[2] It developed between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries in Brittany in north-west France, and was officially recognized early in the twentieth.

Images of orange and white Brittany-like dogs hunting and retrieving game were first seen on tapestries and paintings from the 17th century.

[3] The Brittany was first recognized as a breed in 1907 when an orange and white male named Boy was registered in France.

[2] The breed's coat color is varied: an orange and white coat or liver and white are most common in the American Brittany; other colors include orange roan and liver roan, all of which are acceptable in the show ring.

[2] The American Brittany Standard specifies an acceptable tri-color of liver, orange, and white with very specific color placement.

A properly constructed and healthy Brittany maintains a weight between 30–45 pounds (14–20 kg), depending upon height.