Side by side
Put a few breeds side by side before you make up your mind.
Pick up to four. The URL updates as you go, so you can send this comparison to whoever you are arguing with.
| Breed |  Border Collie |  Brittany |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | United Kingdom (England-Scotland border) | Developed in the Brittany region of north-west France, where local spaniel-type pointing dogs were refined through the nineteenth century into a compact, fast gundog able to point and retrieve over rough hedgerow country on foot. Early imports to Britain and the United States were known as Brittany Spaniels, but the breed hunts and points like a pointer rather than flushing like a spaniel, and most kennel clubs now use the name Brittany alone to reflect that. |
| Group | Pastoral | Gundog |
| Size | Medium | Medium |
| Coat | Medium double coat, smooth or rough | Dense, flat or slightly wavy coat with light feathering, in orange and white or liver and white, needing weekly brushing |
| Weight | 12 to 24 kg | 14 to 20 kg |
| Height | 46 to 56 cm | 46 to 52 cm |
| Lifespan | 12 to 15 yrs | 12 to 14 yrs |
| Exercise need | 10/10 | 9/10 |
| Affection | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Grooming needs | 4/10 | 4/10 |
| Barking | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Good with children | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Good with other dogs | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Trainability | 10/10 | 8/10 |
| Prey drive | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Copes alone | 2/10 | 3/10 |
| Drool | 1/10 | 1/10 |
| Shedding | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Flat fit | 2/10 | 2/10 |
| Running cost | €106 / month | €143 / month |
Border Collie verdict
The world's most capable herding mind, needing an equally capable owner to match it.
Get one if
- · Experienced, highly active owners
- · Households involved in dog sports such as agility or flyball
- · Working farms or smallholdings needing a stockdog
Think again if
- · First-time or sedentary owners
- · Flat dwellers without garden or open space access
- · Households with very young children and cyclists nearby unmanaged
Brittany verdict
The orange and white pointing dog built for the field, not the sofa.
Get one if
- · Runners, hikers and cyclists who can give well over an hour of real exercise daily
- · Shooting or working gundog households able to let the dog do its job
- · Owners committed to calm, reward-based training rather than firm handling
Think again if
- · Flats or homes with close neighbours and no serious exercise outlet
- · First-time owners expecting a low-key companion dog
- · Households planning long daily absences with no outdoor stimulation