Claire is Front Page News in the WSJ

Best In Show UKC/Canadian/International Champion Neigenuveaux's Ermagarde and her daughter Solene

On May 25th, the Wall Street Journal ran an article about breeding Barbet in America. We were pleased to have Claire featured and it is good for more people to be aware of the Barbet. However, it is certainly not my intent to ever randomly produce puppies just because I can sell them. There is no planned "puppy boom." Massive popularity is disasterous for a breed. The number of Barbet do not exist, and this is certainly not the breed for everyone. The entire purpose of my breeding program is to improve upon what is already here. Any breeding begins with a healthy dog from healthy lines who has passed all necessary eye and hip clearances. To me, it is also very important that the dogs have been shown and proven, as it demonstrates that the dog possesses at least the breed type, quality, temperament, and proper bite necessary to finish a championship. It also exposes our rare breed to other dog people who may be interested in one day getting a different breed to show. Selecting a sire is a complicated puzzle of low inbreeding coefficient, temperament, health clearances, and complimentary physical traits. Nutrition is paramount, and the resulting puppies are very carefully raised and exposed to multitudes of stimuli during their time here. When they go to their new homes, new owners maintain contact for advice on grooming and training, and share many pictures and anecdotes about their puppy. We welcome contact for the life of the dog, and many of our friendships begin with a puppy purchase. We breed infrequently and we always value quality over quantity.

A Little More Freedom

Calla had her 5 week check-up today at Ohio State and her bones are healing very well. Dr Dyce is very pleased with her progress and will now allow Calla to add unlimited leash walking for the next few weeks. She can also be loose in the house and she is very happy to have free access to her toy basket and the furniture! Calla has been the perfect patient and we are very grateful to the staff at OSU.

Isabel's Handling Debut

Today was a very special day! Isabel showed Claire for the first time; in fact, it was Isabel's first time to show any dog! She did such a great job and won a Group 2 in a large Gun Dog group at an Ohio UKC show. So proud of my girls!!!

House Arrest

Calla is counting the days until she is allowed off her lead and is able to run! (or at least a long walk)

Solene Goes to the Lake

Finally I had a free weekend to go to the lake house. Calla and Solene went with us, but of course Calla was restricted to the house. She is still on very limited activity for a few more weeks. Rawhide and treats are keeping her happy in her crate. Solene enjoyed exploring the rocky shoreline and dipping her toes into the cold water.

Claire's International Championship

Bo-Bett Crew Chief

Ch. Tekoneva's Dario x Ch. Silver Bluff Winning Colors

October 10, 1996 - May 10, 2012

Rest In Peace, Little Guy

The "Farm" of Hickory Tavern Farm

 No, we don't run a tavern in Hickory. When Hickory was founded in 1797, it was called Hickory Tavern and there no doubt was a tavern along Main Street. Somewhere along the way, the town simply became Hickory. The farm was already named when my family purchased it in 1976. My parents have deeds for the property dating back to the early 1800s. Only a few families have owned this property over the years. When a family moves to Hickory Tavern Farm, they stay for a long time. I sure don't want to live anywhere else.

Our Barbet Puppy Solene is 4 Months Old!

Solene is the puppy that we kept from our Claire x Bango litter. She continues to really please us with her charming personality and correct conformation. Currently she is accompanying me on many of my daily activities, walking in parks and towns, and meeting a lot of new people and dogs. She is enjoying her extra socialization and of course people always want to visit with her.

Changes for Barbet in America

These are exciting times for American Barbet. There are more and more venues opening to the Barbet for competition. Recently the AKC added the breed to the Retriever Hunting Tests. In July, AKC will offer a new level of shows called Open shows, which, in comparison to traditional point shows, do not yet offer American AKC Championships, but will allow the Barbet to compete in conformation with AKC judges. Both of these events offer fantastic opportunities to get this breed out in front of a knowledgeable dog crowd.

I feel that the Barbet is currently one of the dog world's Best Kept Secrets. They are a medium sized, non-shedding, relatively healthy, sane, trainable, rare and fun breed. They are similar to the Portuguese Water Dog, but are less intense. They are similar to the Lagotto and Spanish Water Dog, but are said to be much more kind. Temperament is outstanding on the Barbet. They are anxious to hike, play ball, learn agility, or hang out around the house, as long as they are near someone who loves them. They get along great in a crowd or alone. Their sweet, goofy, somewhat cartoonish appearance always brings out a smile. In fact, the Barbet has all of the attributes that people seek in the Labradoodle, but in a pedigreed, registered, health-tested, time-honored package. Why buy a cross-bred mongrel when the Barbet exists?

We are looking forward to AKC conformation competition later this year.