Barbet

A healthy Barbet typically lives 12 to 14 years. Because the breed was rebuilt from a small founding population, the factors that most influence that figure are breeder health testing — hips, elbows, eyes, and the PRA/PRCD DNA test — plus keeping the dog lean and the coat and ears properly maintained to avoid chronic skin and ear disease. A Barbet from fully screened parents, kept fit and well-groomed, reliably reaches the upper end of that range.

A lot — this is the breed's single biggest ongoing commitment and the most common reason buyers are unprepared. The dense, continuously growing curly coat must be brushed and combed down to the skin several times a week (surface brushing hides mats), needs a professional groom roughly every six to eight weeks, and must be dried after every swim. Neglect causes painful matting that sometimes has to be clipped off entirely, plus moisture-driven skin infection. Budget the time and the grooming cost honestly before you commit to this breed.

Progressive retinal atrophy (the prcd form) is an inherited, recessive disease in which the retina slowly degenerates, causing night blindness first and eventual complete blindness. It matters acutely in this breed because roughly 40% of DNA-tested Barbets have been found to carry the prcd variant — a high carrier rate. The disease is fully DNA-testable, so a clear-by-DNA breeding pairing prevents affected puppies. Practically, that means you should treat a breeder who cannot produce a PRA/PRCD DNA result for the parents as a deal-breaker.

Generally yes — sociability is one of the breed's strongest traits. Barbets are cheerful, people-oriented, and biddable, and they typically do well with respectful children and with other dogs when socialized normally. They are not guard dogs and their default disposition is friendly rather than wary. As with any medium-sized active dog, supervise interactions with very young children and teach the dog a reliable recall, but temperament is rarely the limiting factor with a Barbet — grooming and exercise commitment are.

Plan on 60 to 90 minutes of real daily activity. The Barbet is a working water-retriever with genuine stamina, so it does best with vigorous exercise that ideally includes swimming and retrieving — the activities it was bred for — plus training or scent games for mental engagement. It is calm and easy indoors when those needs are met, but an under-exercised Barbet becomes restless and more difficult to live with. This is an active companion, not a sedentary lapdog despite the soft, cuddly appearance.

Expect roughly $2,500 to $4,000 or more for a well-bred Barbet puppy from a breeder doing full health testing, reflecting the breed's rarity and small gene pool. The cost most buyers underestimate is recurring grooming: professional grooms every six to eight weeks for the life of the dog add up substantially, and a neglected coat leads to vet bills for skin and ear infections on top of that. Budget both the higher purchase price for a health-tested puppy and the lifetime grooming cost before committing.