A New Chapter: Epagneul Breton Officially Recognized by NAVHDA

The Epagneul Breton has reached a significant milestone in the United States: official breed recognition by the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA). This is more than just a formality — it’s a meaningful step in reinforcing the breed’s identity and purpose in North America. While CEB-US continues to champion the UKC as our primary registry and testing venue, NAVHDA now offers an additional, respected platform to evaluate our dogs under demanding field conditions — ensuring that the bird dog tradition remains at the heart of our breed standard. 

You might be asking, “Why is CEB-US celebrating NAVHDA recognition when it previously opposed AKC breed recognition?” It’s a fair question with a very important distinction.

The short answer: CEB-US remains the gatekeeper of the Epagneul Breton in North America. In the case of NAVHDA, we are proud to be an active partner in this recognition. Every Epagneul Breton submitted for NAVHDA registration will be UKC-registered or researched and approved by the CEB-US, ensuring that only true, Epagneul Bretons are listed as such in the NAVHDA system. This partnership protects the breed standard while expanding opportunities for performance evaluation.

This recognition isn’t coming out of nowhere — Epagneul Bretons have already been making waves within NAVHDA for years, previously competing under the “Brittany” label. To date, there are hundreds of Bretons in the system, with at least 14 invited to NAVHDA’s prestigious Invitational. Ten have already earned the highly-coveted Versatile Champion (VC) title, with a remarkable 70% pass rate (statistic from Jake Bartells and NAVHDA). These dogs have shown what the Epagneul Breton is capable of. Now, they’ll finally be recognized for who they are.

Already in NAVHDA or looking to join? Here’s How to enter as Epagneul Breton:

If you have an Epagneul Breton that’s already registered under “Brittany” or are looking to join NAVHDA, you can now enter under the breed designation of Epagneul Breton. Here’s how:

Step 1: Is your dog UKC or FCI registered?

• Yes — Great! Skip ahead to Step 2.

• No — You’ll need to submit documentation for review by CEB-US. Please email the following supporting documentation to single.registration@ceb-us.com with the subject line: NAVHDA – [Your Dog’s Name]

  • A copy of your dog’s AKC or NAVHDA pedigree (any pedigree information helps us verify lineage and prevent errors).

  • Clear photos of the dog: front, left side, right side, and top view. Include microchip number, if available.

  • If you’re a CEB-US member, this research is free. Not a member? A one-time fee of $25 per dog will be invoiced before approval. Better yet, join the CEB-US!

  • CEB-US will review and advise if additional info is needed.

  • Once the research is complete, you’ll receive a certified research pedigree and confirmation letter to submit to NAVHDA with their single dog registration form and payment.

  • If CEB-US cannot certify your dog’s lineage, we unfortunately won’t be able to issue the documentation required for NAVHDA to recognize your dog as an Epagneul Breton.

Step 2: Submit your paperwork to NAVHDA

Send the following directly to NAVHDA:

• A copy of your UKC or FCI registration certificate and 3-generation pedigree

• NAVHDA’s single dog registration form

• Payment for registration

Step 3: Receive your new NAVHDA number

• If this is a new registration, you’ll receive a NAVHDA number beginning with “EB”.

• If your dog is already registered as a “Brittany”, NAVHDA will assign a new “EB” number, and all previous test scores will carry over to your dog’s updated record.

Want to Recognize a Past Breton?

The CEB-US and NAVHDA are also offering posthumous recognition for Epagneul Bretons that were active in NAVHDA but have since passed. This ensures their contributions and accomplishments are preserved under the correct breed designation. The steps and cost are the same as outlined above.

Breeder Registration

We encourage all Epagneul Breton breeders and kennels to register for recognition in the NAVHDA breeder database. This registration is completely independent of CEB-US but offers important benefits. Even if you are not an active NAVHDA participant, registering your kennel name helps identify the dogs from your breeding program and lineage, while also protecting your kennel name from unauthorized use by others.

Here is the link to NAVHDA’s information on kennel name registration: https://www.navhda.org/register-a-kennel/

This recognition by NAVHDA is not just a nod to our breed’s growing presence — it’s an affirmation of our dedication to preserving what makes the Epagneul Breton special: a passionate, versatile, purpose-bred bird dog with a deep hunting heritage. The CEB-US is thrilled to partner with NAVHDA in honoring that tradition.