So often when we receive an inquiry from a potential new home one of the first things they declare is “My research shows me that a Barbet will be the perfect dog for my family.” But we are always curious to know what their family has to offer making them the “perfect home” for a Noblespirit Barbet.
Just a few questions to ask yourself:
Are you aware of the need for coat care required to keep your Barbet clean, mat free and comfortable? Yup, this hairy beast requires minimum once weekly grooming and preferably 2 times. Their coat is always growing and will often require appointments with groomers every 4-6 weeks depending on your lifestyle, costing in some cases as much as $150 or more. Would you really enjoy all the hours of upkeep for their entire lifetime?
Did you know Barbets are a sporting dog whose history has been to retrieve game from fields and water? While they sure are an easy going, cheerful and oftentimes comedic dog to live with, Barbets do still have natural prey drive so look out to all the local squirrels, chippies and rabbits. To keep them out of trouble they will be requiring a minimum daily exercise of 30-60 minutes, preferably the latter. Do you have the time to accomplish this? Are you able to provide additional stimulation of swimming and or forest walking, perhaps spend time at cottages/summer homes etc.?
Do you have the time, patience and commitment to teaching these intelligent, sensitive and affectionate little souls the basics of life making them good canine citizens? Barbets are such an intelligent breed that do not take long to learn a new skill, including some of those you may not like. Basic training will require patience and dedication from you for a good 12 months but honestly you will reap the benefit after all your hard work. One of our requirements is for Puppy Classes to commence almost immediately upon leaving for their new home. Are you able and interested to take it up a notch and attend future classes with your Barbet to participate in such activities as Agility, Rally Obedience, Barn Hunt, Sprint training etc.?
Do you realize the financial commitment which includes good nutrition, ongoing training with positive stimulation, veterinary care and potential monthly grooming services?
Do you know the longevity of a Barbet is anywhere from 10+ years, we often hear of Barbets reaching ages of 14 years? This is a long-term commitment to say the least. Are you prepared for this?
Do you realize just how messy a Barbet can get? Yes, they have an inherent desire to roll in fresh grass clippings, fallen leaves, twigs, dig holes, race through overgrown meadows and careen into open water with great abandon. They have no concern about wearing all this debris in their hairy coat whether kept long or short and oftentimes bring it all with them into your home. Remember my above statement regarding grooming? Get out your slicker and brushes folks!!
After drinking water their beard will drip all over your floor and they will naturally drench you as they go in for a kiss right after having had that drink.
Did you realize Barbets are not loners? They will always seek you out wherever you may be to lay at your feet, beside your feet, under your feet….you get the picture! They just want to be with their people and are often affectionately referred to as “Velcro Dogs.” They do not thrive being left for long periods and shouldn’t be. Can’t accommodate this in your life right now? Then perhaps a Barbet is not for you.
Did you realize the Barbet is still considered a rare breed? In the interest of advancing this amazing little dog, we as breeders are always interested in puppy homes that are open to aiding this by way of co-ownership. This entails the dog being kept intact (unaltered sexually), preferably shown in conformation and having passed all health and orthopedic clearances all at Noblespirit Barbet’s expense in order to be bred down the road. Would you have an interest in this sort of relationship and would you like more information?
Noblespirit Barbets 