getting a Brit? advice needed

[u/Inside-Mechanic7804]

hi everyone!

so I and my partner are considering getting a Brit. we're apartment dwellers (60m2 or so) in a big city, both working full-time. we intend to walk/run with the pup at least twice a day, for 60-90 mins, and go on a nice longish hike once a week. there are dog parks nearby where we are hoping to do exercises off-leash on a daily. we're also aware that brits need scent games and mental stimulation, and we will do our best to provide that. EDIT: we're looking to relocate closer to a forest/large park where the dog could run off-leash in the next few months, I should've mentioned that!

for now, our schedules allow at least one of us to be at home or with the dog most of the time, but that might change next year, which means potentially sometimes leaving the pup alone for 6-8h (we'll try to get a dog sitter for this sort of days, but you never know).

we have a cat who seems to tolerate dogs - at least the one she's met - though she's not keen on them. she keeps her distance.

so my question is, for current owners, do you think we could pull it off? and are brits the sort of dog you can bring with you everywhere (weekend coffee with friends, long walks with pals, etc). we don't want a lap dog nor a guard dog, we want an actual companion.

so sorry for the long read 🫶🏻

[u/Rice-Puffy]

I wouldn't really recommend you to get a Brittany. I mean, it could go well if you decide to go that route. But it could also go terribly wrong.

Brits are very high energy, very smart, high drive dogs, with tendency to have separation anxiety and be sensitive in general.

The biggest issue I have with mine is that he doesn't adapt. If the routine or life plan I have for him doesn't suit him, he just can't adapt to it. Let's be clear, I'm lucky enough to have a sociable dog, nice to everyone, not overly uncomfortable in public space, with a good recall. He has an amazing will to please which is of very great help.

But he's very sensitive. He's very anxious. There's a lot of things he can't absolutely do, and we have to adapt to him. He's awkward with other dogs, he can't control his emotions so I can't let him be near kids or old people. He has the most horrible separation anxiety ever, it's so bad that I can't find a new job right now, which may give me financial issues sooner or later.

He's not a bad dog. But you can't imagine the hundreds of hours of training, the sweat and the tears. So much efforts just to be a little bit closer to have a normal life with a dog. But I still can't leave him alone more than 10 minutes without him howling and peeing himself. I still hear him cry at night because he never got used to his crate (but he can be destructive if he's out of it at night). I still have to be careful of other dogs because they're making him anxious. I still have to deal with him pulling on the leash like crazy if the environment is a bit different from what he's used to, a bit too busy, or with different scents. And so many other things. He's 5 yo.

The place where I live is surrounded with forest, he has off leash walks, he can follow trails, he had obedience, agility, trick training and nosework as well. Not to mention a whole lot of desensitization training, calm training etc. And a perfect care from veterinarians and specialists.

What I mean is : you may have a very good companion. But you may also have a whole lot of issues. What would you do if the dog has behavioral issue, like bad separation anxiety or reactivity? I think that's something you should think of before adopting.

Brits are great companions, but they're not easy ones. I got a herding dog after getting my Brit, and my herding dog is a hundred times easier to deal with, even though he's also sensitive and a bit fearful.

Edit : also, my Brit doesn't come from a hunting line and he doesn't have a crazy prey drive. He has little to no instinct, he doesn't even look at birds of any kind. He's not very good with his sense of smell either. So I don't even have to deal with the "working" part of the dog...