The Britannia Petite, or “Brit” as it is often called, is the only dwarf breed that is not supposed to be at all round or blocky in type. The Brit weighs a maximum of 2 ½ pounds when full grown. All efforts are made in the standard to keep the breed separate from the thickset Netherland Dwarf, as seen in the disqualifications for a rollback coat and for a blocky, “bulldog” head. A rabbit with a dewlap or ears over three inches should also be disqualified from competition. This breed is posed with its front toes just barely touching the ground, its chest elevated on long front legs and it’s topline curving smoothly to the tail. Plenty of “daylight” should show underneath the rabbit’s belly. The daintiest of rabbits, the Brit has a high-strung temperament.
The Britannia Petite, as its name suggests, originated in England, or rather, evolved there. By the late 1800’s the rabbit showing fancy had caught on in Britain, and the smallest white rabbits they had became known as “Polish.” At the turn of the century, the Polish breed was a compact-typed rabbit with a low headset. Polish were imported into the US by the early 1900’s, and here in America have remained essentially the same breed. However in England, breeders started teaching their Polish to sit up on their forefeet, and selected breeding stock with upright stances and refined bone. Soon their Polish had developed a completely different body type. The breed that Americans call the Brit is still known as the Polish by British Rabbit Council standards. When they were brought here in the 70’s, the name was changed because the ARBA already recognized a breed called Polish.