Double-Nosed Andean Tiger Hound vs Barbet - Breed Comparison

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.

This is truly a rare breed of dog with his double nose. He hails from Bolivia.

Twentieth century reports of this rare feature include one report of a certain Percy Fawcett in 1913 already. This report received wide press coverage in 2006. There were photographs of this unique dog breed and they were distributed in the leading press outlets, with some people thinking that this was just a genetic abnormality.

However it soon proved that this wasn’t an abnormality but part of the breeds unique features, and these dogs can be seen around Bolivia and Trinidad.

It is believed that this dog is descended from the Pachon Navarro, a type of Pointer dog believed to have been brought to Central- and South America in the 16th century. Today, no kennel club recognizes the dog.

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 Double-nosed Andean Tiger Hound is a medium to large sized pure bred dog known specifically for this unique feature – the double nostril divided by a skin and fur band.

He stands at roughly 48 – 60cm and weighs 20 – 29kg. The dog has floppy ears or semi-erect ears with short limbs and a long tail.The coat of the dog is short and silky and it can be brown and white or black, grey and white or he can be a mixture of several of these colors.

Temperament:

Even though the dog’s name - Andean Tiger Hound - might make people think it is similar in character to a tiger, it is actually a sweet natured dog with a gentle nature that loves being close to its human family.

It lives peacefully with children and pets in the home. It is a brave, alert dog who makes a good watchdog. He is an energetic dog and will require regular exercise such as long walks. As with all dogs he can benefit with training and socialization and being an intelligent breed, he is actually easy to train.

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.

This medium sized dog with the double nose is unusual in that respect, but he is no different from most other dogs when it comes to making a wonderful pet.

Loving, loyal, gentle, easy to please, amicable and intelligent, the Double Nosed Andean Tiger Hound guarantees to make you an excellent pet as he has so many of the desired characteristics of a good friend.

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.

The Double nosed Andean Tiger Hound, with good care, can reach 12 to 15 years of age.

Every dog has common dog ailments to contend with and some of these your dog might be susceptible to are -

Arthritis:

Atypical disease to look out for as your dog grows older. It can be heartbreaking to watch your bet battling to walk and battling to get up from lying down.

Cancer:

This is a disease with dogs that accounts for almost 50% of deaths in pets. It is a killer and you want to be looking out for drastic weight loss and lumps and get your pet to the vet.

Kennel Cough:

This is a respiratory infection and it can be easily be passed from one dog to the next. Your dog will have a raspy cough and will be lethargic too.

Worms:

This can cause weight loss in your pet and he can also have a swollen stomach and be lethargic.

Allergies:

Anything can cause your dog to have an allergy, whether it is fleas or ticks or even food. Common allergies can be treated by changing some of the things you believe could be aggravating your pet.

Remember that a healthy, balanced diet and good exercise are important for keeping your pet healthy and ensuring longevity.

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.

Diet:

Feed your pet a quality diet – either from the top-range commercially manufactured foods or home-made food such as cooked rice, vegetables and chicken.

Steer well clear of over-feeding your pet as this can negatively affect your pet’s health in many ways.

Warm, Dry Living Environment:

Ensure your pet is always sheltered from the weather and that he has both sun and shade.

Exercise:

Your Double Nosed Andean Tiger Hound is an energetic dog and you want to walk him and make sure that he gets regular exercise to keep fit, lean and healthy.

Be Involved with the Pet:

Dogs are social creatures and to stick him in your back yard without any interaction with you is enough to make him ill and to take all the spirit out of him. Rather don’t get a pet.