BARBET (French Proof Dog)

HISTORY:
Barbet is an old French breed of hunting dog. The history of this breed dates back to the 16th century. when Barbet was used in the royal hunt. His task was to find and bring back arrows from water and swamps. Over time, Barbet was displaced by other breeds and almost became extinct. In the 20s – In the 1990s a group of French enthusiasts of the breed decided to renew it.
The Barbet is the prototype of breeds like the Poodle and the French Shepherd Dog Briard, as well as of other proof dogs.

CHARACTER:
Barbet’s main character traits are patience and gentleness. He is a balanced dog, calm and gentle towards people and other animals. Its stable character makes it an excellent family dog. His subtlety
and feeling make Barbet prove himself as a dog for a child. Barbets are dogs that love the company of man, they also strongly attach themselves to their family. He is happy and playful never aggressive. Barbet is not a barking dog but it is alert and signals a stranger on its territory.

FOR WHOM BARBET:
Barbet is perfect for living in a block of apartments and for a house with a garden. It is not a breed that needs too much exercise. Barbet is an alternative for people who would like to have a unique, loving and rare dog friend.

DESIGN:
Barbet is a medium sized dog. His weight can reach up to 25 kg. Looks like a small bear. The Barbet’s coat varies from slightly wavy to heavily curled, woolly. The dense coat felts easily, so it should be shorn from time to time. However, a Barbet owner must be aware of the need to groom his dog regularly, at least once a week. Barbet’s color is black (the most popular) but there are also brown, red, grey and spotted ones.
Currently there are no FCI requirements for the Barbet’s haircut, i.e. we can show him on exhibitions both in long and short version.

TRAINING:
Barbet is a very intelligent dog who is willing and quick to learn. Attending doggy daycare, Barbets excel among other breeds. The Barbet is a dog that eagerly jumps over obstacles – agality; takes part in obedience competitions – obiedence, and also works with people with disabilities – kynotherapy, assistance dogs.
Of course Barbet is also a hunting dog and in this direction he is used in Poland and all over the world for hunting waterfowl.

HEALTH:
Thanks to the fact that the Barbet is still a very rare breed in Poland and in the world, it has no genetic burden of cancer, elbow and hip dysplasia, eye diseases. Therefore, they are dogs that live up to 17 years.

BARBET, AND KYNOTHERAPY:
Barbets have relatively recently started their career working with disabled people in Poland. In France, the Barbet has been used in therapeutic work since the 1980s. It quickly turned out that a medium-sized, shaggy and very cheerful dog brings a lot of joy and smiles into the lives of people with disabilities. And his magical coat, in which you can hide your little fingers, can effectively fight your fear of dogs. Currently there are two Barbets working in Poland – Zoya and Tania (www.barbet.com.en)

FCI – Standard N° 105 / 29. 03. 2006 /GB
FRENCH DOG (Barbet)

PUBLICATION DATE:
21.02.2006r.

PURPOSE:
A hound dog used for hunting.
Like all water dogs, the French command dog is more than just an aporter.HEALTH: He has to search, locate and scare away game hiding in bushes. He fetches game shot by his master. Very resistant to cold, can stay in water in any conditions.

FCI CLASSIFICATION:
Group 8: Fetchers, Retrievers, Water Dogs.
Section 3: Water Dogs.
Working on a trace.

OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY OF THE BREED:
Very old breed, very common in France, used to hunt waterfowl. The first descriptions or mentions of the breed appeared already in the 16th century.

GENERAL IMPRESSION:
Medium sized dog, with characteristic thick, woolly coat, which protects him from cold and damp. The fur on their muzzle forms a beard, which gives the breed its name (barbet = bearded man).

ESSENTIAL PROPORTIONS:
• The muzzle is slightly lower than the head.
• The length of the body measured from the shoulder to the croup is slightly bigger than the size at the withers.

DISPOSITION/TEMPERAMENT:
Balanced, gentle, very devoted to his owner. Very fond of water, even very cold water.

HEAD:
Fringe should fall on the back of the muzzle. Beard is long and abundant, „mustache” cover the whole muzzle. Rounded and broad skull. Stop distinct. Muzzle is fairly square. Muzzle ridge wide and short. Lips thick, pigmented, completely covered by long hair. Mucous membranes can be black or brown in color.

BRAIN REGION OF THE SKULL:
Skull: rounded and broad.
Foot: Prominent.

FACE AREA:
NOSE: Wide, with well opened nostrils; black or brown depending on coat color
Muzzle: Square. Back of muzzle wide.
Lips: Lips that are thick, pigmented and completely covered by long hair. Mucous membranes can be black or brown.
Jaws/Teeth: Jaws of equal length. Scissor bite. Strong teeth. Incisors well developed.
Eyes: Round, dark brown desirable. The border is brown or black
Ears: Set low (at eye line or slightly lower), long, flat, wide, covered with long hair that forms cords. If the ears are pulled towards the nose, they will (together with the fur) reach at least 5 cm behind the nose. Ear cartilage reaches behind the corner of the muzzle.

NECK: Short and strong.

BELOW:
Back: The back is slightly arched.
Loins: Arched loins, short and strong.
Croup: Rump in profile rounded,gentle continuation of the loin line.
Chest: Wide, well developed, fairly deep, rounded but not barrel-shaped.

TOGGLE :
Slightly raised, but not above the line of the back. Set low, forms a slight hook at the end.

KINDS:
FORELEGS:
Shoulders: Shoulders drooping. The angle of the shoulder joint is 110-115 °
Shoulder: Long and muscular.
Forearm: Straight, strong, perpendicular to the ground, completely covered with long hair.

HIND LIMBS:
Thigh: Slightly sloping, heavily muscled.
Hocks: Low, well angulated.
Metatarsals:Straight.

LAWS:
Round, broad, covered in fur.

MOVEMENT / GAIT:
Free step, limbs move together in accordance with body movement.

SKIN:
Relatively thick.

HAIR:
Long, woolly, curly, forms strings. Abundant, in natural state, covers whole body. This is a typical characteristic of the breed. Since time immemorial, barbets have been shorn to make it easier to work and function. Depending on the use of the dog, the hairstyle may vary

COLOR:
Black, grey, chestnut, red, sandy, white or patched. All shades of fawn color from intense red to sand color are allowed. It is desirable that the entire coat be of one shade.

SIZE:
Height at withers
Dogs: 58cm – 65cm
Females: 53cm – 61 cm
With a tolerance of +/- 1cm

FAULTS:
Any deviation from the above traits should be considered defects, which should be evaluated in proportion to their degree and extent.

• Head narrow, muzzle narrow and too long, narrow lips.
• Upper jaw is protruding over the lower one, lower jaw is protruding. Crooked jaw.
• Clear eyes.
• High set ears (higher than eye level), thin, short and narrow.
• Long and narrow neck.
• Pointed line of back.
• Long and weak loins.
• Straight rump.
• Narrow chest.
• Tail set high, tail curved over the back, with the tip drooping over the flank or rump. Lack of tail or tail too short.
• Straight shoulders.
• Narrow forearm.
• Hind limbs: flat, straight hock, vestigial toes or vestigial toe mark on hind limbs.Narrow and thin paws, not covered with hair.
• Thin skin.
• Short coat, sharp, not woolly, not curly.
• Colors: Any other color than the one mentioned in the standard.

ELIMINATION DEFECTS:
• Aggression or excessive shyness.

Any dog showing physical or mental abnormalities shall be disqualified.
Note: Males should have two normally developed testicles, completely lowered into the scrotum.