of their breed that are carelessly bred, ill cared for, and discarded.

...can look at a bigger picture than wins or puppy sales, keeping in mind that the dogs' well-being is what is most important - and contributing in some way to the betterment of dogs as a whole.

If you would like to join the ranks of responsible breeders, please take the first step by reading "Things to Think About Before Breeding Your Dog" If you can't or won't take the time to breed responsibly, please don't breed at all.

From Rescue

Glossary Of Dog Show Lingo



A


Almond eye--eye shape in which the tissue surrounding the eye is elongated
Amble--a relaxed, easy trot in between the walk and the show ring gait
Angulation--the angles formed at the meeting joint of two bones
Anterior--the portion carried foremst in normal locomotion
Apple head--a domed or rounded topskull
Apron--the longer fur and the chest and lower neck


B


Balance--term used to describe the similar characteristics of the dog's
parts--porportions
Bandy leg--a leg that bends outward in an arch
Barrel chested--describes overly-sprung ribs--a very rounded rib cage
Basewide--wide footfall in gaiting
Bat ear--an erect/prick ear with a broad base and rounded top
Beard--long hair on the underjaw
Beefy--over developement of the hindquarter muscling
Belton--a color pattern seen in several breeds (ie English setters)
Bitchy--usually used to define an overly-refined male
Bite--the position of the jaws and all teeth when the mouth is closed
Blanket--the coloring on the back and upper sides of the dog between the neck and the tail
Blocky--sqaurish in body
Bloom--the sheen of a healthy coat
Bodied up--mature looking, well-developed, lacking puppyish conformational characteristic
Bone--pertaining to the substance and girth of the dog's bones, usually refering to leg bones
Bossy--overdeveloped shoulder muscles (equivilent of beefy, only in the front)
Brindle--another coloration pattern, broken tiger striped
Brisket--thoraxic area (inc. chest, rib cage)
Broken coat--a roungh but sparse wire coat
Brush--the featering on the underside of the tail
Bull neck--a thick, stout, well muscled neck
Butterfly nose--partially unpigmented nose leather (part black and part white)
Button ear--an ear type in which the base of the ears is erect, but the top tips neatly foreward


C


Camel back--general term used to describe an arched back
Carpal--largest bone in the pastern (wrist)
Cat foot--describes a tight-knuckled foot in which the toes are well arched
Caudal/coccygeal--the vertabrae that make up the tail
Cervical vertabrae--the vertabrae that make up the neck
Cheeky--too much fiil in the skull cavities, bulging sides of face
China eye--blue or clear eye coloration
Chiseling--pertaining to head structure, the outline and smoothness of the facial region
Chops--jowls, thick, heavy flesh on the lips and jaws
Clipping--a gaiting fault in which the rear feet actually knick the pads of the front feet when in a full trot
Close-coupled--a short loin in comparisson to other porportions
Coarse--lacking refinement
Cobby--very compact all over
Conformation--term describing the physical structure of the entire dog
Coupling--the loin
Cow-hocked--hocks bending inwards when in a natural stance
Crabbing--gaiting fault in which the front and rear legs do not line up when viewed from behind or in front
Crest--the arch on the top of the neck in some breeds
Cropped ear--an ear that had been surgically altered or trimmed to stand up erect
Croup--the region on the top of the dog between the hip bones, extending to were the tail is set on


D


Dentition--the number and placement of teeth in the mouth
Depth (of chest)--an indication of the volume of internal room for the heart, lungs, etc--referenced to the elbow
Dewclaws--extra toe or toes on the indide of the pasterns or hocks--commonly removed in most breeds
Dewlap--loose hanging skin under the neck
Dish face--a concave top of muzzle or slightly upturned nose
Divergent hocks--hocks that turn outward when at a natural stance
Dock tail--a tail that has been surgically shortened or removed
Double coat--a two layered type of coat, the first thick and plush, the outer one consisting of coarser gaurd hairs
Down face--pertaining to the planing of the head, the slope of the muzzle plane being steeper than that of the skull plane
Down in the pastern--weak pasterns
Drive--refering to the amount of thrust from the rear when gaiting
Drop ear--an ear folded or creases in at least one place
Dry neck--taut skin on the underline of the neck (opposite of wet neck)
Dudley nose--flesh colored nose leather


E


East-west--front structural fault in which the legs and feet point outwards, away from eachother
Elbowing out--the elbows outturned, away from body
Even bite--meeting of upper and lower inscisors with no overlap
Ewe neck--a concave neck line
Expression--genreral appearence of the look in the eye
Eyeteeth--upper canine teeth


F


Feathering--fringe of hair on the underside of the tail, brisket, and backs of legs
Femur--main bone in the rear legs
Fibula--one of the bones that make up the lower thigh
Fiddle front--elbows turned outward, pasterns turned inward, toes pointed outward
Flag--a long feathered tail, carried high
Flat croup--a croup with insufficiant slope or taper from the hip bones to the root of the tail
Flat sided--lacking proper spring of ribs
Flews--inner corners of the upper lips
Flewsy--too much flews
Flying ears--erect/prick ears on a breed that should not have prick ears
Flying trot--a very fast gait where all four feet are off the ground for a brief moment
French front--see "fiddle front"
Frill--see "apron"
Full dentition--refers to an adult dog with all its teeth in and fully developed
Furnishings--see "feathering"


G


Gait--the pattern of footfall--when used in a show ring setting, it describes the dog's movement at a trot
Gaskin--lower second thigh
Gay tail--a tail carried high and slightly curved over the back
Goose neck--a long tube-like neck (opposite of bull neck)
Goose stepping--a gaiting fault with an accentuated and seemingly careless lift in the forelegs
Grizzle--a mixture of three or more colors on one hair
Guard hairs--the coarse outer coat on a double coated breed


H


Hackles--hairs on the back and the back of the neck that the dog raises when alerted
Hackney gait--a fault in all but two AKC recognized breeds in which the front legs are lifted high with an arching wrist
Hard knuckled--a tight foot with prominent arches in each of the toes
Hare foot--an elongated foot with little arch in the toes
Harlequin--color pattern usually piebald (bi-color splashes)
Haw--the third eylid--membrane on the inner corner of the eye, seen in wet faced breeds
Height--measured from the ground to the point of the withers
Hock--the collection of tarses bones on the rear legs--the true heel
Hocking out--see "divergent hocks"
Hucklebones--top of hip bones
Humerus--bone of the upper arm


I


Incisors--the smaller row of teeth between the two canines; present on both upper and lower jaws


J


Jowls--flesh of the lips and jaws


K


Kiss marks--tan spots on the cheeks and over the eyes in some breeds
Kiss of Ala--a small snip of differing color on the center of the top of the skull
Knuckling over --a universal fault wher the carpal (wrist) bones flex forward under the weight of the dogs standing


L


Layback--term used to describe the dog's front or rear angulation
Layon--the angle of the shoulder blade from the nearest vertical axis
Leather--outer flap of the ear
Level bite--see "even bite"
Level gait--no rise or fall of the withers or topline when at a standard show ring gait
Liver--a color; deep brown
Loaded--pertaining to overdevelopement of certain groups of muscles
Loin--sides of the dog in the lumbar vertabrae region
Loose front--loose attachment of muscles to the shoulder, producing a gait in which the front is slung all about
Lumbar vertabrae--the vertabrae between thoracic (over ribs) and coccygeal (tail)
Lumber--an akward, uncoordinated looking gait


M


Mandible--lower jaw bone
Manubrium--frontal area of the chest
Mask--dark shading on the face
Merle--color pattern; dark patching upon a lighter background, as seen in some breeds like Austrailian Shepherds
Metatarsus--smaller bone that makes up the hock
Milk teeth--puppy teeth
Mismark--a specimen with highly undesirable coloring or markings for its breed
Moving close--when viewed from the rear or front, the legs move toward the centerline of the body while gaiting
Moving straight--describes a dog with little reach and drive in gaiting
Muzzle--foreface; head in front of the eyes


N



O


Oblique eyes--outer corner of eyes placed higher than inner corners
Occiput--point of the skull bone, back of head
Otter tail--thick rooted, tapering tail with parted hair on the underside
Out at elbows--elbows turn outward, away from body, at a natural stance
Overdone--refers to a dog whose angulation is extreme; too much
Overhang--a heavilly pronounced brow
Overreaching--a gaiting fault in which the rear legs must reach to one side or another to avoid clipping
Overshot--an overbite; upper inscissors project beyond the lower ones


P


Padding--a gaiting fault in which the front feet flip up and outward to avoid clippin with the rear
Paddling--caused by and east-west or in at the elbows front; front feet are slung stiflfy outwards when gaiting
Pads--the thick leathery projections on the sould of the feet
Paper foot--an overly falt foot with thin pads and little, if any arch to the toes
Peak--see "occiput"
Parti--varigated patches of two or more colors
Pastern--region of the front leg between the carpus and the foot (the wrist)
Pelvis--hip bones
Penciling--thin lines of black between otherwise tan colored tows in some breeds
Pigeon toed--feet (front or rear) pointing inwards, towards eachother
Pig mouth--see "overshot"
Pincer bit--see "even bite"
Planes--refering to the head, the plane of the muzzle and the plane of the topskull
Planing--the comparisson of the angles of the two planes of the head
Plume--see "feathering"
Poke--neck carried low and outwards when gaiting
Popping hock--gaiting fault describing an accentuated lift of the hock portion just after full extension of the rear
Pounding--gaiting fault; front stride is shorter than the rear, front feet pound the ground in an ungainly manner
Prick ear--an erect or upright ear
Puppyish--immature in overall conformation (ie no spring of ribs, or loose front action--typical traits of puppies)


Q



R


Racy--tall and of a lithe, slight build
Ragged--muscling appears rough and rageed, instead of smooth
Rangy--unporportionally tall, long, and of a lighter build than is desired
Rat tail--thick root covered in curly hair, tapering to a sharp point w/ little to no hair
Reach--descripes the length of forward stride taken by the forelegs when in motion
Refinement--pertaining to the amount of raciness
Resticted--a gaiting fault caused by underangulation where either the front or the rear appears painfully constricted
Ribbed up--a long rib cage
Ring tail--carried up and in a semi-circle over the croup
Roach back--a noticable arch ove the thoracic and lumbar regions
Rocking horse--refers to a dog who braces (or rock backwards) while in a stack rather than lean over its front
Rolling--a gait in which the rear seems to be syawing and ambling along
Roman nose--a down faced dog with the addition of a further sloping tip of nose plane
Rubber hocks--a gaiting fault in which the hocks flex and twist both ways to bear the weight of the rear
Rudder--another term for the tail
Ruff--the thick. lush hair growth around the neck in some breeds


S


Saber tail--tail carried in a semi-circle
Sable--color pattern; silver, gold, tawny, or grey hairs tipped in black
Sacrum--vertabrae of the pelvic girdle
Saddle--large black marking over the back
Scissors bite--a bite type; the outer surfaces of the lower incissors touches the inner surfaces of the upper incissors
Screw tail--a twisted, kinked tail
Self--one solid color
Semi-prick ear--ears carried erect with the tips leaning forward
Shelly--a shallow, narrow body lacking proper fill and spring of ribs as well as being fine boned
Sickle hocks--straight, restricted hock joints resulting in inability to full straighted hocks while gaiting
Sickle tail--carried out an in a semi-circle
Single tracking--all footprints falling upon a single, central line of travel while gaiting
Skully--a very broad topskull
Slab sides--flat, undersprung ribs
Slew foot--general term for feet turned outwards
Smooth coat--a very short, tight fitting and slick single layer coat
Snipy--a pointed muzzle lacking proper fill and underjaw
Splay foot--a flat foot with toes spread apart from eachother
Spring--refers to the amount of roundness to the rib cage
Spread--the distance between the front legs
Standoff coat--a heavy, somewhat long coat that stands out from the body, rather than lying flat
Steep--used to denote incorrect angles
Steep croup--a croup which makes a dramatic slope from the hip bones to the root of the tail
Stern--another term for the tail
Sternum--breastbone
Stifle--kneecap
Stilted--a gaiting style; very choppy with lots of up and down bounce due to straight angulation
Stop--the indentation between the eyes; the step up from the muzzle plane to the skull plane
Straight front--too little angulation in the front
Straight in the pastern--not enough give in the pastern area when in a natural stance
Substance--pertaining the the amount of bone
Sway back--a noticably concave topline


T


Thoracic vertabrae--the vertabrae that make up the spine over the rib cage area
Throaty--excess of loose skin under the neck
Thumb marks--black splotches on the backs of the pasterns
Tibia--the smaller of the two major bones in the hock Tied at the elbows--see "paddling"
Topline--the horizontal made by the top of the withers through the bottom of the croup
Tuck up--the shallower depth of body beneath the loin area
Tulip ear--carried erest with only the edges turning forward and in
Twisting hocks--see "rubber hocks"
Type--the characteristic physical qualities that distinguish one breed from another
Typey--a specimen with outstanding breed type


U


Ulna--the smaller of two major bones in the forearm
Underline--the contour of the underside of the brisket and the abdominal floor
Undershot--an underbite, opposite of overshot
Unsound--a dog with one or more severe conformational or health faults
that would render it incapable of working


V


Varminty--a keen and piercing expression


W


Walleye--a bluish eye
Webbed--a thin but solid membrane between all toes
Weedy--rangy and with insufficient amount of bone
Well let down--having short hocks
Wet neck--see "throaty"
Wheel back--see "roach back"
Whip tail--a long, straight, evenly tapering, smooth coated tail
Winging--a gaiting fault in which one or both front limbs twist outward
Wirehair--a coat of hard, crisp, somewhat kinked hairs
Withers--the region between the neck and the back
Wry mouth--a cross bite where the upper and lower jaws do not line up


X



Y



Z



COMMON ABREVIATIONS


Organizations
AKC--American Kennel Club
UKC--United Kennel Club
CKC--Canadian Kennel Club
ARBA--American Rare Breed Assoc.
ASFA--American Sighthound Field Assoc.
NADAC--North American Dog Agility Council
USDAA--United States Dog Agility Assoc.


NON-TITLE PREFIXES


BIS--Best in Show winning
SBIS or BISS--Best in Specialty winning
AOM--Award of Merit winning
BISweeps--Best in Sweepstakes
SBISweeps--Best in Specialty Sweepstakes
BIF--Best in Field winning
HIT--High in Trial winning
BJS or BJH--Best Junior Showman/Handler winning


GENERAL TERMS & SLANG


Dog Show Lingo

Dog--a male canine
Bitch--a female canine
Put up--placed in a class or better
Put down--not put up for any award
Ringer--a substitute for; a dog closely resembling another dog
Pointed--has earned at least one point towards AKC bench or field championship
Major pointed--has earned at least one major toward AKC bench or field championship
Cluster--a group of consecutive shows held at the same show site
Circuit--a convenient string of consecutive shows at different locations, not far apart
Hander's show/Handler draw--a show that draws large numbers of professional handlers
Specialty--a show for one breed only, usually offering more classes and prizes
Supported Entry--a show where large numbers of the supported breed will be shown, but not a specialty
Bench show--a show where the exhibits (the dogs) must be on display all day
National--the specialty put on by the parent club, usually the largest
Parent Club--the national club for the breed in the USA
Sire--male parent
Dam--female parent
Stud dog--a male dog used for breeding purposes
Brood bitch--a bitch used for breeding purposes
Foundation Bitch--a bitch used for starting a line of one's own
Line--refers to a distinctive "family" of dogs in specified breed; each breeder has his/her own distinct "line"
Inbreeding--the breeding of immediately related specimens (i.e. brother x sister)
Linebreeding--the breeding of closely related dogs, but not close enough to be considered inbreeding
Outcrossing--the breeding of unrelated specimens; breeding to a dog or bitch from another line


In the Show Ring

Stack--a show dog's standing pose
Free Stack--a show dog's natural pose w/out being touched by the handler
Gait--refering to the extended trot of a dog in the show ring
Bait--food, treats, or toys used to get a dog's attention, expression, or free stack in the ring
Baiting--the use of bait
Six to Nine--refers to the dog show class for puppies six months or over and under nine months
Nine to Twelve--same as above, only between nine and twelve months
Twelve to Eighteen--see above
Open--usually the largest and most competitive class (note; I said usually) for all dogs
Special--refering to a champion of recorder who is still being shown and campaigned
'Breed--having won the Best of Breed or Variety award: EX: "Fido took the breed on Sunday"
'Opposite--having won the Best of Opposite Sex award, same context as above Winners--having taken (won) Winners Dog or Winners Bitch
'Reserve--having taken Reserve Winners Dog or Bitch
Making the cut/Getting pulled--being selected out of a larger group for further examination by the judge
P.I.G.--pulled in Group; a dog that mad the cut in the group ring
The Cut--the handful of dogs that the judge wishes to further consider for placements; those that don't make the cut are typically dismissed.


AKC OBEDIENCE TITLES


CD after name Companion Dog first obedience title, earned in the novice class
CDX aftername Companion Dog Excellent second title, open class
UD after name Utility Dog third title, utility class
UDX after name Utility Dog Excellent higher than both UD and CDX, includes both classes
OTCH before name Obedience Trial Champion highest obedience honor, very difficult to achieve


AKC CONFORMATION TITLE


CH. before name Champion of Record the dog had beaten enough other members of its breed to be awarded the championship certificate


THE AKC CONFORMATION/WORKING COMBOS


DC Dual Champion before name combination of conformation CH and a working championship (ie FC or OTCH)
TC Triple Champion before name A dog with a CH, FC, and OTCH.


AKC AGILITY TITLES


NA after name Novice Agility Dog earned in Novice Standard titling
OA after name Open Agility Dog earned in Open Standard titling
EA after name Excellent Agility Dog earned in Excellent Standard titling (highest class)
NAJ after name Novice Jumpers With Weaves earned in Novice gaming
OAJ after name Open Jumpers With Weaves earned in open gaming
EAJ after name Excellent Jumpers With Weaves earned in excellent gaming


AKC TRACKING TITLES


TD after name Tracking Dog passed a standard tracking test after pre-certifying
TDX after name Tracking Dog Excellent passed a tacking excellent test


AKC TRACKING/OBEDIENCE COMBO TITLES


UDT Dog has earned both a TD and a UD
UDTX Dog has earned both a TDX and a UDX


AKC LURE COURSING TITLES


JC after name Junior Courser passed two instinct tests
SC after name Senior Courser earned by four clean runs
MC (MC2, MC3, etc.) after name Master Courser each Master Courser is earned by 25 clean runs
FC before name Field Champion dog has defeated enough other running hounds to be awarded this certificate


ASFA LURE COURSING TITLES


FCH after name ASFA Field Champion
LCM after name Lure Courser of Merit
LCM2, LCM3, etc., etc.....


NADAQ AGILITY TITLES


(all go after the name)
NAC Novice Agility Certificate
OAC Open Agility Certificate
EAC Elite Agility Certificate
NJC Novice Jumpers Certificate
OJC Open Jumpers Certificate
EJC Elite Jumpers Certificate
NGC Novice Gamblers Certificate
OJC Open Gamblers Certificate
EJC Elite Gamblers Certificate
NATCH NADAC Agility Trial Champion


Other Brittany Resources


Brittany e-mail lists:

Brittany-L: an e-mail list for Brittany fanciers and competitors

Dual Brittanys: an e-mail list for Brittany fanciers interested in the "Dual Concept" (field and show)

Brittany Issues: To discuss issues of health, training, feeding, living with Brittanys and all the other activities our Britts get us into

American Brittany Connection: Every one is welcome. Topics include field trialing, show and just pets

Brittany Brigade: If you love Brittanys, this is the place to be! This list is dedicated to the exchange of ideas, help and information -all about Brittanys!

French Brittany: Epanguel Breton, an international group. This club is for those that seek information on the French Brittany or Epanguel Breton as it is known in most every other country

Other Yahoo Brittany Groups

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