The Brittany as we know it today is a compact, medium sized sporting breed of great endurance and intelligence. 
The smallest of the AKC's recognized pointing breeds, the Brittany should be between 17 1/2" - 20 1/2" tall at the shoulder, and ideally between 30 - 40 pounds, though unlike the height of this breed, weight is not a disqualification should the dog be more or less than 30 - 40 pounds. 
Acceptable colors for the Brittany per the American Brittany Club are Orange and Liver, with color patterns being Orange and White (a dog with more orange than white), White and Orange (a dog with more white than orange), Liver an White, White and Liver (same situation as with the orange), Orange Roan, Liver Roan and Liver Tri-color, which is a liver dog with orange markings.
Liver Tri is not a desirable color pattern, though is acceptable in the show ring so long as the dog presents with traditional tri color markings, such as orange eyebrows, orange on the cheeks, under the tail, and orange spots down the legs are also acceptable. A well built, well marked tri color should not be overlooked in favor of a lesser quality liver or orange Brittany.
Black is also a color that Brittanys can come in, but per the American Brittany Club standard (which is also the AKC standard), is a disqualification, as is black in the pigment. HOWEVER. Epagneul Breton's, better known as French Brittany's, can come in this color and be shown in other venues such as the United Kennel Club as a Variety of their own, separate from the "American" Brittanys, of which Black is a disqualification per the standard, or in organizations that utilize the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) breed standard, of which the Brittany is just the Epagneul Breton.

This small pointing breed thrives in homes which are active, be it pet, hunting, or sport homes. They make excellent running / biking companions, great hiking buddies (with proper training if taken off leash), and of course, amazing hunting partners. 

 On top of all that, however, they also make wonderful, and versatile, sport partners. The saying "Jack of all trades, master of none" applies well to the Brittany when it comes to sports outside of the field. This breed does very well in a variety of sports, such as Obedience, Rally, Agility, Scent Work, Barn Hunt, Dock Diving, Coursing Ability, FastCat, Tracking, Trick Dog, Flyball, etc. There are Brittanys with high titles in each sport, but many enjoy dabbling in a variety! They are highly intelligent, and love to work with their owners, being a very people pleasing breed. Sports that utilize their noses however (Barn Hunt, Scent Work, Tracking) are especially a favorite for a lot of Brittanys, as it utilizes the breeds natural desire to use their nose. So if you are not a hunter, those are very good alternatives to keep the nose out of trouble!

Life with the Brittany will vary from dog to dog, and the dogs breeding and pedigree. A primarily field bred Brittany may be of higher drive with more desire to be out doing SOMETHING, whereas a primarily show bred Brittany may be more willing to just sit on the couch and watch a good movie with some popcorn. A well bred, dual purpose Britt however should be a good mixture of both. Inside the house, a well socialized, well rouned Brittany should be able to relax after a decent chance to let off some steam, be it a good run in the yard, jog around the block, or a good mind game (mental stimulation goes a long way in wearing a dog out!), but also be able to step on the gas once out in the field, and go as long as you yourself can, if the dog is kept in good shape.
This breed tends to do very well with children, though like with all breeds, should be closely supervised, because even dogs good with kids have their limits. Children should NEVER be allowed to sit, climb, or pull on, or hit, pinch them. They should also never be allowed inside a dogs crate. Crates, when the dog is trained properly to them, and the crate is used correctly, should act as a safe space for your dog to go and decompress, and not be disturbed.

Brittanys typically do well with larger animals (horses, cattle, etc), but caution should be taken with smaller pets (such as birds, be it farm or pet, or pocket pets like rats, mice, ferrets, etc). They are still a hunting breed, and do have prey drive and many, if given the chance, will kill smaller animals.

Same sex aggression with between males isn't completely uncommon, especially between two intact males, but aggression is not a desirable trait in the breed. These dogs regularly run in pairs during hunting / trials / tests, and should be dog tolerant, ignoring it's brace mate, especially after initial interaction. In the house however they typically get along with most dogs of all shapes and sizes. They should also not be human aggressive.

The health of Brittanys is good compared to some other breeds. Out biggest concern is Epilepsy, which is a disease we do not have a test for at this time, though studies are being done to try and tack down a marker for genetic epilepsy. 
Hip Dysplasia is another concern, though the chances of a dog having it decreases with getting one from lines with consistent hip scores from PENNHip or OFA, but the chance is never zero, as HD can be from environment, just as much as it being genetic. 
Laryngeal Paralysis is another condition that can cause issues with Brittanys, but once again, it is not a condition we have a test for at this time.
Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome (SARDs) and Immune Mediated Retinitis (IMR) are eye related diseases that are present in Brittanys, but like with the hips, the chances of a dog acquiring it from a line that has regular eye tests done drops significantly.

A Brittany from lines that do the recommended health testing per the OFA CHIC requirements, decreases one's chance of encountering issues down the line, but remember, we breeders are not an all knowing, all powerful being. We cannot control mother nature, we can only try to cheat her. Sometimes even dogs from the best lines, best breeders, that did everything right, can have problems.