Barbet Mini Series – Personality
The Barbet is easy going, joyful, and friendly.
They generally get on with people and dogs. The breed is well rounded and confident. They are happy to do things with you and without you.
However, the Barbet does not like to be on their own. They are not a self-contained breed that is happy with just their own company. As a single dog, they want to be with their humans. With more than one dog in the home, this does not change, they may have each other, but they still want to be with their people. They have a strong sense of family, so thinking that a second dog will satisfy them and give you more time without them is incorrect. They do not cope if they are separated from their family, shutting them out of rooms and crating them can cause significant distress. Note that this is true for all dogs, not just the Barbet. They will often cuddle up to you, and when you move over to give them more room, they move right back up next to you. Do expect them to drape themselves over you when they go to sleep!
Barbets are a good combination of being on the go and watching the world go by.
They go through phases where they are up and want to do things, and also when they think lazy mornings or evenings are best. Inquisitive and athletic, they are good at lots of activities, you just need to try different ones until you find the one that they love.
The Barbet is a working breed and so can have a strong instinct to hunt, equally, some are not that motivated to continue once they have followed the scent they have found.
To some extent this depends on the lines (ancestry), but also how you bring them up. Some bark more than others, this depends on the dog, but age makes a difference. Teenagers and adolescents tend to be more vocal than younger and older dogs. With regard to lead walking, we see the same variation, some walk next to you, some like to be ahead and pull. And once again, age makes a difference.