French Brittany for Ruffed Grouse & Woodcock

[BillB719]

I recently retired and was fortunate to move back to northern Wisconsin. This gives me time and opportunity to get a dog, train it and spend time hunting ruffed grouse and woodcock.

I researched breeds and a French Brittany is a good fit in terms of a house pet for our family, a good dog for a newbie trainer (aka me) as well as a dog that does well hunting ruffed grouse and woodcock. I am focusing my search on a French Brittany as opposed to an American Brittany, as they tend to be a closer working dog and meet my particular needs.

For all you ruffed grouse and woodcock hunters. Do you own a French Brittany that as one breeder put it “is a once in a life time dog” or do you know someone who does? If so, which breeder did you get the pup from and how did you go about selecting the pup?

I am more than willing to travel and pay a fair price for a pup. Any assistance you can give is appreciated!

Bill

PS – I did search the site for information on French Brittany’s. Saw a lot of good information but did not see information that addressed my specific request. If I missed it, I apologize.

[djloder]

Well I can’t say what my Pup will do yet in the woods, since he has only been out once looking for woodcock and about 4 mo's and is only seven Mo's now. He loves the woods and works hard in the field, I have hunted with a female French Britt (his aunt) from the same bloodline and she looks great out there, points and retrieves. She is a natural in the woods.

I got my newest family member from Mark Dinsmore, which is on this forum too and im sure would answer any of your questions.

Here is his website, http://www.letoiledunordkennels.com/

Good luck on your purchase.

Derek

[texscala]

I have a French Britt that I would consider a once in a lifetime dog. She has mastered every bird she has been put on. I like to hunt forest grouse in Utah and she does a great job at finding Blues and ruffies. She does range a bit (okay a lot) bigger than most French britts do but I like it that way as I hunt a lot of chukar which can be a very hard bird on young dogs as they like to head for dangerous places yet Arrow has done great on them.

She is not quite 2 years old and at this time her only issue is she does not retrieve perfectly. She will get a downed bird and as long as I keep talking to her she will bring it back to me. By this summer I plan on having that fixed. She is broke to wing, flush and shot, has yet to ever loose a bird shot over her.

Perhaps her biggest accomplishment is winning the hearts of my wife who was afraid of dogs and my daughter who is 18 months old. The dog hunts hard all day once or twice a week and then sleeps the days away on the coach with my wife and daughter.

If you are interested in some kennels shoot me a PM and I will give you my opinions. I did a lot of research and really liked a lot of kennels, others where quite rude and in my opinion not worth dealing with.

[chukarguy]

Tex, you need to frame that picture second from the bottom!

[texscala]

I plan on doing so. I keep trying to tweak it and make it better somehow. One day I will frame it though.

Thanks

[chukarguy]

I think it is awesome how you can see your shadow in the light of the fog. It's captivating, meaningful, and even a bit artsy!

[texscala]

The only thing I don't like about it is that you can't really see the gun in the shadow. In some other fixes I have done it is more obvious but I lose other details. I think the way it is posted is the best I am going to get.

Too bad the dog was not on point up there. I took a lot of pics up there but this is by far the best I could get.

[2britts]

Hi Bill glad to see that you made it over here. Just wanted to let you know for reference that my girls went to the vet today and were 28 lbs each. I know it sounded like size was a concern.

JJ

[BillB719]

Hi Bill glad to see that you made it over here. Just wanted to let you know for reference that my girls went to the vet today and were 28 lbs each. I know it sounded like size was a concern.

JJ

Hey JJ, your girls are great! My wife was sold after hanging out with them for a while. I would have taken them off your hands in a heart beat!

I just thought I would tweak my search a little and and focus on a french Britt. We'll see if I can find the right breeder and sire/dam.

Bill

[OtterCk]

Bill,

I have a French Brittany who just turned 6 months old. After researching many breeds, calling kennels and visiting, I decided to go with this breed. Once I made my mind up, I just started to call kennels and ask questions. Some you get a good feeling about others you just don't. I will say that the kennel I got my dog from in Maryland was recommended by two other kennels that did not have puppies at the time of my search. The breeder offered to let me see the parents hunt without any pressure to buy a pup. He interviewed me as much as I did him.

Picking a pup, I just observed them playing and was fortunate enough to have the breeder put a bird down and watch each one of them approach it. Plus I wanted to see how the reacted around my kids.

So far I can say my pup is great with my kids, in the house and has an awsome bird drive. My only complaint, is she always has to have something in her mouth (not always her toys) and she thinks her bed is sleeping between my wife an I.

Jim

[ohmymy111]

I have 4 French Brittanys right now, getting two more in March, and I will be keeping a female out of Ardoise, when she has her puppies in April.

Vern is a once in a lifetime dog. He quickly learns all the different birds he encounters. I started Grouse hunting this year, and in his first run in the woods he had 4 finds and points in an hour and a half. I just wish I could hit the darn birds. One bird was sitting in a tree, and when I cam up on Vern he was on point looking up, and i was thinking, what the heck is he doing. Then it dawned on me he had figured out on his second bird, that they can be in trees, and was pointing it.

Chloe did very well in the woods also, she had two points on her run, and Ardoise also had one. These dogs will hunt 1/4 mile out when we are in Montana after Huns, and close up in the woods to keep contact with you. They are dogs that want to hunt for you.

They are also great dogs in the house. And while it gets rambuncious at times, mainly because of Darius who is only 6 months old, they are generally very calm dogs. I rotate the three older dogs, where each one gets to sleep in bed with me. Three got to be to many in bed, and with Darius, he will enter the rotation in a couple of months, when i can trust him not to get up in the middle of the night and look for trouble.

Good luck in your search for your new family member.

[Ruffshooter]

I have three FB now, Two are very good grouse and wood cock dogs, The third will have full formal training this year, she just had her self training this fall the few time we were able to get out.
I had one other BLACK BART, At 9 months old he was holding grouse from twenty yards. The next year he was circling them and holding them between he and I. He was thirty five pounds. Great retriever once he understood the game.
T's BRUSH BUSTER, was hunting at 6 months old, not as quick on the grouse at least until the next year but was finding and pointing wood cock like it was old hat. He retrieves like no tomorrow. He is 48 pounds
BRANDOS'S STELLA, is three years old, she is completely self taught, has done a great job needs to be steadied because she will point then try to catch for the first couple birds each season then stead's up. She is a little softer dog emotionally, but tough as nails in the woods and a decent retriever. She is 45 pounds.
Ceirra` Cuan De Patulau, Little C, not formally trained yet. Will be this year. Very animated, loves to go. Pointed a few grouse this year, not too many wood cock, (this is mostly a reflection on missing the wood cock flights and limited time in the woods. She is a fire cracker, loves retrieving, loves the wood, has a great nose, I expect great things from this dog.(She is in the Avatar and is 35 pounds)

The thing I have found I like most about these dogs, is they seem to take to Ruffs and wood cock quicker than mostdogs I have been around. Grouse and their mental manner seem to fit. Not saying they are better at six years old than other dogs, just they seem to get to a place where they understand grouse quicker. Or maybe I am lucky. I had American britts prior and my uncle had American britts all while I was growing up. I also have GSP and love her also and now is a great grouse dog.

I have purchased dogs from, Fred Overby, Patoula Power Kennels in GA (two dogs) Great guy fair prices compared to other breeders of FB, (all priced to high in my opinion)
Plum Creek kennels, (great dogs, too high priced)
DeL`Escarbot has great dogs, don't knwo about the prices)

To make a great grouse dog or even a good one. (as with any bird ) They need to be exposed to the type of cover on a regular basis, need to get them on spring and late summer birds and of course fall and winter birds from a young age. I do my yard work, then to the fields then to the woods, I plant birds in likely grouse cover in launchers and work the dog on a check cord until I trust them. (Also do a lot of play retrieve with them get them used to having all kinds of soft things in their mouth)

I also duck hunt with my FB. They like it. Good down to air temps of twenty five or so with no wind and open water.

Make sure the breeder have had the hips of the parents PENN HIP (.48 or tighter closer to .30 the better) tested or OFA good or better.

If Mark Dinsmore is going to breed any of his, You might check with him (Oh MYMY). He has at least on great dog and more in the making).