Barbet Price: How Much Should You Expect to Spend?

If you aim at a reputable breeder, the Barbet’s price should be somewhere between $2,500 and $4,000 for a puppy.

The American Kennel Club just recognized the Barbet in January 2020. The French breed is rare in the US (around only 500 dogs in the whole country), which explains the big price tag.

You can pay as little as $50 to $300 to adopt a Barbet from a rescue group. However, this isn’t the best option for getting Barbets. Given the scarcity of the breed, the lineage of adopted Barbets is usually questionable.

Barbet owners prefer to sell them rather than give them away for adoption for these reasons.

Factors that Affect the Barbet Breed Price

Barbets are rare, which not only makes them expensive, but it also means that you might join a long waiting line to get one.

The good news is that you’ll probably get a Barbet with a pedigree, health, and temperament screening to justify the price and waiting time.

Size

Tiny Barbets -the clownish fluffy ones that look like toys- are more expensive than standard Barbets.

There’s a lower chance of finding these at dog rescues. You’ll probably need to go for a reputable breeder for that. Plus, you’ll have to wait for months.

Heritage

Barbets are registered at The American Kennel Club. Breeders should provide paperwork that assures the Barbet they’re selling is of proper heritage. Paperwork factors into the price.

Proper paperwork includes health screenings for the Barbet and its parents, in addition to the registered names of the dam and sire.

Pedigree

Barbets with Pedigree are costlier.

Breeders keep track of the Barbets bloodline through a detailed database to insure the purity of the bloodline and predict future diseases.

Through this database, you can calculate your Barbet’s inbreeding coefficient (COI) and get full details on its health condition.

Average Annual Cost of Barbet Breed

Apart from the actual price of the Barbet, you need to factor in the annual costs of taking care of them. For Barbets, these include food, veterinary care, grooming, insurance, and toys.

We’re looking at an average annual cost between $650 and $2000 for the first year followed by a yearly $500 to $1000.

Food

The annual cost for feeding a Barbet dog is between $200 and $400 depending on the size of your dog and the type of dog food you feed them.

Barbets aren’t voracious eaters, but they’d like to get their protein to maintain proper health and skin condition. Lean protein is essential to this breed because they’re prone to joint issues like hip dysplasia.

Food rich in Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids would be a nice addition to a Barbet’s diet to improve its thick coat. It also helps improve vision.

There’s no harm in giving your barbet some treats occasionally for training. Barbets aren’t prone to excessive weight gain, so you should be okay with giving them treats in moderation.

Health/ Veterinary Care

The big bulk you’ll pay when it comes to your Barbet will be at the vet’s to maintain your pup’s health. Annual vet bills for a barbet can range between $750 and $1500, depending on your dog’s age and health condition.

You’d be lucky if your dog breeder has made the initial health screening for your Barbet. If not, make sure to test for eye conditions, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA).

The cost of veterinary care is costlier for puppies because they need vaccination and more preventative care than elder dogs.

You need to factor a yearly parasite prevention session into that cost. The bigger the dog, the more this costs.

Grooming

Barbets don’t shed, because they have hair instead of fur. Yet, they need regular grooming to detangle mats.

Your Barbet needs four to seven grooming sessions per year with a professional groomer. Typically, it’s a two-hour session that includes a wash with shampoo, brushing, and nail clipping. It costs $80 to $100.

For regular grooming at home, you need to get a brush or a comb, dog shampoo, and a nail clipper. These will cost you around $60 to $80 and will last the whole year.

Insurance

A decent annual insurance plan for a Barbet would cost between $720 and $1000.

You should know that insurance plans cover injuries, mainly. When it comes to chronic diseases or conditions the Barbet is susceptible to, like hip dysplasia, for example, they won’t be as efficient.

Insurance varies according to where you live and the age and health condition of your dog. Insurance of older dogs is costlier than puppies.

However, having insurance for a relatively expensive dog is non-negotiable. It’ll save you money on a lot of routine procedures.

Toys

Barbets are active dogs. Their favorite activity is swimming, but they’ll have fun with a toy or two.

If you have puppies, you’ll probably need to invest somewhere between $15 and $25 a month on toys. This amounts to roughly $200 to $250 a year, given that you won’t be buying toys every month.

As barbets grow, they might lose interest in playing with toys, so this section might cost you less.

Squeaky toys, frisbees, KONGs, and good old balls are all convenient options for Barbets.

Dog Walkers

It might sound fancy, but you’ll need to hire a dog walker for your barbet if you’ll be leaving it for extended periods of time.

A dog walker would roughly cost $80 to $150 a month if you’ll be away for a week or two. This varies from one service provider to another and how frequently you’ll use this service. Most dog walkers charge per hour and that would be something around $15- $25.

While not essential, you should consider a two to three-month dog walker fee just in case.

Don’t Forget the Basics!

Apart from annual costs, there are some one-time purchases required for the home setup of your Barbet; a food dish, a leash, and a collar are the baseline. These will cost you $100 to $200.

Calvin L.

Calvin is the co-founder and one of the main contributors to dogtemperament.com. He has been an avid dog lover all his life. He enjoys researching and sharing great ideas on how you can avoid common pitfalls of dog ownership and build the most loving and enjoyable relationship with your dog.