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)

Please Support the Barbet Club of America with Your Membership

Because of the instant access of Facebook, Barbet lovers are able to discuss heath, training and grooming, learn of Barbet news across the globe, and share pictures of our beautiful dogs. However, club membership is vitally important to our organization and growth in North America. We must have active club members who will help with Meet the Breed events, health and genetics committees, show committees, and who support and compete in the various venues that are available to the Barbet. Please support your national club by joining our AKC club! 

 National Barbet Club Website: Barbet Club of America 

 Facebook Page: Barbet Club of America

Barbet Pups on a Walk

Here we are out for a long walk last night. The pups are doing so great and really enjoy their farm explorations. These puppies are Nessa's Kit, Claire's Gris-Gris, and Claire's Blue Girl.

Last week we loaded up the RV and hit the road to Kalamazoo, MI where we met up with Lynn and Leslie at the UKC Premier show. We had so much fun showing our Barbets, and at the end of the week, they both took their new pups home. Only 3 puppies are still with us.

Hickory Tavern Finally Friday (Claire's Green Girl) with Lynn
Hickory Tavern Fools Rush In (Nessa's Purple Girl) with Leslie

Daniel and William picked up Flambeaux early this morning and flew home to New Orleans.

Hickory Tavern Foolproof (Nessa's Orange Boy)

ShowSight Spinone Miffy

My sister Jan's lovely Spinone is the #3 Spinone and #1 Bitch in the US with very limited showing!

Marcel, now living with Sam and Emma
Hickory Tavern Final Fore  (Claire's Red Boy)

Back to Back Barbet Bests In Show!

Micah -- Hickory Tavern Secret Liaison
Hickory Tavern Intl Intrigue x Neigenuveaux's Gambit

What a weekend this has been!! From the thrill of watching a new Triple Crown winner, spending wonderful time with the puppies around the farm, sending home three pups with their lovely new owners, and having our Solene's boy Micah win TWO Bests In Show! Leslie Woodward has given such a fantastic home to Micah. She loves this boy so much and takes beautiful care of him. As much as I love going to the shows, I'm really enjoying hearing how well these two are doing without me! I'm so proud to have bred this beautiful boy!

Barbet Best In Show Today!

Micah -  Hickory Tavern Secret Liaison    born 4/11/14
Hickory Tavern Intl Intrigue x Neigenuveaux's Gambit

Super proud of our boy Micah, owned by Leslie Woodward and Lynn Vogt-Kinsey, for winning Best In Show at the big AKC FSS Show today in East Norwalk, Connecticut. Micah is just 13 months old and has a big future ahead of him!! Micah is from our last year's litter of our Solene bred to the beautiful Bosch, owned by Francois Menard of Quebec.

Fia is staying nearby with Angie, Leonard, Liam, Kate, and Jack
Hickory Tavern Final Grade (Claire's White Girl)

Magic is happy to be headed to New Jersey with Denise & Family
Hickory Tavern Fin (Claire's orange girl)

Beau hitched a ride with Magic to his new home with Donna and Stephanie
Hickory Tavern Fool For Brookberry (Nessa's Red Boy)

Remi with Kari, Fin & Jonathon (we missed you, Franklin!)
Hickory Tavern Fool For The Water (Nessa's Light Blue Boy)

Yesterday saw the departure of two more pups, including the first of Claire's litter to head to his new home. These pups are lucky to find such wonderful families to spend their lives with. I'm happy that both of these boys now live very close to us and will come back to visit and play.

Dallas and Sarah
Hickory Tavern Final Flag (Claire's Yellow Boy)

Barbet Kit

One of the reasons we can let our puppies go to their new homes is because we also get a new puppy! Our keeper is this girl, the green collared girl of Nessa with the white front paw. She was my initial favorite of the litter, but I'm not sure that I love how this white foot will look in the ring. For quite a while, I thought I'd keep a different pup, but this one kept catching my eye, over and over, until it finally hit me that this girl needs to stay, even with her uneven markings. Her broad head and muzzle are things I was trying to improve from Nessa, and her fearless attitude around the farm makes her a favorite. We named her Kit because the two white footed puppies were often referred to as "the kitty feet" pups, so she got called 'Kitty' a lot! We've shortened it to 'Kit' and we are super happy to have her with us.

Hickory Tavern Fool For Paris

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

Nessa's Pups Start to Leave the Nest

Three of Nessa's girls headed off to their new homes today. Always such a bittersweet time; it's hard parting with the pups who have been such a focus of our lives for months. From planning the combinations to traveling for the breedings, confirming pregnancy, whelping and raising the babies...I've barely left the house for the past 9 weeks, but the wonderful pet families who share our pups make it possible for us to raise the quality dogs that we love.  We wish nothing but happiness to the pups and their new families.

Adelaide with Michele & Family in New Jersey (Nessa's Blue Girl)
Hickory Tavern Fools Gold

Mallie in the Allegheny Forest with Barb, Bud & Family (Nessa's Pink Girl)
Hickory Tavern Fool For The City

Name TBD with Liz & Family in Illinois (Nessa's Yellow Girl)
Hickory Tavern Fool For You

Videos for Training Your Puppy

Here are some short, free training videos that will help you with teaching your puppy many of the things that are necessary for a pup.

MBIS Ch Nuphar's Gift-Wrapped

Here is my beautiful Nessa, taken today, just 8 weeks after the birth of her 8 puppies.  Nessa was such a wonderful mom to her litter, attentive and meticulous, and her puppies sired by GrChEx Flacon d'Paris of Neigenuveaux are a beautiful, cohesive group with really pretty heads, deep chests, beautiful fronts, and rears with good drive. They are all of very similar type and I couldn't be more pleased with the litter. Nessa is a bit of a goof, and I wondered whether she'd be able to take parenting seriously, but her instincts were perfect and I am so proud of her. Nessa will be back in the ring next month!

Ready to head out to the vet for shots and microchips!

Our trip the Dr Gardners was extremely successful. All of the pups have great sounding hearts, and they were very brave for their exam, shot and microchip. They also rode perfectly in the car!

Today we took turns walking around with Ava. She is such a sweet and gentle girl; she's the perfect introduction for the puppies to meeting other dogs!

With the pups growing and the beautiful weather, I am having a hard time keeping this blog updated. 15 Barbet puppies keep me busy! Our routine has been a changing one as the puppies have gotten more active and independent. Instead of letting them all run around the yard at one time, I now find that it is best to take them in groups of 3 or 4 on our walks to the creek or through the yards. I try to do something new with them every day, and today's fun included a wild game of chase through the branches that I trimmed from the maple trees. There is also a 24 x 24 covered run set up for them, and they are able to spend hours outside running and racing. Some of their outside time is spent with all of them together, and other times they are separated into their own litters. We had a lot of puppy families visit this weekend, and I just cannot believe that next weekend will have the first of Nessa's pups already leaving here. This time has really flown!

A few of the pups went with me today for a walk down to the creek. Nessa's Red, Orange, Yellow and Purple pups made it out between the rainstorms. Hopefully tomorrow the rest of the crowd will be photographed!

Nessa's Pups

Claire's Red Boy
Kindly helping to remove dandelions from the yard :)

Claire's Blue Girl

The Benefits Of Diatomaceous Earth For Dogs

Diatomaceous Earth is a dirt cheap way to control external and internal parasites in your dog. Rather than dosing with toxic chemicals month after month, DE is fed daily without resistance or toxic buildup.

 Diatomaceous Earth is a non-toxic, safe substance made up from crushed fossils of freshwater organisms and marine life. Crushed to a fine powder and observed through a microscope, the particles resemble bits of broken glass. Diatomacous Earth is deadly to any insect yet completely harmless to animals.

Diatomaceous Earth’s mode of action for insect and parasite control is strictly mechanical. The microscopically sharp edges contact the insect or parasite, and pierce their protective coating, so they soon dehydrate and die. The larvae is affected in the same way.

The Benefits Of Diatomaceous Earth For Dogs

Internal parasites can be controlled by giving Diatomaceous Earth internally. It is very important to note that it must be food grade – the earth used in gardens and pool filters can damage your dog. Diatomaceous Earth can eliminate roundworms, whipworms, pinworms, and hookworms within seven days of being fed daily. To be most effective, Diatomaceous Earth should be fed for at least 30 days, to catch all newly hatching eggs or the cycling of the worms through the lungs and back to the stomach.

Another use for Diatomaceous Earth is the control of external parasites and flies. This is achieved by dusting your dog with Diatomacous Earth, along with his bedding area and surrounding carpeted areas.

Other Uses

Diatomaceous Earth has also been reported in scientific literature to absorb methyl mercury, e-coli, endotoxins, viruses, organophosphate pesticide residues, drug resides, and protein, perhaps even the proteinaceous toxins produced by some intestinal infections. Given this, Diatomaceous Earth is very useful as a detox solution, digestive aid and colon cleanser.

Dosage

For dogs, use one tablespoon per day of food grade Diatomaceous Earth in his food for dogs over 55 lbs. and one teaspoon per day for small dogs and puppies. For external parasite control, simply rub the powder at full strength into the coat for fleas and sprinkle on bedding.

The days with these puppies go by so quickly. We are all having so much fun. The two litters are still kept separately in the house, because I feel that the huge group living together would be more stressful than staying with their own litters for the majority of the day. The two litters have distinctly different personalities, and when we all go outside several times a day, it is so much fun to watch the interaction between them. Claire and Nessa still nurse them for very short periods, usually at night, and the puppies are eating three big meals each day. Everyone looks really great.