See if you can spot a problem in the “neck-up” conformation of any of the Brittanys below:

 

 

 

 

An expert in the breed – a Brittany fancier and/or breeder – will probably find aspects of the dogs seen above upon which they would improve, but we can promise that in one regard, all these dogs are correct according to the AKC breed standard, and that is their ear placement. We’ll wait while you reexamine the photos during 30 seconds of Jeopardy music:

 

It’s the ears!

Every one of these dogs has ears that are above the level of their eyes, and in that regard, they meet the standard which is breed specific. It states: Ears – Set high, above the level of the eyes.  

Ear placement may seem to be a minor matter in an athletic breed developed to hunt, and in another post, we’ll discuss the purpose behind language that calls for ears that are short, triangular, and lie flat and close to the head. But whether a Brittany is a companion dog, hunting dog, or competitive at field trials, we all still look at them, and their face is what we look at first, and the most.

We find ear placement to be worth pointing out because another part of the breed standard calls for the Brittany’s expression to be: “Alert and eager, but with the soft expression of a bird dog.” In our view, the placement of a dog’s ears on their head serves to frame their expression. Placed too low, and the ears seem pendulous, heavy, and detract from an “eager” expression. Too high, and the dog’s expression is one of perpetual surprise.

It’s only our opinion, of course, and we welcome the input of folks who know the breed best, the owners and breeders.

Images: In descending, the photo of the Brittany on point was taken by everydoghasastory/Adobe; The Brittany with the heart dog tag was taken by Harry Gillen. The Brittany in the blue color and snow fall is “Colby,” the photo taken by Anna Kimbell. The dog in the black collar and bone tag is a photo taken by Peggy Paulson/Unsplash. The drowsy Brittany was shot by Nyarema/Pixabay, and the last photo of the Brittany in water is a stock photo from Dreamstime.