Be realistic on what you are needing...be sure to explain to the breeder if you are experienced in training a dog or have ever owned a dog.  While the breed is well suited to all of the game birds found in North America you may have a preferred bird or territory you hunt in.  Understand that dogs raised under different geographical conditions learn and develop their hunting skills by their experiences.  So if you as a hunter want and look forward to hunting different terrain other than the preserves you need to get your new dog into all the conditions you expect it to hunt in.     Unfortunately many are only concerned about range in their hunting dog.  Range is determined by the bonding and training you and your dog evolve with.  IF you wish to have a closer working dog then its early experiences need to be focused in that direction, similarly if you are planning to hunt open fields or the desert regions of the west your dog needs to be worked and acclimated to those conditions.  The breed is well known for its "close contact" the natural tendency to check back to its handler and be responsive to the handlers commands, and rarely needing any harsh corrections, in fact harsh corrections and some of the modern tools used in the wrong hands can do more harm than good, often shutting down a young dogs desire to hunt.  Under competition in France the breed is expected to quarter ground anywhere from 75-150yds to either side and keeping the passes relatively close together so that no ground is missed where it can be 50-70yds forward.  This is again determined by the dogs experience, the quality of its nose, and scenting conditions of the day, and the kind of cover it is working.   Basically the thicker the cover, the dog should intelligently work it a bit more thoroughly, if you are in the desert where the ground is mostly sand with clumps of cover an intelligent dog will search the likely cover instead of pottering over the bare ground.  Use of a check cord or line in early training goes a long way in teaching a dog to respond to your commands where you have consistent control.  Being a pointing dog, the dog should work outside of shotgun range, unlike that of a flusher, who will flush game within shotgun range.  

If you are not interested in competitions, or breeding also state this clearly to the breeder.  Not all pups in a given litter will be of equal quality as far as conformation, or on whether it should be used for breeding.  Experienced breeders can make a good determination at an early age on the pups who have the most promise in conformation for future breeding.  This does not mean that the remainder of a litter is not acceptable but it means they may have a minor fault that would preclude it from being the most ideal for breeding.  Good breeders will place these "Average" dogs on non-breeding registrations and they are very much equally good as potential hunters or as companions.  These average pups would not command as high a price as the competition potential puppy.  Some breeders will place pups on "Limited" registrations where their offspring are not eligible for registration, this "Limited" registration can be changed at a later date when a dog passes a confirmation exam and basic instinct test; this is as close to the French system as we can make it in the USA under AKC & UKC registries.   Yes, we know that many breeders out there charge the same price for every pup in a litter or they may charge more for a certain color or sex.  Price is often determined by geographical location, a breeders experience in grading puppies, and because expenses vary for veterinary services from area to area, and on whether the breeder has invested money in performance testing (competing against other dogs of the same breed to see if they are maintaining their stock to the breed norm) or checking on health clearances, and there are those who sell puppies as a commercial business as their sole income (see NO PUPPY MILLS).   In reality the color doesn't determine if your pup will be a good hunter, and neither does the sex...it is you as an owner who puts the time and training into their dog that says he will be your dream hunting dog, or ideal family companion.

CH.  a designation of champions status...but what kind of Champion is it?  there should also be a notation to tell you what kind of championship a dog has earned.  Here is the current title information:

P- Printemps  (old QF)- Spring trials on wild game, this is the supreme dog for expression of range, desire, and manners.   Most often the game is partridges on winter wheat fields, but may also be on snipe.  Game is not shot and retrieving is not required.  Dogs must ignore Hares.

A- Automne (old GT, QC) -  Fall trials on released game, the game is most often Pheasants and in smaller fields like sugar beets where the going may be slower and the cover thicker, there are trials on Woodcock as well and are considered natural or wild game.  Occasionally there may be a trial specifically on Hares in other European countries.   Dogs are required to retrieve shot game in these events. 

T- Travail  - Working Title, a dog must receive Championship Performance certificates in both Spring and Fall field trials for this title.                          

CS or B -  Conformity to Standard or Beauty  -  This is a title awarded to only a few dogs every year in France as the title requires a win at the National Specialty Breed Show for Epagneul Bretons or a win at the French National All Breed Show where the judges for the Epagneul Breton is a Specialist.   It is a title awarded to the dog that represents the look or conformation of the breed.  Rarely is a dog awarded a win at the highest levels  if it also has not demonstrated excellent working ability.  Most conformation winners come from the working class where it is required for the dog to have a recorded trial placement.

TRIALER (Tr.) - The dog who has recorded 1 excellent rating in field trial, and at least a Very Good in Spring Trials or on Natural game may be awarded this title.   Most Field Champions are also designated as Trialers.

T.A.N. - Test d'Apttitude Naturelles - a basic pointing instinct test.

There is also a rating schedule for pups based on their parents performance ratings.  This rating system gives guidance as to the potential quality of a litter of pups to meet the breed ideals.  It is not a guarantee of quality but increases your chances of getting a puppy closer to the breed ideal.   The ratings are: 

(1 point) Confirmed - this is of no consequence other than to indicate that a dog is now officially recognized to breed.   A dog not confirmed is considered as having no definitive pedigree.

(2 points) Premier Choix  - having mild or better hips, a TAN title, and an Excellent rating in a Show by a specialist

(3 pts) Excellent - Same as before but with a designation of TRIALER ( A or P does not matter) in place of a TAN this is a better possibility that offspring will have inherited some ideal traits of the breed.

(4 pts)  Recommandé - Must be as in Excellent rating and also TRIALER  of A & P, and the show excellent must have been won in the National Breed show.    An Excellent rating should be equal but the difference being that at the N.E. (National d'Elevage) with often a higher quality of dogs present in competition, an Excellent rating at the N.E  is considered of more value.

 Elite A & Elite B same as before but these dogs have reproduced other dogs of quality ratings and this class then considers the reproducing capabilities of the dogs.

HIP DYSPLASIA  is a disease that affects many breeds and unfortunately the Epagneul Breton (French Brittany) is no exception.  The breed as a whole is only ranked just behind the German Shepherd  according to the OFA.  Ask for a copy of the parents OFA certificate it is only offered to physically mature dogs 2 years of age or older, this will be your only insurance that the parents were at least screened prior to breeding.       This certificate is a 6 x 9 paper in Blue which has the OFA seal and states the Registered name of the dog, its number, its hip rating, and its certificate number.  Other reports from European countries are on an 8 x 11 sheet checking off the different observable points determining hip status.  Read the article Cainian Hip Dysplasia for more information on this disease.

If you are looking for a working hunter ask to see the dogs work for you, you may have to drive a distance to do so in urban areas but it is important to know how both parents work.  If the parents have working certificates such as those issued by the AKC for Hunt Tests, or Test Aptitude Natural (TAN), or the UKC Upland hunter title, or European titles, or titles by NAVHDA also indicating performance was tested it is a good bet that the pups will continue to have the desired hunting instinct.     While it is rare to find an Epagneul Breton that has no hunting instinct, it is foolish to think that just breeding based on past lines will insure you the same hunting desire, it is why we in the CEB-USA stress this testing in order to preserve the traits we admire so much, be it conformation or in the field.

The members of the CEB-USA who have signed the CODE of ETHICS would be a good place to start.  If you have found any listed as a signer of the code to not be following this we the CEB-USA wish to be informed so that the offending signer may be evaluated.