Barbet

The Barbet is a French water dog under a dense woolly coat — the breed the word "barbet" once covered broadly, and an ancestor of several better-known gun dogs.

History

It is an old French type, used from at least the sixteenth century to retrieve waterfowl from marshes, and its curly waterproof coat is the working equipment for that. It contributed to the poodle and to several griffon breeds, and nearly disappeared in the twentieth century before being rebuilt from a small remnant.

Temperament

The breed is known for being friendly, calm and companionable, closely attached to its household and easy with children and other dogs. It is enthusiastic in water to the point of comedy.

Care and training

It needs real exercise, preferably including swimming, and it trains readily. The thick curly coat mats if neglected and needs regular brushing and periodic trimming — it sheds very little, which is not the same as being low-maintenance.

Health

Known tendencies include hip dysplasia and ear infections from the drop ears under a heavy coat. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.