Almost Famous Dogs of Famous People

During the three months we've been in Paris we've been especially interested in the dogs - not only the ones we meet on the street, but the dogs who have been companions to painters, writers and kings.  For instance, in one of the first blogs I mentioned Henri IV whose statue could be seen behind me in the background.  Henri IV was the king of France from 1589-1610 during the wars of religion until he was assassinated.  He built the Place Royale, now called the Place de Vosges and added the 400 meter-long Grande Galerie to the Louvre.  King Henri is said to have had papillons which he carried to court in a basket.  He, being an avid hunter, also specialized in breeding the barbet, an ancient breed dating back to Charles Martel.

"The breed gained ground during the reign of King Henry IV in the sixteenth century. The prevailing philosophy in France at that time regarding dog breeding favored hyper-specialization. The Barbet's natural inclination toward water, and his latent abilities to point (though he is not a true pointer), were selectively bred to create a dog ideally suited for use as a waterfowl gun dog.

References abound as far to the Barbet's intelligence, and his fearlessness of very cold water. The dog was used for water fowl hunting to such a degree that a saying of the day was "Muddy as a Barbet", referring to the dogs appearance after hunting in the marshes. However, from the first this specially bred dog exhibited a loyalty and friendliness that made him a companion dog of choice.

In 1587, Henry IV's mistress, Corisande, was reproached by Monsieur de Bellieure Chancellor to Mari de Nedici, for attending church in the company of "a fool, a monkey and a Barbet". Though his comments had political overtones the mention of the Barbet has it's own significance. We see the Barbet was a hunting dog with a difference. Centuries later Madame Adelaide, King Louis XVI's aunt, wrote about her Barbet in a letter. She says "I have for a friend a large white Barbet, Vizir, extremely intelligent, who accomdaine me on walks". She adds that the dog assumed some packing duties on these walks as well. Her reference to the dog as a friend is touching, coming through the years as it does and linking present day dog lovers with those from so many years ago."  http://www.champdogs.co.uk/guide/french-barbet