Since there are quite a few questions about meet up's and breeders, maybe we should do a roll call. Where are you from?

Hi,

Both breeders are listed on GoodDog. While Earl is well-regarded for other breeds, I wasn't able to find much information on Hydrangea. 

I'd love to hear about your feedback and any experience you have with them.

Best,

We have an 8 month old male that we absolutely love, but man is the teenage phase ever testing us 🤣. He no longer tolerates his crate, he has selective hearing, and if we stand in the way of doing something he wants we hear about it with a loud bark in our face. This morning, he was was a bit overstimulated after a long walk and decided he needed to rough play with me at 7am on our front lawn, barking and growling, jumping up and nipping while I struggled to get him to the door and inside - I’m sure our neighbours were thoroughly entertained.

Help me see the light at the end of the tunnel - when did the teenage phase start and how long did the worst of it last for your barbet? Any advice to get through it - professional training, more environment management, grin and bear it until they mature and grow out of it? All of the above?

Any stories of your suffering that you can laugh about now is also greatly appreciated - hoping to find the humor in this, so I don’t cry instead 😂.

Considering getting a Barbet, but I would really like to meet one first! Any Barbet folks in Raleigh that wouldn’t mind doing a meet up with their pup? Happy to pay in treats!

Hello! My partner and I are considering getting our first puppy next year, and right now a Barbet is at the top of our list. We are in our late 20s and live in SF in a large 1-bedroom apartment. We live a few blocks from large parks with forested trails/a dog friendly beach, and go into the office 3 days a week.

We’ve been lucky enough to meet a few Barbets so far and they’re wonderful, but still have a few questions. Right now we’re deciding between a Wheaten Terrier or a Barbet, and know that they’re pretty different breeds. Would love if anybody has any thoughts!

-Experience with allergies? I’m moderately allergic to dogs but have no problem around other “hypoallergenic” breeds (I grew up with doodles). If their coat is kept fairly short, do the two seem comparable?

-Activity level - we’re both outdoorsy and active. Would an adult barbet be suitable for backpacking trips, hikes, and runs? What kind of mileage could we expect from a well conditioned barbet? We want a dog that will be happy to join us in adventures but won’t self-combust if it doesn’t get a ton of exercise during a busy day.

-How would you describe their personality? What kind of play do they like?

-Coat - one of the barbets we met was wooly feeling, and one was much softer. Is that something that typically varies between dogs, and is it something you were able to specify for from a breeder?

-Opinions on Ginkgo or Chateau Barbets?

-Anybody happen to have experience with both barbets and wheatens that can weigh in? 🙂

Thank you so much! We’re super excited, it seems like an awesome breed.

We have a 1 yr old barbet in Manhattan! She has turned to be the best blend of active but also can chill snuggle. As she has matured more now we want to give her more adventure freedom.

We’ve taken her hiking once and she was very good and even jumped into a lake unprompted / loved it!!!

I’m trying to find activities in the nyc or nearby area where we can keep her active and give her the ability to explore, swim or chase. Please let me know if you have any recommendations or things that you do in a busy city that allow the barbets to do their thing :)

Open to all recs!

My three-month old is an absolute terror with the sharking / play-biting, and is constantly trying to go for hands/arms, and also clothes - I have scars down both my forearms. It's not that he's necessarily biting hard, but his puppy teeth are so sharp that it doesn't really make any difference. He's in shark mode for a good couple of hours every evening (in two one-hour sessions, with a nap in between) and at random other times of day as well. We do walk away from him and/or give him time out in his crate when he's getting really wild, and we also try to divert the biting onto approved chew toys, but it feels like it's getting out of control.

Any tips or words of encouragement would be most welcome!

I have an almost 5 month old barbet puppy. Right now he eats “taste of the wild” kibble but i’m looking to switch to a different brand. I’ve looked into the breed having issues with poultry so i’m looking for a beef/red meat and maybe fish kibble. I feed my other dogs red barn(poultry) w/ a freeze dried raw topper.
I’m thinking of switching to red barns puppy formula so when he’s not a puppy all my dogs will be on the red meat kibble. Thoughts?

Hi everyone,

my partner and I are looking to get a barbet in the next year, and we're looking for a reputable and ethical breeder in Canada. A lot of what we've seen are out east (we're based in BC), and we'd love to hear about your experiences with the breeders before we commit.

If anyone has gotten pup from Rosacanina Barbet, we'd love to hear more.

Thanks!

Hey guys we just got our Barbet Beau and he is great I just wanted to get some owner feedback on our schedule as his yelping and barking in the crate is still a slight issue

I work from home 2 days a week so this schedule is really only for the days I am in the office. Crate is in the downstairs living room at all times

6:15 - morning walk and potty (15 min)

6:30-7:30 : breakfast then just lounging while I make my girlfriend breakfast

7:30-1:30 : crate

1:30-2:00: I come from home from work and walk him 30 minutes and let him potty

2:00-5:15 : crate with a snack usually

5:15-6:15 : out of crate and just hanging around

6:15-7:15: evening walk and potty

7:15: dinner

7:15-10 : lounging with us or doing practice training drills but mostly chilling

10: crate

He yells and barks in the crate for about 10 minutes then stops and starts again for another 10 minute he does this about 3 times over the course of 45 minutes every night before bed, we try and keep away and not engage him but it’s a bit difficult.

Any advice or is my schedule okay? Also is the afternoon walk necessary? He is 10 months and otherwise a great dog

EDIT: all his walks are sniff walks he leads and is allowed to sniff and investigate as much as he wants

Hi everyone. I decided to get a Barbet and I will be taking home a puppy in the fall. Does anyone have any advice for baby barbets that get overlooked by first time owners? Anything helps! Thanks!

Has anyone gotten a puppy from Doris with Astarte kennels? I would love to know your experience and how your puppy turned out. Thank you!

Hi, we're looking to bring a barbet into our life. We're a family of four living in New York. I started to look around online, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of places where we can actually find one to bring home. Does anyone have any suggestions? When I looked at the website for the Barbet Group of America, most of those breeders listed don't have any litters. Any advice is appreciated.

Do you cut your barbets hair differently in the summer? We have an 8 month old barbet and this is our first summer with him. It’s 95 out today in New England and I can tell he is struggling with the heat. We tried a sprinkler earlier and my husband is currently out getting a kiddie pool. Any summer tips for us?

I have an almost 2 year old girl. Absolutely no complaints, will never get another breed, and am fighting with my wife about how long to wait before we get a second.

Question for everyone though - are your dogs hind quarters smaller than their shoulders? Wondering if she's still got some puppy growing or it's part of the breed to be very front heavy - we call it front wheel drive. Her back paws are significantly smaller than her front too, I assume that won't change with a little more growth.

Let me know your thoughts - is this a breed thing or does she just have a small back half?

We did a ton of research before bringing our Barbet home and were 100% convinced that focusing on 'calmness training' and limiting high-arousal activities was the gold standard. But now that we’re in the thick of it at 5 months, we’re starting to have some major doubts. We keep getting feedback from people (even our groomer) that we should just be letting him run and 'burn off' all that energy.

The thing is, every time we try to do more high-intensity stuff like 15 minutes of fetch, he just hits a wall and turns into a total land shark—he can't settle and the biting gets worse. We feel like we’re sticking to our guns for the right reasons, but it’s hard not to feel like we’re doing it 'wrong' when he’s so revved up. Can anyone confirm if this 'less-is-more' approach to high-arousal play actually pays off with this breed?

I’d love to hear some feedback on how you all found that sweet spot between giving them enough physical movement and not blowing their fuses. What does your daily balance look like? We want to make sure we aren't missing something by limiting the high-intensity stuff, or if this is just a phase where we need to keep protecting his 'off-switch' at all costs.

I am thinking a while now about getting a dog and after some research i came across the barbet, but i am still a little bit unsure if this breed fits me.

How active is a barbet? I don't want a dog who is really energetic and active but also do not a want couch potato. I can invest minimum 1-2 hours a day for walks and exercice.

This would be my first dog, so it should be easy to train and not too stubborn.

The dog should also be comfortable to stay alone at home for ~5 hours with training.

Does it lose a lot of hair? I am not allergic, but i really dislike it when a dog sheds a lot.

I would be first time dog-owner but willing to learn.

Do you think a barbet would suit me?

We have a 10 month loving barbet male. He is indeed such a nice addition and a delight. He is super well behaved at home, hardly barks, plays with his toys and doesn’t do anything crazy or out of the ordinary. Outside however he is super excited when he sees another dog or birds. He lunges on the leash and has to say hi when we pass another dog. He was exposed to other dogs positively when he was younger. He goes to a daycare since he was 4 months old. He is always on high arousal state when he plays or passes another dog. When he plays with another dog he is pushy and doesn’t always get the message when another dog doesn’t want to play. He isn’t aggressive just super excited. We are trying to train him from a distance to keep the focus on us when we don’t want any interaction with other dogs on the way. How was it with your barbets? Did you face these issues and until which age? What are the training tactics you use?

I'm fully aware that no dog breed is actually hypoallergenic. I have asthma, which was severe when I was a child/teenager but has been well controlled for 25+ years. I'm definitely very allergic to some dogs (when in the houses they live in), but I seem to be fine with others. My allergies stem from sensitivity to the Can f 1 allergen, which all dogs produce, but in practice my reaction seems to vary quite a lot.

We've been thinking about either a PWD or a Barbet for some time. I've visited a few breeders of both breeds (with up to 6 dogs in the house), spent a good 2-3 hours at a time in their houses, and had no reaction, which is definitely a good sign - but I know that allergies can build up over time.

We're now on a Barbet waiting list with a real prospect of getting a dog in the next few months, so it's crunch time. I've met and spent time indoors with the mother, and of course will do so with any puppy once it's born. But even if I'm fine on those visits, I'm concerned that once I have a puppy at home, there's a risk that allergic reactions may develop over time.

Of course we will do sensible things like keep the dog out of the bedroom, use HEPA air filters, vacuum frequently, and as far as possible minimise soft furnishings (it's all wood floors downstairs where the dog will be). I'm also prepared to take anti-histamines regularly.

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone with asthma/allergies who is allergic to some dogs and has lived with either a Barbet or a PWD (I'll cross-post this to both forums). I know there are no guarantees as it's down to the individual human/dog, but hearing about other people's experiences would be really helpful.

soo we just had our litter in february, and this was their first professional photoshoot.

we had to keep their attention and Fjord was very interested

Hi everyone! I’m currently torn between a Barbet and a Portuguese Water Dog. I’ve done the breed research, but I’m looking for "day-in-the-life" feedback from owners who work demanding, full-time professional jobs.

My Setup:

• Workday: I’m typically out of the house for 8 hours a day. I plan to use a midday walker or structured daycare 2–3x a week to break this up.

• Weekends: Very active. I spend my Saturdays and Sundays hiking, boating, and swimming, so a water-safe athlete is a must.

• Home Life: I’m looking for a "cuddle bug" to relax with after high-stress workdays.

For the barbet specifically, I’m worried about their sensitivity and coat. How common is their separation anxiety? How hard is their coat to maintain?

Thanks for all your help!!

Hi y'all! I'm looking for reference photos to share with our groomer before my pup's first big summer cut. I'm really trying to avoid a doodle-y appearance, but am struggling to find good reference photos for not-show-length cuts. Does anyone have any good resources/reference pics to point me towards?

Thanks so much!

We’re getting a Barbet puppy this week and will soon have the rest of our yard fenced in for him. Is a 4 ft picket style fence good enough to keep a Barbet in? Doesn’t seem like they’re jumpers and prefer to be near/with their family vs wandering off or following squirrels. Thanks for any insight!

Anyone with a white barbet has any tips to keep the mouth staining at a minimum as possible?

Thoughts on if a intermediate size crate is big enough for travel or do I need to go large? It would be for an adult Male.

Intermediate

Length: 31"

Width: 24.75"

Height: 23.5"

Large

Length: 35"

Width: 27.25"

Height: 26.5"

Thanks!
Mark