Barbet vs Alpine Dachsbracke - Breed Comparison | PetzLover

They are aggressive enough for hunting and tracking large animals as well as small, but they are gentle enough to bring an injured animal back to the hunter without hurting it more.

At one time the breed was a crown favorite, accompanying Prince Rudolph of Habsburg on his hunting excursions. The Alpine Dachsbracke is still a favorite hunting breed but is now more often found as a family pet.

The Barbet is an ancient European waterdog, with the first references to it coming way back from 1387. This breed is thought to serve as a common ancestor for several other waterdogs, and these include the poodle. The breed was used to retrieve water fowl from water, and today it is used as a gundog and as a companion.

The name ‘Barbet’ comes from the French word for beard, which is ‘barbe’. The Kennel Club has announced that this dog is to be described as being in a class of its own, and it has become the 220th pedigree breed.

The Alpine Dachsbracke is a short, stocky dog with a long body and short legs. It is big boned and robust with round eyes. It has black toenails and a short, dense red or black coat.

The bridge of his nose is straight with a strong muzzle. Its forehead has a well defined furrow and black lips and nose. He is muscular and his chest is broad and deep. He holds his tail high and has a trotting gait.

The Barbet is a medium-sized breed of French water dog, measuring anything between 52–66cm in height. The dog is known for his thick, curly textured coat and even the head and tail are covered with this dense hair. His coat is waterproof.

The coat can vary in color and these colors can be brown, grey, white, fawn or black. The dog isn’t a heavy shedder. The Barbet’s tail is long and somewhat raised but not erect. He has long, wide pendant ears set at eye height, the skull is broad and the neck short and strong.

A Kindly Expression

With his kind brown eyes, it simply adds to the kindly expression of this attractive gun dog. He is a friendly, fun-loving dog, and makes a great family pet. He loves to swim and in fact has webbed paws to assist him with his swimming. Some dog owners say that this intelligent active breed can be a great watchdog, while others say the being a guard dog isn’t a particularly strong characteristic.

The Alpine Dachsbracke is a very lovable family dog even though he was bred to hunt and scent. They are great with kids and at their size are still good apartment, inside dogs. Though they need daily exercise they don’t need a large fenced in yard.

They are brave, intelligent and with a lot of stamina for the hunt or the walk. Take them on a hunting trip and they will adore you for it. Though they have plenty of power and endurance, they are not aggressive. However they are fearless and proud and need a strong pack leader for their human companion.

Most Barbets do superbly well with children and are naturally gentle with them. It is always important to teach children to respect animals and to be kind towards them. Even a gentle dog like the Barbet can turn aggressive if taunted beyond their endurance.

Barbets are social, good mixers and they get on well with other pets in the family, more so when they have been properly socialized. As a Sporting breed, the Barbet is energetic and loves to be involved in games and activities. He is such a versatile dog – gentle and friendly and he makes a wonderful devoted pet. Of course, he is also suited for use as a working dog, after all this breed was originally used for hunting waterfowl.

Treat him well and the thanks you’ll get will is unconditional friendship and loyalty.

They were bred to hunt and so are active dogs needing daily exercise and long walks.

Back Problems

They are at risk for back problems being long-backed dogs. The most common type of back problem is Intervertebral Disc Disease. This can cause pain and paralysis and can be caused by jumping, obesity or intense exercise.

The Barbet is a rare breed and therefore not much is known about particular health issues affecting him. Some health issues that you will need to be alert about with your Barbet are ear infections, hernias and hip dysplasia.

A veterinarian should be consulted if your dog shows signs of these ailments. The risk of a Barbet developing any health condition can always be significantly reduced by making sure you buy your Barbet from a reputable breeder. If he is fed well and taken to the vet when he does get sick, he can live to be 13 to 15 years of age.

Whether a puppy or adult the breed is subject to obesity and needs to be fed a good, vitamin filled dry dog food. At the same time they need the calories if they are active or hunting.

Feeding puppies

About one quarter to one half cup twice a day.

Adults

About one half cup twice a day until they become seniors or less active then reduce to a fourth of a cup twice a day.

Points for Good Health

The Alpine Daschbracke was bred to work. He needs exercise at least a couple times a day.

Games and Exercises

This breed is playful and loves to find and retrieve. Daily exercise is essential.

Grooming

The Barbet’s coat is longish and curly, much like a poodle, and long, wooly coat This being the case, moderate maintenance is required. Brushing and grooming twice a week will be necessary to keep the coat from matting too much. In fact, some Barbet owners prefer to keep their Barbets professionally groomed so that the thick hair is fairly short all over.

The dog’s ears will also need to be kept clean and dry.

Food/Diet

If your Barbet is a farm dog, used for hunting or working purposes, make sure to buy dog food formulated for active dogs. Your Barbet puppy up to the age of 3 months will require 4 meals a day. When your Barbet reaches a year of age he can be fed one or two bowls of food. Speak to your veterinarian about top-quality wet- and dry foods. Every dog will require raw meat added into their food once in a while.

Make sure there is a constant supply of cool, fresh water and also wash his food and water bowls regularly.

Training

The Barbet is an intelligent breed and therefore trainable. Dog owners who care for their pets, see to it that they are trained and have been socialized. This makes dogs much nicer to live with as they get on well with children and other pets and they don’t bark incessantly.

Exercise

The Barbet is a working breed so you can’t just leave him in your back garden day after day. To stay healthy and happy, he will need to be played with, taken for walks and exercised regularly.