International minded question

nenac · International minded question

Hello everyone and thanks to the admin for allowing me the chance to address all of you.

Do you believe that a Brittany from the United States would be competitive in Europe or at Crufts specifically?

Thanks
Nena C

guy

Crufts the answer is easy - the KC standard by which Brittanys are judged in the UK is based on the French EB standard and not on the American Brittany standard. It will therefore not get very far as there are quite a few differences. Leg length, neck length, 'cobbiness' to name but a few.

The same but more so will apply in Europe where they judge to Epagneul Breton FCI standard.

As to running in a field trial that will be a different question.

If you want a more personal answer pm Britannie as she has judged Brittanys at Crufts and had an American visitor in the line up.

BritAnnie

I was about to post, but got sidetracked here, to the effect that of the four websites listed under the Brittany, the last one is an American site. American Brittanys (AB) and French Brittanys(EB - Epagnuel Breton) have developed differently over the last 40 years, not only in conformation but also in the field, and in fact it is mainly because of the different terrain and hunting methods that the conformation has separated. Each to his own but an American Brittany would not normally compete successfully in the UK Show ring, since the majority of UK dogs are closely bred to French dogs, and we aspire to the French Standard. As to the field, I can see no problem with that provided the dog is registered correctly in the UK with our KC. It would have to perform the same as any UK Brittany in our terrain.
Is your dog already in the UK? If so perhaps you could look at the Club website www.brittanyclub.co.uk and you might like to arrange a visit to your nearest Committee member for information.
Anne Massie

sinan

Hi,
Why do they dock Brittanies’s tails too short? They dock as if the dog has no tail. Some people say that Brittanies born without tail but we have good Brittanies imported from France, Germany and Sweden but they get puppies with tails.

Is the crufts show international? Is it possible to bring the dogs out of UK to join the crufts? Because I know that there is quarantine for dogs in UK. I thought they might be not quarantine for the dogs for this show. What do you think about this quarantine? Is it good or not? You can’t go to other countries with your dog. I have friends in Germany and they bring their dogs here in Turkey for hunting and after go back to Germany without any problem. I think quarantine is the big handicap for you. It is very difficult for you to compete in international shows and field trials in all over the world and maybe it is impossible.

Ghilliegumdrop

Hi Sinan
You can get a pet passport now that means your dog can come in and out of the UK to compete at Cruft's, other Championship shows or in gundog trials. Your dog will need to be rabies jabbed and microchipped. We no longer have to put dogs through quarantine if they have this passport.
Some Brittanys carry the gene for taillessness/short tails and can be born with any length tail. Merlin has this gene and he was born with a short bobtail about three inches long.
Jan

cressy

Hi
Crufts is an International Show as long as the dog has won a qualifying award as described on the Crufts website and has an ATC number http://www.crufts.org.uk/overseas-qualifying-shows and http://www.crufts.org.uk/authority-compete-atc it can compete in the UK at Crufts provided it has not been docked after April 2008.
Then we also have the Pet Passport Scheme which means dogs can travel between certain countries following Rabies Vaccine, appropriate Blood titre levels and if they have proscribed tick, flea and worming meds in the correct timeframe. More info on this can be found here http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm - obviosuly dogs entering from countries not on the 'acceptable' list will need to be quarantined.
So our dogs can go to parts of europe to compete in both conformation and field events if we wish and complete the Pet Passport.
I will be taking my young dog to compete in France later this year and I am also hoping to enter him in the TAN at the same time.

sinan

Hi Jan,

Do you know how this gene is common among Brittanies? Which ones percentage is higher for docked ones or tailless ones? Is tailless dog genetic fault? Or can ones say that tailless Brittanies pure and others not?

sinan

Hi Sue,

Thank you for information and web addresses. I would like to ask another question. Have the choke chains and/or prong collars been banned in UK? If they have banned is there any evidence in the internet? I mean any written legislation or someting similar publish from related institution.

cressy

There is nothing in legislation at present although certain authorities would like to make life very hard for someone seen to be misusing them. Electric collars are banned (I think it is law now although I haven't found a copy of the legislation) in Wales but still legal in other parts of the United Kingdom but again discretion needs to be used as many people see them as cruel and don't understand all these things can be used and abused.

I have used an E-collar on my Welsh Springer to keep him safe, I wasn't sure it would work as he has some complex behavioural issues but it has helped me and he is now a much happier dog as I can let him run free more often. I don't flaunt it though and while I am not ashamed of using it I would be careful not to use it in certain situations.

Ghilliegumdrop

The tailless gene is not that common in so much as we do not know for sure how many dogs carry this gene. Britannie is trying to gather enough information to set up a data base of puppies born with bobtails. We think that it is possible that some dogs may have been missed in the past when there was only a small amount of the tail missing. there are a lot of pups born tailless in France I believe. Don't forget the tail may be of any length to be classed as bobtail as long as it is missing some vertebra.
There are several other breeds which also have this gene and our KC will put on the registation that a pup is born bobtail providing the owner sends a vets letter to that effect when the pup is registered.

So far there is no legislation regarding prong collars nor, in England, stopping the use of e-collars.

sinan

There is nothing to do for the puppies which born tailless but they dock the puppies very short even if they born with tails. Is it a fault in shows if they leave a little bit tail when they dock the puppies? The dog needs to wag his tail.

This Brittany is more attractive than French ones for me with his tail.
Are Americans bigger than french Britts.?

windem bang

Sinan, I have seen a couple of French type brits that have won in British trials ,they were bigger than the majority of brits that I see also of French breeding.

I had a half American ,half French bred brit years ago who won in trials - she was bigger than most other brits too but I don't know if the majority of American brits are bigger than the European ones or not.

I.M.O., for all round game work, the larger brits are better.

Personally I like to see brits with tails but that's just me ! Laughing

Bill T.