guy
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Head including ears and eyesThe KC breed standard is this
Head and Skull
Skull slightly rounded as seen from front, side or above. Toplines of skull and muzzle should be parallel. Width of skull measured at the zygomatic arches is less than its length. Median line and occiput are slightly defined. Stop moderate. Muzzle tapered but not snipy. Ideal proportion of skull to muzzle as 3 is to 2. Nostrils open and well shaped.
Eyes
Expressive, brown to dark, in harmony with coat colour, Somewhat oval in shape and slightly obliquely set. Never light or hard in expression.
Ears
Triangular in shape, slightly rounded at tip. Relatively wide and rather short with slightly wavy hair. Set and carried high, falling flat against the cheek. When drawn forward, the ear tip reaches the stop.
Mouth
Jaws strong with a perfect regular scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Lips tight, upper lip slightly overlapping lower.
FCI this
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.
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.
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guy
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Anyone like to elaborate - perhaps explain bits in relation to other dogs? eyes like this dog but not like that one etc? what makes exceptional. what is a 'work in progress'?
Rate of development of the parts - stuff like that.
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doganjo
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This should help. We have permission from Jean Louvet to use this image from his excellent book on the breed. It is in French but even the pictures and diagrams should give most of the information you need on the breed. Where do you see work in progress? I can't find it.
Most breeds, including ours grow different parts of the body at different rates. However, two of mine have looked like mini Brittanys from day one and continued right through to adulthood, growing all parts at an even rate. (they didn't go through a 'bum high' or leggy stage)
It doesn't really matter whether they do or not so long as the end result is as it should be - with no parts of the body exaggerated, and more or less following the Louvet diagrams when mature. Maturity can be up to 2 or three years. So fast maturers can sometimes 'go over'. For instance a strong head at birth and as an 8 week old, or 6 month old is likely to be too strong and over done when mature.
Click to see full size image
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Patricia
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What do you mean Guy but rate of development?
In a Brittany,the head is the first thing I look at ...for obvious reasons as you look into their eyes!! 
Look under defects in the FCI standard and it will be self explanatory.
All kennels have a " type" they go for ...
If you look in the French Forum, you will see someone queried the flews of the winner of the Centenary winner. They were loose( on the photo anyhow)
I remember louvet describing at lengh the head when he came to judge( before your time Guy  ) skin tight fitting, ie...not loose or houndy, no droopy and heavy flews, muzzle not too heavy.
The lips tight, the zygmatic arches not too pronounced. I worry that in a fairly young dog, if the head looks finished, he may go over at about 3 and become " heavy" broad, whatever you like to call it.
But it is not always the case...
All kennels have a type they go for, and that is how we define where we get our stock from.
Everyone has their particular idea of what they look in a Brittany.
IMO, the head needs to be moderate, chiselled, kind, intelligent and not coarse.That is of course, my opinion following what I have seen in France.
Go and look at lots of dogs in their cages ..in France.
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Patricia
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"6 month old is likely to be too strong and over done when mature. "
I absolutely agree Anne.
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guy
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| Patricia wrote: | What do you mean Guy but rate of development?
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Exactly as you and Annie have posted answers it for me.
I have spoken to several with puppies who think their heads are small or their legs are long when compared to the standard or dogs in illustrations. These posts and others, I hope, will help them understand more.
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guy
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thoughts on 'setter like' heads anyone?
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Ghilliegumdrop
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Yuk 
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doganjo
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Agreed - the last dog our Brits should look like is a setter! 
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guy
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but could you explain why ?
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doganjo
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OK - this is the English setter head description - with thanks to the KC
| Quote: | | Head carried high, long and reasonably lean, with well defined stop. Skull oval from ear to ear, showing plenty of brain room, a well defined occipital protuberance. Muzzle moderately deep and fairly square, from stop to point of nose should equal length of skull from occiput to eyes, nostrils wide and jaws of nearly equal length, flews not too pendulous; colour of nose black or liver, according to colour of coat. |
Brittany heads should NOT be long and lean; the stop is not well defined, the skull isn't oval; the occiput can be felt but not visible; the muzzle is not square - more wedge shaped; and the measurements are not equal from nose to stop and stop to occiput, they should be 2 muzzle to 3 over the skull.
The Louvet diagram gives the correct outline and measurements
Annie
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Patricia
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Funny...I thought the lips of a Setter are rather pendulous?
When they talk about a " Setterised " head- where and because our Brittany has such blood in them...They mean a longish head with a rather long muzzle too. Maybe snipy too.
The head planes should not be convergent( like a Pointer) or Divergent( like a Bracco)ie muzzle going downwards.
The air takes is at its optimum when the muzzle- skull lines are straight and the scent goes to the brain
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guy
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Little quiz - spot the Brittany
  
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sallie
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Well i'm no expert - but aren't they all Brittanys, some old standard some new. Oh, i don't know - just looked again, and can't work them out, but isn't one of them your dog Guy? this is why its going to take me two years to look for a new dog - i'm easily confused!! I'll leave it to the experts, but at least i gave it a go 
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guy
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| sallie wrote: | | isn't one of them your dog Guy? .......but at least i gave it a go |
Thanks for trying, not my dog
here is another
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Patricia
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Hey Guy, I did not realise we were doing the " seminar " on line?!!!!!!!!!!!
Not difficult, let's see what people have to say! 
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sallie
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What happened to the other dogs that have suddenly disappeared? I had more to choose from last time
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Patricia
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Maybe you could put other "bits" of body. I know this is part of the homework for the seminar. Nothing quite like pictures to illustrate a dog. The one I really liked was when Kathy put a Welshie on the table, a Brittany on another and then put bits of sticky tape to show the variation on angulation in between the 2 breeds. Quite ingenious.
Not meaning that it is the only difference by the way
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guy
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| sallie wrote: | | What happened to the other dogs that have suddenly disappeared? I had more to choose from last time |
I pressed submit instead of preview . So you will be pleased to know my dog was in that original line up.
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Ghilliegumdrop
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Is that a Brittany and two Munsterlanders..... 
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guy
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| Patricia wrote: | | Hey Guy, I did not realise we were doing the " seminar " on line? |
Nope - but I do want more people to think about what they are looking at and question 'what' makes a brittany.
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