Comparison: French Water Dog (Barbet) and Portuguese Water Dog

French Water Dog (Barbet) and Portuguese Water Dog are marked as similar in our database. The table compares only the data we have on the breeds.

	French Water Dog (Barbet)	Portuguese Water Dog
FCI group	8. Retrievers, flushing dogs and water dogs	8. Retrievers, flushing dogs and water dogs
Country of origin	France	Portugal
Category	Large	Medium
Height at withers	53–65 cm	43–57 cm
Weight	–	16–25 kg
Life span	–	11–14 years
Recognition features	Long, woolly, curly coat covering the whole body, can form strands Beard on the chin that gave the breed its name Low-set tail with a slight hook at the tip	Curly or wavy non-shedding coat Often clipped in a "lion" clip Strong, medium-sized build
Coat	Long, woolly and curly, can form strands; in its natural state it covers the whole body, an essential characteristic of the breed. May be groomed in a specific manner. Colour solid black, grey, brown, fawn, pale fawn, white or more or less pied.	Curly or wavy non-shedding coat.
Purpose	A water dog for hunting wildfowl; more than a retriever, it must search for, locate and flush game hiding in water vegetation, then retrieve the shot bird. Very resistant to cold, it goes to water in all weathers.	Portuguese fishermen used it to herd fish into nets and carry messages between boats.

Breed page: French Water Dog (Barbet) · Breed page: Portuguese Water Dog

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The information is indicative. Texts are based on available sources and may contain inaccuracies; for binding details (e.g. for breeding or shows) use the official breed standard.