Danish Swedish Farmdog 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.

The Danish Swedish Farmdog has over the centuries been a versatile dog, working on farms. The history of this dog goes way back to the 1700s, being found in Denmark and Sweden where they originated.

Today these dogs are also found in other countries. As life changed, the dog’s functions on the farm became less and the dog seemed to disappear somewhat. Both the Danish and Swedish Kennel Clubs worked together to bring back the breed, resulting in the first breed standard in 1987.

The Danish-Swedish Farmdog was also recorded in the American Kennel Club Foundation Stock Services in 2011. Today, most of these dogs are owned as family or companion dogs.

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.

Nobody could be blamed for thinking that the Danish Swedish Farmdog is a Fox Terrier, because he looks very similar. He also has a short, smooth coat which is odor-free and he is a wonderfully low maintenance breed. The coat does however shed throughout the year.

The coat’s main color is white with patches of black, fawn or chocolate brown. He can also be tri-colored. He is a small to medium sized dog with a compact body, standing between 32 - 37 cm and weighing about 7 – 12kg. He has a deep chest while the head is lean, small and triangular shaped. The ears are semi erect or they can be floppy while the tail is long.

Temperament:

The Danish Swedish Farmdog is not only intelligent, but he has other excellent characteristics that make him such a splendid pet. He isn’t aggressive, he is playful, loving, loyal, social and energetic.

He therefore makes an exceptional pet. He is an amusing pet who will prove to be entertaining too. He loves being part of all the family’s activities and gets on well with children and pets in the home.

You want to be sure that you provide him with exercise and games so that he doesn’t become bored, frustrated and destructive. After all, he is a breed that is used to be busy and he won’t do well with a family who puts him in the back yard and just leaves him.

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.

The Danish Swedish Farmdog has got everything going for him that makes him such a wonderful pet to have. He fits well into city- or country life, although wherever you live, you’ll need to ensure he is well exercised.

He is a child-friendly- and pet-friendly pet and he also happens to be low maintenance. You just need to brush him twice a week. You aren't likely to spend much on vet's fees with him either.In exchange for his love and devotion, make sure that you give every everything he needs to ensure his health and happiness.

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.

Danish-Swedish Farmdogs have a lifespan ranging from 11 to 15 years. They are hardy dogs, not suffering from any breed specific genetic issues.

However, it pays off to know of some of the common dog illnesses there are. If you provide your dog with high quality, nutritious food, good exercise and plenty of love and care, he can reach 15 years of age. Some of the more common dog illnesses to look out for -

Hip Dysplasia:

It is always a good idea to have this testing for your dog. In fact, hip testing can spare you a great deal of anguish later on with your pet.

Hip dysplasia is a common skeletal disorder in dogs and although it is more prevalent in large dogs, smaller dogs can also get it.

You’ll notice your pet running with a strange gait and sometimes when he lies down, he’ll battle to get up again.

Recognizing the clinical signs of hip dysplasia is important to spare your dog a whole lot of pain, discomfort and even lameness.

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.

Grooming:

The Danish Swedish Farmdog isn’t going to be requiring too much grooming. He has a short, smooth coat which actually repels dirt.

Because his coat is odor-free, he certainly can get by without bathing. This is good news, as bathing a dog strips the skin of its natural oils. You can always just wipe his coat down with a damp cloth to rid it of dust and give his coat a good brushing twice a week to remove it of loose hairs.

General Grooming tips:

It is always a good idea to check your pet’s ears to see that they remain free of debris and wax. There are ways and means to do this, and if you’re not sure how, your vet or doggy parlor can explain the process.

Check his nails to ensure they don’t get too long. This is prone to happen when your pet runs constantly on grass and doesn’t come into contact with a hard surface which files the nails down naturally.

Also, dental care is most important, and you need to brush your pet’s teeth 2 or 3 times a week with special toothpaste and toothbrush designed for dogs. Bad teeth don’t only affect the mouth of the dog, they can be detrimental to every part of your dog’s body.