This past weekend I spent 2 days in Detroit at the Detroit Kennel Club annual dog show. The Barbet Club of America had been invited the past few years and finally this year I was able to attend. There was a Rare Breed Exhibition part of the show, which had 12 rare AKC FSS breeds: Portuguese Podengo Pequenos, Rat Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Caucasian Ovcharka, Berger Picard, Cirneco dell’Enta, Russian Toy Dog, Braque Du Bourbannais, Barbet, Spanish Water Dog, Kooikerhondje, and Azawakh.
Barbet Cinna, Isis, and Lia were with me, to show off the breeds’ various colors and joyful, goofy temperaments. Next year I hope to bring all 4 of our Barbet and hopefully a grandpuppy or two! Our booth was placed in between the Spanish Water Dog and the Braque de Bourbannais, and I had lovely chats with both groups learning much about their breed and their journey with the AKC FSS.
The days were long but well worth it, to educate so many on the Barbet. The most common questions asked were: are they hypoallergenic?, do they shed?, and do they need alot of grooming? Along with that, almost everyone who stopped by pet Cinna, Isis, or Lia and were surprised how soft the Barbet hair was.
A special thank you goes to Marie Povilaitis and her sister Angela as they were the organizers of the Rare Breed Section. They helped endlessly answering questions as well as helped set up our displays. Their dedication is laudable.
I had such a great time I’m already thinking about ways I can improve the display for next year!
Below are some photos that were taken by Christine with the AKC FSS who stopped by, as well as some with my iphone.
