This tireless swimmer has webbed feet and wooly sheepdog abundant coat that allows him to withstand hours in cold waters and chilly marshes. The Barbet is a medium sized, sturdy, intelligent, independant dog, able to find game, flush and retrieve it. The breed was developed centuries ago to point, flush and retrieve waterfowl and is considered to be the ancestor of many other breeds, including the Poodle, the Irish Water Spaniel, the Newfoundland, and the Briard.
This is the original water dog of Europe, known since the Middle Ages. 
He is an excellent water dog using his webbed feet to advantage, never tiring after long hours of swimming. His shaggy, curly coat protects him from icy water into which he has to plunge to retrieve downed waterfowl. The coat forms a beard (French barbe) on the chin, which gave the breed its name (Barbet).
His cheerful, obedient and highly intelligent personality make him a good family dog. Despite his good qualities, during the 19th century the breed was almost lost and was replaced by his direct descendant the Poodle. Almost unknown outside his native France, the breed is promoted by a few enthusiasts at home. With approximately 300 dogs in the world, the Barbet remains today an extremely rare breed. Barbets have several strong points for which some breeders begin to prefer them to standard poodles: they are not nuisance barkers and will bark only for a reason. They are not high-strung outdoors and have fewer health problems.
Photo courtesy of Barbet en Bresse - chiensdeau.free.fr/BarbetenBresse/index.php