Brittany vs Kooikerhondje

A Brittany
Photo: Pharaoh Hound
A Kooikerhondje
Photo: Burner83

Side by side

Brittany
Kooikerhondje
Adult weight
Males 14–18 kg (31–40 lb); females 13–17 kg (29–37 lb) (breed club figure)1
9.1–14 kg (20–30 lb) (breed club figure)2
Height
Males 48–51 cm; females 47–50 cm3
No sourced figure
Lifespan
Median 11.1 years4
8–15 years5
Fully grown
11 months, both sexes6
10 months, both sexes6
Group
Pointing dogs3
Retrievers & water dogs7
Coat
Coat with feathering3
Coat of medium length7
Shedding
Sheds through the year
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
Brushing a few times a week
Exercise
Plenty
Class
Field
Companion

Which suits you

Size
The Brittany is larger on average: about 16 kg (34 lb) as an adult, against 11 kg (25 lb) for the Kooikerhondje.
Shedding
Their coats shed differently: the Brittany sheds through the year, the Kooikerhondje moults most as the seasons change.
Temperament
They differ most on independence (Brittany: keen to work with you; Kooikerhondje: cooperative, with its own ideas) and on loyalty (Brittany: bonded to its family; Kooikerhondje: sticks close to its people).
Alike
Both are rated the same on intelligence: needs daily brain work.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
Take the breed matcher

What they're like

Brittany
Pointing dogs · Medium

In temperament it is quick, eager and soft-natured, with great stamina and a strong wish to work with its handler; it tends to respond poorly to harsh handling.

Kooikerhondje
Retrievers & water dogs · Small

In temperament the Kooikerhondje is friendly, alert and energetic. It is affectionate and lively with its own people, often reserved with strangers, and tends to be sensitive to a harsh voice.

The Brittany page →The Kooikerhondje page →

Breed traits

Day to day
Brittany
Kooikerhondje
Activity
Differs
Needs lots of exercise
A good daily walk and play
Intelligence
Needs daily brain work
Needs daily brain work
Handler demand
Needs steady training
Needs steady training
With people
Brittany
Kooikerhondje
Affection
Affectionate on its own terms
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Differs
Bonded to its family
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Differs
Keen to work with you
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
Brittany
Kooikerhondje
Sensitivity
Needs a calm, predictable home
Needs a calm, predictable home
Voice
Barks to alert, then settles
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Differs
Likely to chase small pets
Chases; needs managing
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour8. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home9,10.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
The Brittany grows to the heavier adult, about 16 kg against the Kooikerhondje's 11 kg.
Brittany
Kooikerhondje
051015202m4m6m9m12m18m
051015202m3m4m6m9m12m18m

More comparisons

Compare the Brittany with
Brittany vs English Springer SpanielBrittany vs Irish Red and White SetterKooikerhondje vs Nova Scotia Duck Tolling RetrieverBrittany vs Welsh Springer SpanielBrittany vs German Shorthaired PointerAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·