Country/Date of Origin: France/1800s
This breed owes its existence to a Dutchman named Edward Korthals who started in 1870 with a Barbet dog and mixed her bloodlines with various setters, spaniels and pointers to create a new sporting dog. A family feud forced him to leave Holland and continue his breeding experiments in Germany and France. The breed type was fixed by the beginning of the twentieth century and the dog exhibited the skills of both a pointer and a retriever. Its harsh coat and swimming abilities enabled it to be utilized for both water and field work.