Breeds / Medium
Barbet puppies
Cheerful, sociable and level headed, the Barbet is a French water dog bred to retrieve wildfowl from marshland. It is easy to train and content indoors after exercise, but its thick curly coat is high maintenance and it dislikes being left alone.
The facts
- Size class Medium
- Country of origin France
- Adult weight 15.9 to 29.5 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 35 to 65 lb
- Adult height 48 to 62 cm
- Energy level Moderate
- Grooming High
- Coat type Medium to long wavy and curly
- Typical lifespan 12 to 14 years
- Good with children Fine with supervision
- Good with other dogs Fine with supervision
Where these come from:
About the Barbet
The Barbet is a French water dog, used for centuries to retrieve wildfowl out of marshes, and it sits behind several modern breeds. It stands 48 to 62 centimetres, with webbed feet and a thick woolly coat of waves and curls covering the whole dog, beard included. Barbets are cheerful, level headed and sociable, keen to be involved in whatever is going on, and they take training well without the nervous edge some gundogs carry. The gene pool is small, so the breeding matters.
Grooming is the real cost: brushing and combing right through to the skin, a proper trim, then the coat wet down again to bring the curl back. Exercise is moderate, and swimming is the obvious outlet, though walks and garden play work too. It settles indoors afterwards but dislikes long hours alone. It rates three out of five with children, so supervise and socialise. New owners buy a low shedding coat and underestimate how much time it takes to keep.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Barbet puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming needs are high. Start daily brushing and short, positive handling sessions at eight weeks, well before the adult coat arrives, or the first professional groom will be traumatic. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Hip and elbow dysplasia, which breeding stock should be x-rayed for
- Progressive retinal atrophy, detectable by DNA test on both parents
- Seizure disorders, diagnosed by a vet once other causes are ruled out
- Allergic skin disease, showing as itching, red skin and recurring infections
- Ear infections under the heavy drop ears, made likelier by swimming and found on regular ear checks
From Barbet breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/barbet/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Your Barbet puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Barbet.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 15.9 to 29.5 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Other medium breeds
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.