The AKC or American Kennel Club since it’s inception in 1884 maintains the largest listing of purebred dogs worldwide. There are currently 193 breeds recognized in the US by the AKC. However worldwide there are over 400 breeds recognized by other registry companies in different countries.
How does the AKC Go About Recognizing Breeds?
The AKC considers itself a “club of clubs.” What this means is that in order for a breed to be considered for inclusion and recognition by the AKC owners of the breed must establish a National Breed Club. There are several other steps members on the National Breed Club must follow in order to get the breed into the club. The AKC was actually late in recognizing the breed. In the UK the breed was formally recognized as of 2018.
Before being recognized as an official breed by the AKC this dog was placed in the miscellaneous group which is a catch-all group for breeds which fall into their Foundation Stock Service Program but have not yet been accepted into one of their established dog groups. Some dogs remain in the miscellaneous group forever while others, once enough interest in the dogs are shown nationwide, along with meeting other requirements are officially accepted and recognized as its own breed.
Now that you know the history of the AKC and a bit more about how breeds are recognized in the first place here is the dog that was just recognized as an AKC breed in 2020. The Barbet.
What Is a Barbet Dog?
A Barbet is a medium sized French water dog. Since the dog has not been officially accepted as its own breed it has been placed in the same group as retrievers, flushers and water dogs.
Why was the Barbet bred? – History of the Barbet Breed
Barbets were bred to hunt birds and water fowls. The dog has webbed feet giving it the ability to chase game in mud and water.
The Barbet breed is actually have said to have been around as early as the 14th century with some stories suggesting the breed goes back to the 8th century. The Barbet and Poodle are considered to be nearly identical breeds until around the mid 1800s and the Poodle is still the breeds closest dog relative. Despite the long breeding history there are now very few Barbet dogs around the world.
The breed fell out of favor during the economic strife of the early 1900s and many breeders lost the ability or desire to continue breeding the dog. Only recently, in the early 2000s did breeding begun picking up again. In order for breeds to be recognized by the AKC dog clubs have to show interest in breeding the dogs and this is likely the reason the breed has only just been recognized.
What does a barbet dog look like?
Barbets are medium sized dogs, weighing between 30 and 70lbs. In general their height is between 19 inches to 2.5 feet tall. To put the barbet’s size into perspective they are about the same size as a Bordie Collie. Even as a pup these dog are very hairy with hair nearly covering there eyes.
They have a very dense and curly coat which isn’t hard to maintain, however they must be groomed daily in order to ensure that the fur does not get matted. It may also be a good idea to even groom them after a walk as lots of things can get stuck inside of their mass of fur. They are generally brown, black or grey colored.
Should you adopt a barbet?
Well that depends I think. Barbets are intelligent, good natured, kid friendly and pet friendly dogs. They are also very loyal hunting companions. However they have very high energy levels and require a sufficient amount of attention in order to not get bored. They are also quite agile and enjoy showing their agility. Despite their somewhat stocky build they are very athletic and great swimmer. It would also be a good idea to have puzzles that will be challenging for them to solve and ways to keep them entertained.
The person who adopts this breed should be adventurous. These dogs love a new adventure and love exploring new places, especially woody areas.
Like any breed you will want to read up as much on them as you can and watch videos from people who own these breeds.
