The breed is so old that Henry the IV was hunting with Griffon d’Arret a Poil Laineux during his rule of France in the 16th century, and yet this tremendous breed we now call the Barbet remains somewhat rare. Before the advent of guns, it was the job of this seemingly tireless swimmer to retrieve arrows that had fallen into water or swampy land and couldn’t be reached by people.

Barbets are believed by many cynologists to be the principle ancestor of the Poodle, Irish Water Spaniel, Newfoundland, Briard and Bichon. The breed got full recognition by the AKC in January 2020.

“The Water Dog,” by Philip Reinagle (1749-1833)