The AKC has grouped all of the breeds that it registers into seven categories, or groups, roughly based on function and heritage. Breeds are grouped together because they share traits of form and function or a common heritage.
The defining characteristic of this rustic, medium-sized bird dog is the dense curly coat that covers him from the top of his large, broad head to the tip of his curving tail. The coat comes in shades of black, gray, brown, or fawn, sometimes with white markings. The breed’s delightfully shaggy coat and amiable nature creates the impression of a Muppet come to life, but the Barbet is a strong, solidly-built dog bred for centuries to be a keen hunter and tireless swimmer. Barbets are very intelligent and learn new things quickly. They have a calm nature and are easy to live with as long as their exercise needs are being met.
The Barbet should do well on a high-quality dog food, whether commercially manufactured or home-prepared with your veterinarian’s supervision and approval. Any diet should be appropriate to the dog’s age (puppy, adult, or senior). Typically not voracious eaters, Barbets can benefit from oil supplementation during drier months. Treats can be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog’s weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.
Grooming can be a wonderful bonding experience for you and your dog. The proper grooming of a Barbet starts with a full brush-out, a comb through to the skin, and a good bath. An after-bath blow drying will straighten the hair and make a fluff ball ready for a scissor trim. An all-over trim to approximately 3 to 5 inches in length to show the shape of the body is preferred, while the head, ears and tail remain longer. For the purpose of showing, the hair on the head must reach the muzzle. After the trim, the Barbet must be wet down and left to air-dry to regain his natural curls.
A Barbet’s strong, fast-growing nails should be trimmed regularly with a nail clipper or grinder to avoid overgrowth, splitting and cracking. Ears should be checked regularly to avoid a buildup of wax and debris, which can result in infection. Teeth should be brushed regularly.
Bred as a marsh/swamp game retriever, the Barbet is an agile athlete and loyal partner in any activity, especially if it involves water. He actually has webbed paws specifically for swimming. Besides swimming, other options for exercise include play time in the backyard, preferably fenced, or taken for walks several times a day. Exercise can also come in the form of indoor activities, like hide-and-seek, chasing a ball rolled along the floor, or teaching them new tricks. The Barbet enjoys plenty of playtime with dogs and people, but is then content to lounge nearby indoors. He is happiest when well socialized and prefers not to spend too many hours alone.
Positive interactions and and upbeat training environment are needed for a Barbet, as the breed has a sensitive, but even, temperament. Training should be a relatively easy task, as Barbets are friendly, responsive, and agreeable. Agility, rally, dock diving, and lure coursing are all dog sports that Barbets have participated in, and make for great exercise and mental stimulation.
The Barbet is solidly built with adequate bone to perform his tasks as a true sporting dog, and as such is sturdy, with a moderately sized and constructed frame.
Given the small genetic pool from which the Barbet draws, it is a surprisingly healthy breed thanks to wise, cautious selection by breeders. Responsible breeders screen for health conditions such as as hip and elbo dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), seizure disorders and allergies.
Recommended Health Tests From Parent Club
An archetypic water dog of France, the Barbet is a rustic breed of medium size and balanced proportions which appears in works as early as the 16th century. In profile, the Barbet is slightly rectangular with a substantial head and long, sweeping tail. He has a long, dense covering of curly hair and a distinctive beard (French barbe), which gives the breed its name. An agile athlete, the Barbet has been used primarily to locate, flush, and retrieve birds. He has a cheerful disposition; very social and loyal.
Size – Height at the withers: Dogs 21 to 24.5 inches, Bitches 19 to 22.5 inches. Weight in proportion to height. Proportions – Measured from point of shoulder to buttocks and withers to ground, the Barbet is slightly longer than tall. Exact proportion is not as important as balance. Substance – Neither coarse nor refined, the Barbet is solidly built with adequate bone to perform his tasks as a true sporting dog.
Of great importance, the head is strong, broad, and proportionally large. Expression is bright, engaging. Eyes of medium size, nearly round in shape, dark hazel to dark brown, harmonizing with the coat color. Eye rims are fully pigmented, corresponding to coat (black for black, black pied or gray dogs; brown for brown or brown pied dogs. Fawn dogs may have either black or brown pigmentation). Ears are wide and are set at eye level. Ear leather reaching at least to the corner of the mouth and fully covered with long hair. Skull is rounded and broad. Occiput is not prominent. Stop is defined, neither abrupt nor sloping. Head planes are nearly parallel. The muzzle is shorter than the skull and is quite square. Bridge of nose is broad. Lower jaw fairly square and strong. Jaws of equal length. The nose is large, with well opened nostrils, fully pigmented in harmony with coat color. Lips are thick, fully pigmented. Flews are tight. Scissorsbite, teeth large and strong.
Neck is strong, blending well into the body. Back is solid with well sustained level topline, loin is short and slightly arched, croup rounded. The tail is the natural extension of the topline, long and low set. When in motion the tail is carried above horizontal in a sweeping curve but does not curl onto the back. The tail is never docked. Body is athletic with substance, chest is broad, well-developed, deep, reaching the elbow; ribs rounded but not barrel- like, underline slightly inclined without tuck-up.
Emphasis is on balance. Shoulders are well laid back and approximately the same length as the upper arm, placing the front legs well under the chest with elbows close to the body. Legs are straight and strong; well boned. Pasterns are strong and flexible. Front dewclaws may be removed. Feet are round, and toes are tight, well-arched. Pads thick.
Angulation balances with forequarters. Upper thigh is well muscled, stifle well bent, second thigh is well developed, hocks well let-down, short and perpendicular to ground; without dewclaws. Feet same as front.
The coat of the Barbet is his defining characteristic. Profuse hair covers the whole body evenly with thick, natural curls that range from large and loose to tight, smaller curls. The hair on the top of the head reaches the bridge of the nose. He has a distinctive beard. Ears are covered in long hair. The coat is shown in as natural a state as possible; clean and free from mats. The hair is to retain curl. While scissoring is necessary to keep him neat, excessive sculpting and shaping is to be penalized. Color – All shades of black, gray, brown, fawn; with or without white markings. Pied (primarily white with all shades of black, gray, brown, fawn markings).
| Description | Standard Colors | Registration Code |
| Black | Check Mark For Standard Color | 007 |
| Brown | Check Mark For Standard Color | 061 |
| Fawn | Check Mark For Standard Color | 082 |
| Gray | Check Mark For Standard Color | 100 |
| White | Check Mark For Standard Color | 199 |
| Description | Standard Markings | Registration Code |
| Black Markings | Check Mark For Standard Mark | 002 |
| Brown Markings | Check Mark For Standard Mark | 022 |
| Fawn Markings | Check Mark For Standard Mark | 008 |
| Gray Markings | Check Mark For Standard Mark | 028 |
| White Markings | Check Mark For Standard Mark | 014 |
