Barbet - The French Water Dog

Almost everybody on this earth has heard of such breeds as the Poodle, the Griffon and the Bichon Frise…have you ever asked yourself where all those breeds came from? 

Your answer is this…they all came from the Barbet or as some people know him, the French Water dog. Now, where did the French water dog come from? Well, that is the question for which nobody has a concrete answer, but there are a lot of guesses.

Some people say that the French water dog is a descendant of the original Griffon; other people say that the French Water dog or Barbet came from the corded coated dogs that were brought over from Asia when Europe was invaded; others say that the Barbet came from northern Africa, traveling across Spain and settling in France; people say that, although the French Water dog is not the origin of all water dogs he was probably close to the original type. 

Some good guesses but we will never really know, now will we?

The French Water dog has been in Europe for centuries, there are even writings about him from the Elizabethan Era describing the Barbet and the kind of care needed for his coat.

The Barbet was used as a water dog (as his name implies) he was the hunters constant companion retrieving fallen game from the land and the water; they also used him as a tracker and a pointer. 

This dog has been used by farmers to herd sheep and goats, but that is not all, this dog, the French Water dog was also frequently taken to sea to be the sailors’ friend and companion. 

Talk about a versatile dog, they practically used him for everything.

The French Water dog is a medium sized dog that should be 21-25 inches at the shoulder (male) and should weigh 33-55 pounds; the female should be 19-22 inches at the shoulder and weigh 33-55 pounds. This is a breed in the gun dog group and they have a life expectancy of 12-15 years.

The French Water dog has a long thick wooly coat which protects him from the elements as he is a working breed, the color of the coat is almost always a solid color including black, grey, chestnut, sand and white, it is almost unheard of for a litter to be born that is multi colored, although it has been reported once or twice it is generally accepted that the French Water dog only comes in solid colors.

The French Water dog has a very thick, very dens coat and because of this, even a simple walk outside can result in his hair being matted and full of twigs; consequently, brushing out the coat of the Barbet is an every day must, to keep it twig and matte free. Remember, a clean dog is one step closer to a happy dog!

The puppies have soft wavy coats, so to make sure they will have a true Barbet coat, it is advised that you fully shave the whole coat ( at 5 to 6 months) for when it comes back, it will be curlier and some say it will be thicker.

When considering a puppy, always look for a good responsible breeder either in your city, the neighboring city, county or even state. A responsible breeder will be able to offer you proof of vaccines and veterinary health checks, not only on the puppy you are considering buying but also the mom and dad of the puppy. 

You might be paying a couple of hundred dollars extra but the quality of the puppy that you are getting is going to be much better then if you bought him from say a puppy mill. Puppy mills usually do not care about the breeding of their dogs, their puppies have not been vaccinated and the dogs are usually kept in horrible conditions. It’s just worth the extra money to get something that you are sure of!

The French Water dog is a happy friendly dog that loves to work and he also has a high energy level which means that plenty long walks are a definite must!

With an attitude that only wants to please, the Barbet is one of a kind…unique some would say.