Happy 2016!

We wish a very happy new year to all of our friends, family, and anyone who loves dogs and horses! 

Spinone Miffy OH Win Pics from AKC/Eukanuba Week

Judge Karen Hynek awards Miffy OH Group 1

Miffy on the Move

Judge Karen Wilson awards Select and Best OH to Miffy

We are so honored to have Miffy win these honors in such incredible competition. Thank you!!

Barbet Accepted into AKC Miscellaneous Status!

From the minutes from the December Board meeting – Barbet – Recommendation to Advance to Miscellaneous. The Board reviewed a Sport Services department recommendation to approve the Barbet to advance to the Miscellaneous. The Board of Directors approved the Barbet to be eligible for recording in the Foundation Stock Service® (FSS®) program with a Sporting designation in 2007. The Barbet Club of America has met the requirements of the Recognition of New Breeds Policy approved in January 2004 by the Board of Directors. Following a motion by Dr. Battaglia, seconded by Mr. Arnold, it was VOTED (unanimously) to advance the Barbet to the Miscellaneous Class effective January 1, 2017. The Barbet Club of America is designated as the Parent Club for the breed.

Congratulations to each and every one of the supporters of the Barbet in America. By joining the Barbet Club of America, registering your dogs with the AKC FSS, and competing in AKC events, you have brought our breed to this exciting level. Thank you!!

Miffy Best of Breed at Eukanuba

GCH Nodessa dal Podere Antico and Erica Sanden Cross with Judge Mareth Kipp after winning Best of Breed at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in Orlando, FL. We are very appreciative of this honor for our sweet brown Dutch import with a full tail. Coupled with her Owner Handler Group 1 at Central Florida KC, Miffy's 2015 Eukanuba week was a dream come true.

Eukanuba/AKC National Championship Results

We are thrilled beyond words at our success in Florida last week. Our Barbet Solene won Best FSS at the Open Show under esteemed judge Pluis Davern, and Miffy the Spinone won the NOHS Sporting Group Thursday under Karen Hynek!! Show pictures to follow soon!!

Hickory Tavern Intl Intrigue CM
Winner of FSS Group, Orlando, FL

GCh Nodessa Dal Podere Antico
Winner of NOHS Sporting Group, Orlando, FL

AKC Dog Shows for the Barbet and other FSS Breeds

Last weekend we traveled to Baltimore, Maryland, to show at the American Kennel Club shows in Howard County. These were great shows for the FSS breeds as the shows were held concurrently with the regular AKC shows. Our rare breeds got lots of attention from the observers! We had fun with three of our puppies in the Puppy class, and Solene won Best of Breed. Both days she also won Group 2 in the FSS group. She earned the final points to complete her Certificate of Merit title with the AKC, and she is now the very first female Barbet to have a CM title. The other Barbet with CM titles are Stacy Able's Cinna and Solene's son, Micah.

Can Ch Hickory Tavern Intl Intrigue CM
Can Ch Neigenuveaux's Ermagarde x Bango du Pre de Redy
bred by Judy Descutner & Florence Erwin

Even more fun than any of this was sharing little Kate's first dog show weekend with her and her family. Her puppy Fia behaved beautifully, and no one watching would ever have guessed that this was Kate's first show. She'd never even been to a show just to watch!  Her poise in the ring proves that she has a wonderful future ahead of her with competitive dog events. She took great care of the puppies that she showed and they looked wonderful!

Kate & Kit in for Best of Breed

Kate & Fia on the down & back

Kate and her proud Dad

Kate & Fia

Congratulations, Kate!

Ren Best Puppy at Barbet Fanciers Specialty Show!

Congratulations to Leslie Woodward, Lynn Vogt-Kinsey, Mary McEneany & Michele DeTour for their BPISS win at the Barbet Fanciers of Ontario specialty show last weekend. Ren is beautifully prepared and shown by Leslie. She is from our Nessa-Murdoch litter and is already halfway to her Canadian championship! We are really proud of this puppy consistently winning in large entries.

Practicing with my Barbet Junior Handler

Fia is one of our puppies from this spring's Claire x Thunus litter and her 11 year old owner, Kate, has been working very hard learning how to handle her for conformation competition. We've been meeting up at South Park, and Kate works with her own puppy as well as Solene. It's a lot easier for Kate to concentrate on learning when working with a settled, mature dog. This helps her understand what Fia needs to be able to eventually do. For now, we are happy with a little less attention from Fia and are having fun. Kate is a model student!

A Good Day at the Post Office!

Our mail today delivered two exciting certificates: 

Marlee's Canadian Kennel Club Grand Championship and Miffy's Invitation to compete at Westminster Kennel Club 2016. Marlee is the very first American bred Barbet to win a Grand Championship in Canada and Miff is the first natural tail Spinone to win a Grand Championship. We are super proud of our girls!

Spinone Miffy and our Barbet Pups

We have had an unbelievable week of weather, with temperatures in the mid 70's. How I wish this was our usual November weather. The dogs have really enjoyed being outside so much. Today Spinone Miffy came for a bit of grooming and time to play with our dogs. Lots of fun seeing them together!

Miffy

Marlee

Solene & Marlee, Mother & Daughter

Marlee

Kit

Canine Chronicle Ad Nov/Dec 2015

Barbet Puppy Kit at 6 Months

Isabel was home this weekend from NYU and she helped me get some new photos of our puppy Kit. She is a beautiful combination of the best parts of her mom Nessa and her father Murdoch.  We are so pleased with this entire litter and we have so much to look forward to in the future. Several of these puppies are in show homes and are off to promising starts. Best of all, they are fun and silly pups who are a joy to live with.

Kit looks so much like Nessa in the face

Kit has beautiful extension and smooth movement

The Search For The Perfect Barbet Puppy

The first in a four-part series written by guest poster FLA, the owner of a 6 month old Barbet puppy

The Quest Begins: Finding the Right Puppy Is Not Easy

Not too long ago, I was the typical inexperienced puppy buyer. We wanted a pup with the qualities we loved most in our last dog, a joyful rescue with a calm temperament who enjoyed our active lifestyle.  Finding one would be easy, or so we thought at first.

Once our intention of launching a puppy search was made known to friends, the advice came pouring in. 

‘Go to the shelter and just pick one.’

‘There are great puppy finder sites online.  You can get a good dog a lot cheaper there.’

‘My friend knows someone whose dog had puppies.  Want me to ask her?’

‘Don’t spend too much, that would be crazy.’

‘Get a doodle.’

And on, and on.  Everyone had an opinion, but the variety of advice left my head spinning.  So we launched our own search.

Weeks were spent visiting shelters in person and on their websites, checking in daily for just the right match.  For many reasons, we began to understand that what we were looking for was not likely to be found there. 

Our next step was to run online searches for puppies.  The results were shocking.  Pretty pictures and cheap prices were hiding an industry I soon realized we needed to stay far, far away from.   Deeper digging revealed pictures and information that I wish I could forget, but cannot.

Next, I listened to the voice of popular opinion that labradoodles are the way to go.  Finding one was easy.  Sifting through all of the information was not.  The more I read, the more disheartened I became.  A discussion about why I did not get a labradoodle is a long and detailed story though, and too far off topic for this post.

I slowly began to realize that if we wanted a quality puppy, we had to look for the people and not the dog.  

To read the rest of the article, click here

The Barbet is Not the Perfect Dog

Please remember that the Barbet is an extremely rare breed. There are around 200 dogs in the United States, and we are very careful with how we breed our dogs. The Barbet is easily found through internet searches, and by reading and researching, many families will decide that this is the perfect breed for them. However, there are not many available puppies in America and this is not a dog that can be easily obtained. We are not breeding to produce puppies for a wait list; we are striving to improve this breed with each generation and will breed only when we feel the combination of dogs is ideal. 

Why the Barbet is Not the Perfect Dog

1. The long, curly hair requires commitment and devotion. Without constant upkeep, the Barbet's hair will mat at the skin and nothing other than a shave will rectify the mess. This is not fair to the dog, so if you aren't willing to keep the hair clean and free of mats and tangles, find a breed with easier coat care. 
2. They need attention. They are likely to get into trouble; they'll dig, they'll rip things apart, they startle and bark...  Barbets need lots of one on one time with their owners and time spent training is hugely beneficial to both dog and human.
3. They're weird. Without lots of socialization and exposure, the sensitive Barbet can become fearful. Even with extra time in the world, they often go through adolescent fear periods. An understanding owner who gives gentle, effective leadership is necessary for a well-adjusted adult Barbet.
4. Nobody knows what they are. Endless questions of 'Is that a Labradoodle?' 'Is that a Poodle?' 'How does your dog see?'  Perhaps as time goes on, the general public will become more aware of the breed, but for now, expect to do a lot of explaining.
5. They do shed and they are not hypoallergenic. There is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog, even though many people with allergies are fine with a Barbet. The hair does shed, but it does not fall out into the floor or your car's carpeting.  However, the loose hairs stay within the curls and must be combed out or they will soon become woven into mats. 
6. You cannot go on a grooming vacation. The dogs will suffer.

©Judy McMaster Descutner 2015

American Barbet Weekend at the Canadian Dog Shows

Last weekend, we loaded up the RV and headed just over the Canadian border to Welland, Ontario where we met up with other Barbet from Wisconsin, New Jersey, Vermont, and Ontario. The weather ranged from sunny and beautiful to crazy winds and rain. We were thrilled with the results of our girls at the show.

Kit, Hickory Tavern Fool For Paris, is 6 months and one week old. She won Winners Bitch 3 of 4 days and earned 6 points towards her Canadian Championship. She loves to show and makes the judges smile!

Marlee, GrCh Hickory Tavern Secret Entourage, earned her Grand Championship title. In just 9 shows, Marlee completed these title requirements and becomes the first American bred Barbet to be a Grand Champion with the CKC. There are just a handful of Grand Champions in the CKC (her father being one of them) and we are very proud of our sweet girl!

We are super proud to have bred these girls!

GrCh Hickory Tavern Secret Entourage - Marlee

Ch Hickory Tavern Intl Intrigue x GrCh Neigenuveaux's Gambit

Hickory Tavern Fool For Paris - Kit

Nuphar's Gift-Wrapped x GrChEx Flacon d'Paris of Neigenuveaux

Barbet Kit's First Haircut

We've had a super busy month and haven't been posting much, but now we're back to the dogs and getting ready for the fall shows. Kit is now 5 months old and I just gave her her first haircut. Taking off some of those puppy ends makes her coat look so much better. She's growing up so nicely!

Canadian Dog Show Fun with Barbets

We are home from an amazingly wonderful week in Canada with a new Champion, a puppy group winner, and a third within a few points of her Grand Championship!

Can Ch Hickory Tavern Intl Intrigue (Solene) with her daughter
Can Ch Hickory Tavern Secret Entourage (Marlee)

We showed Solene 6 times this week with her being awarded Winners Bitch 5 times to complete her Canadian championship entirely from the Bred By Exhibitor class.  Her daughter Marlee won 6 Best of Breeds and 1 Best Opposite at the Dogs of France specialty in Caledonia. She also earned 15 points toward her Grand Championship.  I'm so proud of my girls!

Puppy Kit went along and we showed her in the Baby Puppy classes where she surprised us with 3 Best Baby Puppy in Sporting Group wins! She barely knows how to walk on a lead, but she sure figured out how to go around the show ring with authority!

First American Bred Barbet to Earn AKC Certificate of Merit

Hickory Tavern Secret Liaison CM

3 Shows = 3 Best in Show ribbons. It doesn't get any better than that!!!

This handsome puppy is Micah, Hickory Tavern Secret Liaison CM, who just became the second Barbet to win an AKC CM title, and the first American Bred Barbet to do so. While we wait for his show photo from owners Leslie Woodward and Lynn Vogt-Kinsey, we can celebrate what a cute little guy he was at 4 weeks of age.

Micah has gone to 3 AKC FSS shows and has won Best in Show at all three, giving him the maximum of 5 points for each win to earn this title as quickly as possible. We are so proud of him and thrilled with the friendship that we have with Leslie and Lynn. We can't wait to see what the future has in store for him!

Hickory Tavern Intl Intrigue (Solene) x Can GrCh Neigenuveaux's Gambit, CD RE (Bosch)

All of our 2015 Barbet Puppies are in new homes

Blueberry with Anthony, Heather & Family
Hickory Tavern Final Fantasy - Claire's Blue Girl

We bid a fond and bittersweet farewell to our puppies of 2015 with Blueberry going off to her new home in New Jersey this morning. Blue got to stay extra long with us, and we were all smitten with her calm, confident, and super sweet personality.  All of the pups are now in their own homes, with Kit staying here with us. What a wonderful group of pups they were. We wish them all happiness in their lives!

We have no plans to breed a litter until Solene is in season again, which we anticipate in January 2016.

Marlee Wins Best FSS

Isabel and Marlee won Best FSS at the American Azawakh Show today in Madison, Ohio, along the shore of Lake Erie. We are thrilled to have Marlee back from Canada and are so pleased with her American debut! Marlee is just over a year old, and is the daughter of our Solene, bred to GCh Neigenuveaux's Gambit (Bosch), who also has titles in Rally and Obedience.

Barbet Marlee is Home with a Canadian Championship!

Can Ch Hickory Tavern Secret Entourage with Isabel
(UCh Hickory Tavern Intl Intrigue x GCh Neigenuveaux's Gambit)

Our Marlee is home after spending 3 months in Canada earning her Canadian conformation championship, beautifully shown by Allison Foley and her team. Marlee, who celebrated her first birthday while in the Maritimes, won 12 group placements in the always competitive Sporting groups. We're so happy to have her back and look forward to showing her in the US.

Marlee is from our last year's April litter of Solene and Bosch that produced so many beautiful quality puppies who have already won UKC Championships, AKC FSS Best in Shows, AKC CGC and now a CKC Championships. Thanks so much to all the owners of our wonderful pups who give them such great homes, excellent care, and much love!

The final boy left us and headed to his new home in Atlanta with Brian and Margie. They both have lots of experience with heavily coated dogs and enjoy training for various dog events. Can't wait to meet up again with this beautifully bodied and very sweet pup.

Gris-Gris left for his new home in Atlanta with Brian and Margie (Claire's big light blue boy)
Hickory Tavern Final Approach

Pups Celebrate No Rain Today!

This is the last walk together for these three pups. Gris-Gris goes off to Atlanta on Saturday, and Blueberry is visiting with a friend for the weekend. Our field walks are my favorite parts of the day.

Age Appropriate Exercise Guidelines for Your Puppy

Here is a really great post from Puppy Culture on the amount of appropriate exercise for a puppy and ways to tire a pup without physical exertion. Remember, repetitive exercise (like walking for long periods) is not healthy for a puppy.

Deep Creek Lake Barbet Pup

Today was Kit's first time in Deep Creek Lake. She seemed to like it!

Barbet Best In Show Times Two!

Here are Micah's official show pictures from Greenwich, CT where he won two Best In Shows in two days! So proud of Micah and his owners Leslie Woodward and Lynn Vogt-Kinsey. They do a great job preparing and showing their Barbet, and the dogs are very much loved! These are lucky dogs!

Ch Hickory Tavern Secret Liaison
Ch Hickory Tavern Intl Intrigue x GrCh Neigenuveaux's Gambit CD RO2

New Canadian Champion Marlee

Can Ch Hickory Tavern Secret Entourage

While we have been busy raising our recent Barbet litters, Marlee has been in Nova Scotia with professional handler Allison Foley earning her Canadian championship! Big thanks to Allison and Todd for treating Marlee so well and giving her a good introduction to the dog show world. We are excited to get her home and hit some US dog shows.

Ch Hickory Tavern Intl Intrigue (Solene) x GrCh Neigenuveaux's Gambit RO (Bosch)