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There are barely enough fun-filled adjectives to describe the Barbet, a breed recognized by the American Kennel Club on January 1, 2020.1 But you wouldn’t be wrong to call this dog playful, goofy, affectionate, clownish, and always up for a new adventure. Their loyalty, intelligence, and versatility are also things that dog fanciers just can’t get enough of.
The Barbet (pronounced Bar-bay) is a relatively new French water dog with webbed feet, so they’re not afraid to get a little dirty in the mud. Although this rare breed’s history is a bit uncertain, the accepted theory is that Barbets are relatives of Poodles and Briards.
Breed Overview
Height:
22–25 inches
Weight:
35–63 pounds
Lifespan:
12–15 years
Colors:
White, blue, silver, red, brown, grey, black
Suitable for:
Active families, those looking for a low-shedding dog
Temperament:
Loyal and loving, intelligent, easy to train, friendly, gets along with other pets
Barbets are also descendants of African Shepherd dogs bred with European dogs from as early as the 7th century. They have served royalties and commoners alike, and their dense waterproof coats earned them a reputation for braving the chilliest water in pursuit of waterfowl.
The Barbet dog has the nickname, “mud dog,” though their actual name comes from the French word, “barbe,” which means beard, due to its bearded appearance. There’s much more that you should know about this rare breed, so keep reading for an in-depth look at this furry canine.
Barbet Dog Characteristics
Barbet Puppies
The Barbet is in the AKC’s sporting dog groups and a rare breed, so it’s challenging to get a puppy. Their versatility, rarity, and unavailability of enough registered breeders mean that if you find a puppy Barbet for sale right now, you’ll need to ponder the cost. They are not a budget-friendly breed. These dogs can fetch even higher prices if you get them from reputable documented breeders and if they have traceable lineages. Potential owners can wait up to a year to get their pup!
If you’re lucky enough to bring home a Barbet puppy, be ready to play with them and take them out for regular exercise. They’re energetic and will need plenty of mental stimulation to avoid boredom.
Temperament & Intelligence of the Barbet Dog
On the whole, the Barbet is a laidback breed yet has superior athleticism, high energy, and incredible agility. They would love nothing more than to play chase and hunt with you to utilize their power.
The breed is also highly prone to misconduct like barking and excessive digging due to boredom. For this reason, they require regular workouts to mold them physically and emotionally. Barbets also need early socialization, as with any breed, or they can be territorial and aloof with strangers.
But you can’t describe a Barbet without mentioning how smart this breed can be! They are quite intelligent, as you would expect from a pup that shares ancestry with the Poodle, one of the most agreeable and intelligent dogs worldwide.
However, intelligence leads to sensitivity in the Barbet, and they can get bored with monotonous activities and require stimulation through varying games and activities.
Are These Dogs Good for Families? 👪
A Barbet’s prized qualities are their joyfulness, obedience, and intellectual brightness. This dog is peaceful, gentle, and even-tempered: the best trait combo for a child’s pet. However, they can be quite a handful around young kids, as they quickly get overzealous and bouncy during playtime and may accidentally knock kids over.
Barbets are also social and people-oriented and can develop separation anxiety if they stay by themselves for too long. So, if you are the type who will want off-time away from your dog, the Barbet could be unsuitable for you. Don’t blame them, though, as their long history working with humans gives them this attachment trait.
This pup will stay loyal and protect the people that they love against intruders. This breed can be wary of new faces and alert you of possible intrusion, though they are rarely aggressive.
Does This Breed Get Along With Other Pets?
Barbets generally get along well with other household pets, though you may need to socialize and introduce them when they are young to prevent problems.
These dogs have been hunters for the entirety of their history, which means they have a strong prey drive. They may always consider small pets like chickens, rabbits, cats, and hamsters as prey, so you shouldn’t compromise early and adequate training. A dog with a natural prey drive must always stay by your side rather than harass any small animal with which they share a home.
Things to Know When Owning a Barbet Dog
Food & Diet Requirements 🦴
Although Barbets don’t have specific dietary needs, they may require a high-protein diet to sustain their high energy and fast metabolism. You can feed them commercial kibble, as long as it is dry and of the highest quality. However, owners should use their dog’s age and energy levels to determine how much food they should provide.
Around 2-3 cups of dry dog food daily should help, though you won’t have to feed the Barbet that much if the food is of higher quality (which means higher nutrient concentration). But whatever you do, don’t overfeed your pup, as this breed is prone to obesity and never says no to food offerings.
You can also supplement their dry diet with animal-based proteins, such as lean meat or organ meat. Also, ensure that your commercial pet food comes from reputable shops and contains suitable ingredients, including animal proteins. Check for and avoid food with filler components like corn, soy, wheat, and artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.
Exercise 🐕
Barbets have excess energy that owners need to help utilize. This shouldn’t be hard, as they are a sporting breed and are reputable athletes and swimmers. However, it means they need daily exercise and regular mental stimulation for their intelligent minds.
These dogs thrive on agility sports and ball games, along with any activity that keeps them engaged mentally and physically. Be sure to take them swimming too, as they have a history of waterfowl retrieval in marshy areas.
Sufficient workouts can turn Barbets into happy and mellow dogs; there will be lots of barking, digging, trouble, and chewing if you deny them exercise.
Training 🎾
A Barbet is the perfect canine friend for a dedicated and active owner. This dog’s mental prowess and dedication to their human make them thrive in various activities, including retrieval agility activities, flyball games, and obedience training.
The breed’s history of working with humans and obeying their commands means that training with this dog calls for nothing other than fun. However, it’s worth noting that this breed is intelligent, and while it’s a good thing, that intellect creates a sensitive temperament. For this reason, Barbets may not respond well to long and harsh training sessions, and they require a soft but firm hand.
You need to be a firm and confident trainer to match up the dog’s energy levels to follow commands. There’s no need to be harsh and intolerant, as any yelling, impatience, and severe training methods will stress the pups out and make them rebellious.
However, the reward-based technique can make the training successful by taming the dog’s sensitive nature. Training, praising them for their good behavior, and then rewarding the dog for the excellent behavior works!
Grooming ✂️
The good thing about Barbets is that they hardly shed, so you won’t have to clean too much after their hair or get severely sick from allergies. But their coat is constantly growing, so you may need to brush it every day and trim it up to 5 inches every few weeks to prevent knotting and mating.
The beautiful and furry Barbet’s coat attracts dirt and debris whenever they brush against surfaces, and these may end up in your home if you don’t brush daily. Plus, dead hair can clump up into locks and mess up your canine’s look.
Health and Conditions 🏥
A Barbet can live up to 12 to 15 years if you take care of them and ensure that they’re healthy and thriving. This breed is generally healthy and robust, but they are rare, and there’s limited information about the diseases they are susceptible to. However, there are a few genetic diseases common in Barbets.
- Cataracts
- Obesity
- Skin and food sensitivities
- Hot spots
- Hip dysplasia
- Epilepsy
- Cancer
- Entropion
- Ear Infection
- Epilepsy: The dog can suffer from intermittent chronic seizures that can be managed through medication or may not require treatment if the episodes occur rarely.
- Entropion: Entropion is an eye condition, mainly an abnormality of the eyelids that causes the upper and lower eyelids to roll inward. This rolling causes the cornea (the eye surface) to rub against the dog’s hairs on the outside to the point that an ulcer may form. It can also result in irritation, pain, and partial vision loss.
- Cataracts: Besides entropion, dogs are prone to cataracts, and while usually harmless, the condition can lead to partial eyesight loss in severe cases.
- Ear Infections: Barbets quickly develop ear infections due to their swimming abilities. Bacteria and yeast thrive in damp, warm areas, which can be the dog’s ears. Bacteria and yeast formation on a Barbet’s ears causes an infection known as otitis externa. This means owners should always clean, clear, and keep their dog’s ears dry at all times, especially after a moment in the water.
- Elbow and Hip Dysplasia: Dysplasia is common in medium to large dogs like Barbets. This condition causes painful joints due to the improper development of the joint areas (hip and elbow), causing health deterioration that results in loss of function and arthritis. Breeders can limit the existence of this condition in future litters by screening Barbet parents before mating them. Similarly, owners can prevent the life-limiting abnormality by ensuring that their pups get a healthy diet rich in omega-3 and -6 fatty acids.
Male vs. Female
There are not many distinctive differences between male and female Barbets, besides that male Barbets are more prominent, heavier, and easier going than females.
It’s also worth noting that same-sex dogs may be territorial, and dogs of different sexes tend to get along well—a factor you may want to consider if you want to have multiple Barbets.
3 Little-Known Facts About the Barbet Dog
1. They Are Hypoallergenic
Owners with allergies can say goodbye to sneezing fits, and those who hate hairy everything can dump the lint rollers! The Barbet is hypoallergenic and sheds very little, making them a better option for the 10% to 20 % of pet fanciers who are allergic to canines and felines.
Although no dog is truly 100% hypoallergenic, some breeds favor allergic humans better than others. These breeds, including the Barbet, are typically low-shedding and produce less dander.
Dander is the skin flakes attached to the animal’s shedding hair, covering every surface in a home and causing most allergies in humans.
2. Barbets Almost Went Extinct
Barbets are not-so-new breeds, as records in French artwork place their existence back to the 16th century. However, World War 2 devastated France, and Barbets became so scarce that they were almost on the brink of extinction, just like many other breeds at the time.
Luckily, a few breeders worked hard to restore the breed and managed to save the Barbet from extinction. Although they are still decidedly rare, the species is a bit safe once again, even though there are only 500 documented Barbets worldwide and fewer than 100 in America.
3. Their Coats Won’t Stop Growing
Remarkably, a Barbet’s waterproof coat continuously grows, just like that of their Poodle relatives, and requires regular trimming. This characteristic makes them high-maintenance, as you’ll need to tend to their coats every 6 to 8 weeks, which can become expensive if professional groomers do it.
The coat is also more likely to pick up twigs, burrs, and leaves and make the best place for mats to form if you don’t groom frequently.
Final Thoughts
The Barbet is an awesome friend to children and adults alike, packing a ton of personality for their owner. Better still, this is the dog for you if you want a pup that’ll keep you on your toes.
However, this breed is energetic and sporty and requires lots of emotional and physical stimulation, which may appear like owning one is a big responsibility. Of course, this is true, and you shouldn’t take it lightly.
Ensure that you are ready to brush and prep their coat frequently, work out with them, and take care of their health as much as possible. But one thing is for sure: Barbets are worth the effort!
Featured image credit: John Silver, Shutterstock
