Mate Select Kennel Club

I am pleased to say that so far some of the Barbets are showing up :)
Novaforesta Duplo, Novaforesta Eton, Novaforesta Dudley and I am still looking.
We are slowly making progress

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/services/public/mateselect/test/Default.aspx


http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/services/public/mateselect/Default.aspx

If the links do not work then just go to mate select, and then health

Afternoon Barbet boys, Eton and Rugby

The boys are good friends, even though Rugby is rather a wild child :) anyway, first groom for Rugby last week and it was rather exhausting as he was not really very impressed but I think he will be better next time. Eton is well behaved for grooming so hopefully Rugby will pay more attention next time as to what to do when up on a grooming table and he will remember to keep 4 paws still. Rugby is already showing his natural ability to flush, so these two boys could become quite a team :)

Mr Bentley the Barbet

A lovely start to my day as Mr Bentley came for a groom, and he loves being here which always helps.
Mr Bentley is a boy from my very first litter, and he lives nearby so I get to see him about every 12 weeks. He will be 6 years old next March, where does the time go? Mr Bentley has had an exciting life, he survived being run over, he was attacked badly by a flat coat retriever (Hmmm...) and has even had his stomach pumped after eating something he shouldn't! and he also has to tolerate other dogs in his home as his owner fosters dogs for a rescue centre.

Dogs and fireworks

It is getting near that time of year that we start to hear fireworks every night :)
So it is worth starting to look for some sounds to play in advance.
If this is your pups first year then start playing the sounds at dinner time as though it is just part of your new routine, no fuss just as though you are listening to a CD, then each day just turn the sound up a little more.
Don't anticipate a problem as most dogs are not concerned.

FIREWORK NOISES

Ralph the Barbet puppy at 6 months old

This is Ralph , a pup from Bepop and Jedi he is already 6 months old and growing into a handsome chap.

Hip Score results and breeding

and the good news is .......Martha has 7/8 hips which means she has now passed her health checks for breeding.
2014 will be another bumper year for the breed in the UK as I hope that we will have the patter of little paws.

Hallie and Martha are both lovely Barbets and are both Grandchildren from the foundation girls in the UK, Betsy and Bepop.

Hallie is a French registered pedigree Barbet,  has the Tan, a clear eye certificate, hip score 5/4, confirmed exc at a dog show in France and proved her character on a shoot in the UK.
Martha formerly a Dutch registered pedigree Barbet ( but shortly will be transferred to the French registration ) has the Tan, a clear eye certificate, hip score 7/8, confirmed exc at a dog show in France, and has now been on a shoot in the UK and proved her steadiness.
Both girls will retrieve to hand with cold game, and both swim well
Both Hallie and Martha are approx 55 in height and weigh approx 20Kg,
Both girls are delightful company and are excellent family dogs

I will be very happy to be able to reproduce little Marthas' and little Hallies'  and I will be choosing   husbands for both girls that will compliment their characters and good health.
It all sounds perfect doesn't it?, I have bred 4 litters and already the breed is sorted and I have perfect Barbets.
Well, there is no such thing as a perfect dog for a start and the Barbet is no different.
The breed is still young in the UK and I still have so much to learn but I can't help but be excited about more puppies :0    
  

Barbets and Shoots

Well, Martha survived her first shoot yesterday. I am pleased to say that she showed no concerns over gunfire, beating sticks or flags waving so I was very pleased. When you take a young dog on a shoot you have to be prepared as not every dog will cope with all the new situations that they have to deal with. It is also important as an owner that you are confident that the other dogs on the shoot are well mannered dogs as a young dog can easily be influenced and what you really don't want is your dog following the deer or rabbit chaser! or sniffing the butt of an aggressive lab or spaniel. However yesterday was perfect, we had a nice mix of labs and spaniels that were very dedicated to working, so ideal for Martha. If Martha had to sum up yesterday then she would say she had a crazy dog walk! I on the other hand see things differently as it was a pleasure to take a dog that was under control that had to face new experiences and the only time I lost sight of her was when she found the birds hanging on the trailer so she has potential :)
Martha is the fifth Barbet that I have taken on a shoot, so I am learning all the time about the breed as a gundog. I have seen very good handling of dogs and I have seen very bad handling of dogs and as I get more experienced I find it harder to keep my mouth shut when I see the bad handling. If my dogs are naughty I blame myself first as a rule, doesn't mean that I don't tell them how I feel though and if you have a good relationship with your dogs they know they have been naughty as you just give them a look.....they don't need to be thrashed to be taught a lesson. Anyway I am looking forward to Martha and I going to the shoot again, how she reacts when she knows where we are going will tell me how much she enjoyed her first shoot.  

French dog shows and Barbets

 I had a minor panic as the vet at the Dog show in France was insisting on giving the dogs tick treatment and although I had taken worming tablets I had no frontline. I doubted myself and thought how could I have forgotten something so important. Luckily the vet who we have met before had spare frontline which he used and when I looked at Marthas' passport she had no other entries for frontline and yet 3 entries for worming as she has been out of the Country several times on visits. Phew, it was not my brain misbehaving I was right and the frontline was not needed but the dogs got it anyway. The vet agreed to check the new regulations for entering the UK, but for the future I will always take spares just in case as it may be easier to frontline than try to explain in French that it is not needed. 

1. Overview

When travelling with your pet dog, cat or ferret, the rules you must follow depend on the country you’re going to or coming from.

Travelling within the EU (or into the EU from another ‘listed’ country)

When travelling to or returning to the UK from another EU or non-EU listed country your pet needs:

• a microchip
• a rabies vaccination (make sure your pet is microchipped first or the vaccination won’t count)
• a pet passport or official third country veterinary certificate
• tapeworm treatment (for dogs only)

You must also use an authorised carrier and an approved route.

Barbets and French dog shows

We have just returned from Douai Dog Show in France and we are still smiling as Martha and Hallie were both amazing. It was a 2 day show, On Saturday it was a French Championship show and on the Sunday it was the International Show. Although Martha competed in both, due to her age she could not get a CAC or the CAIB but it was very good experience for her anyway. Hallie was in the open class both days and got the CAC on Saturday and on Sunday got the CACs and CAIB and title of Best Bitch. To say we were pleased is an understatement as she had stiff competition for the title. Martha and Hallie both received Excellent  from different judges over both days and that for me is important. Dear Martha managed to make all the judges speak a little English, they loved her expression so I think she batted her eyelashes at them rather than the WTF look, she made them smile anyway.
We heard afterwards that the Judge on Sunday had remarked that the British Barbet was of a high standard, so he will go down as being a good judge of the breed :)
We had a lot of fun over the weekend, the dog showing  is tiring but as it is such a different thing to do with the dogs, it is worth the effort and the travelling.