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Barbet: Personality, Health, Grooming
(French Water Dog)
Group
The Barbet Dog comes under the
group of Sporting dogs. As per F.C.I. classification
these are Group 8 Retrievers, Flushing Dogs, Water
Dogs.
Also Known As
The Barbet Dog is also referred
to as French Water Dog, Barbette, griffon d’arret
a poil laineux and French Gun Dog
About
Barbet
Origin
and History of the Breed
Though the real origin
of the Barbet is lost in antiquity yet it
has been opined that France had been the
country of origin of the dog. The Barbet
has been perceived as the original water
dog of Europe. It had been known since the
Middle Ages. Its progenitors date to the
fourteenth century. Again this dog has been
the ancestor of various modern breeds and
types like the Poodle, the griffons, the
Newfoundland and French sheepdog of Brie
region.
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Over the years Barbets had been
employed for a variety of tasks. They had been used
as a hunter’s assistant, as a shepherd dog
for driving flocks and as a sailor’s companion
helping out in securing lost items and lines at
sea. The versatility of the breed and the multiple
purposes to which they can be put has made the Barbets
so very popular.
A General Description of
the Breed
Barbets are medium sized and medium
proportioned and have a characteristic thick, woolly
coat covering their entire body. This coat is more
curly than wavy. The coat provides efficient protection
against damp and cold and forms a beard on the chin
(‘barbe’ in French) that gives the dog
its name- Barbet. The hairs on the head are especially
long and cover up the eyes and the nose and form
a mustache too (covering the bridge of the nose
fully) alongside the beard. Their colors vary between
black, chestnut, fawn, gray and white. However,
it is uncommon to find mixed colors on the dog’s
body. The dogs may or may not have any markings
on their bodies.
Barbets have rounded and broad
skulls and defined stops. They have square muzzles
that are slightly shorter than the skulls. They
have dark brown eyes and a black or brown nose.
Their ears are long and broad and dropping. They
have long tails whose ends form a slight hook.
Height
Male: 57 cm and 66 cm
Female: 52 cm and 62 cm.
Weight: 17 kg
and 28 kg.
Personality
Temperament of the Breed
The Barbets have a passion for
water. Their love for swimming/engaging in playful
activities in water does not die down even if it
is cold. They are friendly and joyful creatures
that serve as good and efficient companions. Barbets
can be easily trained and they adapt themselves
well to different situations. Hunters find them
capable retrievers particularly of waterfowl while
shepherds find them an effective aide in driving
flocks. Again, sailors perceive them as a great
help in fetching lost items and lines at sea.
Better suited to outdoor
or indoor lifestyle?
Barbets adjust well to just any
home environment and do not create problems with
children and dogs or other pets of the household.
They take well to apartment life provided their
owners arrange for long walks for them and arrange
for their occasional indulgence in swimming or other
water sporting activities. It is important that
the owners and members of their families devote
time for caring for their pet Barbets as these dogs
always crave for attention and companionship.
Barbets make perfect pets and can
adjust well in a household environment. The company
of children or other dogs or other pets does not
create any problems for them.
How active is the breed?
Since by origin Barbets are working
dogs and enjoy water and retrieving tasks they need
to be given such works regularly. This will provide
them the exercising that they need. It is a good
idea to take Barbet pets on long walks on a daily
basis. Since swimming is a passion for such dogs
they ought to be provided with opportunities for
swimming as well.
Grooming
Maintenance of the wooly coat
characteristic of the Barbet requires lot of efforts.
The wooly coat gets matted easily particularly if
the dog goes into water. This should be brushed
and detangled with a comb with lots of care. The
twigs, mattes, leaves etc. that may get stuck to
the coat while the dog pursues its daily activities
through bushes etc. can thus be removed.
In order to facilitate the proper
growth of the coat and get a tighter curl it is
advised to completely shave a puppy when it is between
4 months and 6 months of age. Even later on periodic
shaving of the coat helps it to become thick.
Health
and Care
Barbets are not high-strung outdoors
and have been known to be having fewer health problems.
However, in some bloodlines hip dysplasia, cataracts
and skin allergies have been observed. These need
to be checked out in case of puppies that are being
purchased to be kept as pets.
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Life Expectancy: 12-15
years.
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