Barbet Fanciers | History

The story of the Barbet is long and impressive. References to the breed are throughout history, doing various jobs, with various historical lineage, always referenced with respect and admiration. After so many centuries of serving man in so many capacities, the Barbet is not a common nor well known breed. A victim of the changes of the history he helped shape, the Barbet was nearly extinct after WWII. Through the efforts of a very devoted few, this old breed is slowly being reborn as a dog for the future.

The Barbet is a French water dog and the breed's name “Barbet” comes from the French word barbe, which means beard. It has been said that the French Royals have been hunting with Barbet for all time. The Barbet has also worked as sailor’s assistants, much like the Portuguese Water Dog.

The first certain reference to the breed occurs in the fourteenth century when a gascon count speaks of them in a book written in 1387.

The earliest attempt at categorizing the Barbet was in 1570 with De Canibus Britannicus. Originally written in latin by Dr Johannes Caius who was Queen Elizabeth’s doctor. Translated to English in 1576, a group of dogs for hunting and fowling called Aucupatorii were: setter, waterdog and water spaniel.

Sixteenth-century cynologist Fouilloux dubbed him the Barbet, from barbe, a French designation for beard; his pseudonym, laineux., translates into woolly.

This breed has contributed to the French language “être crotté comme un Barbet”—to be very, very muddy. Perhaps it is their impishness that entice
s them to muddy, swampy places, giving them the nickname of "Mud Dog." 

Henry IV of France (1553-1610); king of France (1589-1610) was enthusiastic about all sorts of hunting, and he enjoyed waterfowling with his Barbet.

In 1587, Henry IV's mistress, Corisande, was reproached by Monsieur de Bellieure Chancellor to Marie de Medici, for attending church in the company of "a fool, a monkey and a Barbet". Though his comments had political overtones the mention of the Barbet has it's own significance. We see the Barbet was a hunting dog with a difference. 

In the early 1700's, François-Marie Arouet, more commonly known as Voltaire, the french philosopher was quoted as saying "The Barbet is man's best friend...."

Charles Diguet's La Chasse au Marais (Paris: E.Dentu, 1889), p. 230. shows the water spaniel in full form. He observes that Water Spaniels are courageous, fast, indifferent to icy water where they're happy to stay for hours, possess a keen natural retrieve; their sole fault is they're a bit hard-mouthed. Napoleon Bonaparte was known to have a Barbet named "Moustache" by his side at all times, even in battle.  This courageous and faithful companion is still celebrated to this day in France at a memorial built in his honour.

A second name for the Barbet was: Griffon d’arrêt à Poil Laineux (wooly- haired pointer) as mentionned in the Larousse Universel (1922); Littré’s dictionary (1878 edition) which still exists and still mentions the Barbet, and La Sauvagine, Feb. 1995.
References abound as far to the Barbet's intelligence, and fearlessness of very cold water. The dog was used for waterfowl hunting to such a degree that a saying of the day was "Muddy as a Barbet", referring to the dogs appearance after hunting in the marshes. However, from the beginning this specially bred dog exhibited a loyalty and friendliness that made him a companion dog of choice. Nevertheless, the Barbet is rated as the number Four “Agility Dog” in France, just ahead of the Tervueren, one of four varieties of Belgian Shepherd Dogs. 
The Barbet has been used in breeding several breeds, for example the Briard and the Newfoundland. But although the Barbet has been used in breeding other breeds, the Barbet itself almost died out. Before World War II there were two Barbet breeders in France and to these breeders' knowledge there were not any other breeders. One of the breeders was Doctor Vincenti. After World War II there were only a few Barbets left and more than 20 years later breeding of the Barbet was started again. It was the daughter of Dr. Vincenti, Madame Petre, who started breeding Barbet again on the basis of the Barbet that she could find and which were descendants of Barbet bred by her father.

The Barbet today, although rare and in small numbers, continues to delight and amaze people around with world with it’s agility, propensity to water and its versatile field and water abilities. With such an extensive historical lineage, the Barbet is a timeless and classic breed of canine. 

In summary, the Barbet is an integral part of dog history, and many familiar breeds have Barbet in their ancestry. Depending on geography and necessity, the Barbet connected through the centuries in various capacities, and as a companion dog.

The versatile nature of the Barbet has meant its survival, and today's Barbet still has the assets attributed to it from the past.

L'Histoire En Francais

La popularité du Barbet et la faveur dont il jouissait alors et qui se sont maintenues pendant des siècles, ressortent de multiples témoignages irréfutables. Il apparaît sur des écus du Moyen-Age. Il apparaît commele précise Paul Dechambre, dans maintes gravures du XVe et du XVIésiècle. En fait on pourrait ainsi multiplier les exemples dans lesquels apparaissentdes Barbets. La période s'étendant du XIV e au XVIe siècle secaractérise par un silence complet des auteurs au sujet du Barbet, ceux-ciparlent bien de chiens d'eau mais ne mentionnent pas explicitement le Barbet.De même en 1576 Caius (Dc Kaye) parle du Barbet et le désigne sous le nom de "waterspaniel" montrant ainsi qu'il le considère comme chien de chasse pouvant être utilisé aussi bien en plaine qu'au marais.C'est surtout à partir decette époque que l'on distingua les Griffons les Epagneuls et les Barbets. De Sélincourt s'exprimait en ces termes "Les griffons chassent aussi lenez bas et suivent le pied mieux que tous les autres par les chaleurs... Les barbets frisés et à demi-poil suivent tous par le pied, chassent le nez basquand le gibier fuit, et quand il demeure chassent le nez haut et l'arrêtent; ils chassent sur terre et dans l'eau, leur principale nature est de rapporter, ils sont rudes au gibier, les frisés plus que les autres, mais tous sont les plus fidèles chiens du monde et qui ne veulent qu'un maître et ne le jamais perdre de vue.Comme on vient de le voir plusieurs races possèdent du sang barbet dans ses veines, mais il convient derester prudent sur les descendants de la race. On peut sans se tromper affirmer que Korthal, Drahthaar, Griffon Boulet, Briard et Beauceron sans oublier le Caniche sont les descendants les plus proches du Barbet.Dès le Moyen Âge, il existait en Europe sous l'appellation de chien d'eau. Cette race, nominativement désignée dans la Maison rustique du XVIème siècle, représentée dans plusieurs dessins de la même époque, était destinée à lachasse aux canards et aux cygnes.Cité par Buffon dans son "Histoire naturelle", il fut utilisé par Spallanzani en 1779 pour réaliser avec succès la première insémination artificielle. En déclin à la fin du XIXème siècle, ne demeurant chien de chasse que chez les braconniers ou les paysans, si bien qu'il faillit disparaître. Il peut être considéré comme l'ancêtre des chiens à poil long, plus ou moins laineux oufrisé (Caniche, Bichon) et comme apparenté directement aux chiens de berger, tel le Briard, qui ont beaucoup de points communs avec lui. Son standard a été remis à jour en 1986. Ses effectifs sont très réduits, cequi met en péril sa survie. Très puissant, rustique, vigoureux, résistant au froid et à l'humidité, il aime l'eau et nage très bien. Son odorat très bon, son allure est lente, c'est lechien du sauvaginier. Il a un très bon rapport. Il a été également utilisé comme chien de berger pour la conduite des troupeaux. D'un caractère équilibré, jamais agressif, doux, il est un compagnon affectueux. Vit bien en ville mais il ne faut pas le laisser enfermé seul. Des sorties régulières sont indispensables. Il supporte mal la chaleur à cause de son pelage épais. Le poil peut se masser en plaques s'il n'est pas régulièrement démêlé. Chien de chasse. Chien de compagnie.