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Barbet

friendly / bright / sweet-natured
Sporting Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

19-24.5 inches

Weight

35-65 pounds

Life Expectancy

12-14 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    80% 80%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    20% 20%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    100% 100%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    60% 60%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    80% 80%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    20% 20%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    100% 100%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    60% 60%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The Barbet is an archetypal water dog of France, a rustic breed of medium size and balanced proportions that appears in artwork as early as the 16th century. The Barbet is slightly rectangular in shape, with a large head and a long, sweeping tail. He has long, dense curls on his head and a striking beard. The Barbet, an agile athlete, has mostly been employed to locate, flush, and retrieve birds. He has a positive attitude and is very gregarious and loyal. The rich curly coat that covers this rustic, medium-sized bird dog from the top of his wide, broad head to the tip of his curved tail is his distinguishing feature.

The coat comes in black, gray, brown, or fawn colors, with white markings on occasion. The Barbet’s charmingly shaggy coat and friendly demeanor give the appearance of a Muppet come to life, but the Barbet is a robust, solidly built dog that has been bred for ages to be a sharp hunter and tireless swimmer. Barbets are extremely bright and quickly pick up new skills. They have a peaceful demeanor and are pleasant to live with as long as their activity requirements are met.

What To Expect When Caring For a Barbet

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

The Barbet is durable, with a reasonably sized and made frame, and is solidly built with ample bone to accomplish his job as a great sporting dog. Despite the tiny genetic pool from which the Barbet draws, it is a very robust breed because to breeders' careful selection. Responsible breeders screen for hip and elbow dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), epilepsy problems, and allergies.
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Hip Evaluation
  • Elbow Evaluation
  • Dilution Factor (Optional)
  • Ophthalmologist Evaluation

Grooming

Grooming your dog may be a fantastic bonding experience for both of you. Barbet grooming begins with a thorough brush-out, a comb through to the skin, and a nice bath. After a wash, blow dry your hair to straighten it and make it a fluff ball ready for a scissor trim. An all-over cut of 3 to 5 inches in length is ideal to show off the curve of the body, with the head, ears, and tail remaining longer. The hair on the skull must reach the muzzle in order to be shown. To avoid overgrowth, splitting, and cracking, a Barbet's nails should be clipped on a regular basis with a nail clipper or grinder. Ears should be checked on a frequent basis to eliminate wax and debris buildup, which can lead to infection. Teeth should be brushed on a regular basis.

Exercise

The Barbet, which was bred as a marsh/swamp game retriever, is a nimble athlete and a faithful partner in any activity that involves water. He has webbed paws designed exclusively for swimming. Other possibilities for exercise besides swimming include playing in the backyard, preferably fenced in, or going for walks many times a day. Indoor activities such as hide-and-seek, chasing a ball tossed across the floor, or teaching them new behaviors can also provide exercise. The Barbet enjoys playing with dogs and people, but prefers to rest nearby indoors. He is happiest when he is well sociable and avoids spending too much time alone.

Training

Barbets require positive interactions and an enthusiastic training atmosphere due to their sensitive but balanced disposition. Barbets are sociable, receptive, and cooperative, so training should be a breeze. Barbets has participated in canine sports such as agility, rally, dock diving, and lure coursing, all of which provide excellent exercise and mental stimulation.

Nutrition

The Barbet should thrive on high-quality dog food, whether purchased commercially or cooked at home with your veterinarian's supervision and consent. Any diet should be tailored to the age of the dog (puppy, adult, or senior). Barbets, which are not typically voracious feeders, can benefit from oil supplementation during the drier months. Treats can be a valuable training aid, but feeding too much can lead to obesity. Discover which human foods are suitable for dogs and which are not. If you have any concerns regarding your dog's weight or diet, consult with your veterinarian. At all times, clean, fresh water should be available.

History

The Barbet is more than just a gun dog. It is a happy, intelligent, affectionate, and devoted breed. According to 16th-century texts, the Barbet was originally a water dog and was largely utilized in France for hunting water wildlife. Other allusions to the breed can be found throughout history, doing diverse tasks with historical pedigree, and are always mentioned with respect and admiration.
The Barbet was virtually extinct after World War II, but because of the efforts of a few dedicated individuals, this old breed is slowly being revived as a dog for the future. Although rare and in limited numbers, these lovable canines continue to delight and astound people all around the world. Its keen brain, proclivity for water, and adaptability make it an “all-around” dog. The Barbet is a timeless and classic breed of dog with a long historical ancestry.