As some of you may know, The Kennel Club here in Britain has for some reason, decided to move both the Lagotto and the Spanish Water Dog out of the Gundog group and into the Working Group. The good thing is that the Lagotto is to come off the Imported Breeds Register, so the problems that are associated with being in that group will be soon a part of history for that breed.
The Barbet of course has yet to make it onto the import register. Three applications have been sent in over the years, and although they did ask back in 2008 for preferably 20 unrelated dogs, the litters that have subsequently been born, have not really helped in that request. In an email I recieved from them, they said and I quote
''The sub-committee noted from the detail submitted on the two latest litters that they were very closely related, with the sire and dam of each being litter mates''.
Nelly of course was imported, therefore corresponding to the request of The Kennel Club, and Odo is the only one from his litter to have reproduced. Therefore I am so very delighted that two more female barbets will be gracing our shores imminently.
New blood is definately required, as was said to me by someone who understands an awful lot about the breed and genetics about 2 years ago whilst visiting here, ''Without importing, the UK barbet scene will just go around in circles'' !
So to sum up...there are only 4 imported females in the UK. Two of them will be seven in the New Year, and our Kennel Club doesn't like bitches to be bred from after that age, the other two are around 3 years old. So it is hard to understand WHY no more imported barbets haven't arrived here!
Moving on...... when the time comes for our breed to be recognised by The Kennel Club, they will have to decide which group it will enter. Up until now, the breed here has been promoted in the main as a gun dog. Hah, so was the Spanish Water Dog and the Lagotto and just look what happened to them! Now that they have been moved to the Working Group, I do wonder if this is where the barbet will end up too? Portuguese Water Dogs are in there! Their 'work' was with the fishermen of the Algarve retrieving nets and items that fell overboard amongst other things. But on so many websites these days, I see that this is one of the roles that the barbet is mentioned as having done too!
Then we have the Newfoundlands in that group too, one thing they are known for is pulling carts, and there are references of the barbet doing that too. But then Bouviers were also known as carting dogs and they are in the Herding group. Ooops, Barbets were known as herding dogs too. So where will it be? Working, Gundog, Pastoral(herding) or Utility???
I'm sure glad it isn't me that has to decide.
The Barbet of course has yet to make it onto the import register. Three applications have been sent in over the years, and although they did ask back in 2008 for preferably 20 unrelated dogs, the litters that have subsequently been born, have not really helped in that request. In an email I recieved from them, they said and I quote
''The sub-committee noted from the detail submitted on the two latest litters that they were very closely related, with the sire and dam of each being litter mates''.
Nelly of course was imported, therefore corresponding to the request of The Kennel Club, and Odo is the only one from his litter to have reproduced. Therefore I am so very delighted that two more female barbets will be gracing our shores imminently.
New blood is definately required, as was said to me by someone who understands an awful lot about the breed and genetics about 2 years ago whilst visiting here, ''Without importing, the UK barbet scene will just go around in circles'' !
So to sum up...there are only 4 imported females in the UK. Two of them will be seven in the New Year, and our Kennel Club doesn't like bitches to be bred from after that age, the other two are around 3 years old. So it is hard to understand WHY no more imported barbets haven't arrived here!
Moving on...... when the time comes for our breed to be recognised by The Kennel Club, they will have to decide which group it will enter. Up until now, the breed here has been promoted in the main as a gun dog. Hah, so was the Spanish Water Dog and the Lagotto and just look what happened to them! Now that they have been moved to the Working Group, I do wonder if this is where the barbet will end up too? Portuguese Water Dogs are in there! Their 'work' was with the fishermen of the Algarve retrieving nets and items that fell overboard amongst other things. But on so many websites these days, I see that this is one of the roles that the barbet is mentioned as having done too!
Then we have the Newfoundlands in that group too, one thing they are known for is pulling carts, and there are references of the barbet doing that too. But then Bouviers were also known as carting dogs and they are in the Herding group. Ooops, Barbets were known as herding dogs too. So where will it be? Working, Gundog, Pastoral(herding) or Utility???
I'm sure glad it isn't me that has to decide.