Origin: France
Height: 23.5-27.5 inches
at the shoulder
Weight: 60-90 pounds
Exercise Needs: Moderate
Grooming Needs: Moderate
Life Expectancy: 10-12
years
Good With Kids: Yes
Trainability: Medium
difficulty
Common Misspellings: Booviay, Boovier,
Beauvier, Bouveer
Alternate Names: Koehond, Toucheur de Boeuf,
Vuilbaard
A sturdy, massive, and intimidating dog, the
Bouvier des Flanders was original bred as a
herding dog, designed to drive and control herds
of cattle. Known for his powerful body and
determination, he was originally bred by those
who simply wanted better working animals, with
no interests in purebred dogs and the breeding
of such creatures - little did they know, they
were creating their very own unique breed at the
time.
Known by many names, such as the Koehond (cow
dog), Toucheur de Boeuf (cattle driver), or the
Vuilbaard (dirty beard), the Bouvier des
Flanders originated in Southwest Flanders and
along the French northern plain. Used as a
cattle driver, the Bouvier was a large dog that
averaged about 26 inches at the shoulder and
possessed a very sturdy frame. Rough-coated with
dark hair of a deep grey shade, the Bouvier des
Flanders had a scruffy, no-nonsense appearance,
and was commonly owned by butchers, cattle men,
and farmers.
Not caring about whether or not the dogs were
pedigreed, the original Bouvier breed varied
greatly in height, weight and color, but there
was enough similarity between all of the dogs to
see that there was hope of establishing a breed
standard with a little work. Impressed by the
qualities of these great cattle dogs, Dr.
Adolphe Reul from the Veterinary School of
Brussels, was the first person to point out the
characteristics of these unique dogs, though a
standard for the Bouvier type would not be
adopted until 1912.
The breed thrived until the start of World War
I. With the areas with the largest population of
Bouvier des Flanders dogs completely destroyed,
many people fled the country, either abandoning
their dogs or the animals falling into the hands
of the Germans. Nevertheless, a few individuals
did manage to keep their dogs throughout the war
and it would be these dogs that would
re-establish the breed as we know it today. One
such dog was Ch. Nic de Sottegem, a Bouvier who
lived as a part of the Belgian army, owned by
Veterinarian Captain Barbry. Many of today’s
Bouvier des Flanders dogs trace back to this
beautiful specimen.
A powerful and impressive-looking individual,
the Bouvier des Flanders is a large and
cylindrical-built dog with a very massive head,
complete with full beard and mustache. Combined
with the shaggy eyebrows of the breed, they have
a tendency to resemble seasoned old warriors
when something captures their attention. Despite
his appearance, however, the Bouvier is spry and
very athletic. His limbs are strong and he is
powerfully put together with a deep chest and
muscular hindquarters.
The Bouvier comes in black, blonde, brindle,
fawn and grey and, while a white spot is allowed
on the chest, the rest of the animal should be
solid in color. Their ears are large and
triangular, though some breeders prefer to crop
them to a point (this is just preference) and
the tail is often docked. In some European
countries, the practice of docking tails and
cropping ears is considered unnatural, inhumane
and is now illegal, with the Bouvier des
Flanders shown in a natural state.
While the Bouvier des Flanders appears
intimidating, he is actually a rather gentle
individual and gets along well with both
children and other animals, provided he is
acclimated to them at a young age and regularly
socialized with them. If he is not, however,
this can prove a serious problem as the Bouvier
is prone to give chase to anything that flees
from him and he can prove aggressive to smaller
creatures as well as same-sex dogs - if your dog
has not been raised around them and you aren’t
sure, it is essential that you supervise them
together.
The Bouvier’s loyalty is world famous and he is
known to make an excellent family pet, as well
as fulfilling his other jobs, such as cattle
herder, police dog, or leader dog for the blind.
One should be careful around strangers, however,
as the Bouvier may prove suspicious and wary
around people he doesn’t know and, if he feels
threatened, will commonly defend his owner.
While a wonderful companion, they can often
prove to be too much of a handful for
inexperienced pet owners and careful
consideration should go into this.
An active and high-spirited dog, the Bouvier
does enjoy an active lifestyle. Fortunately,
however, he does not require an over-abundance
of exercise and will be quite happy with a
couple of 30-minute walks per day or the
opportunity to run alongside your bike. The
Bouvier loves dog parks and does best when he
has access to a large fenced-in area where he
can open up, stretch those long legs of his, and
just run.
For a scruffy-looking coat, such as the one
that the Bouvier possesses, it definitely takes
a fair amount of upkeep to stay looking like it
should. A couple of brushings, per week, will
help to keep the long hairs from tangling and
forming mats, but the Bouvier also will require
trimming a minimum of three times per year.
Between the trimmings, you will want to keep an
eye on his ears and ensure that you remove any
excess hair there, as well as between the pads
of his feet, trimming the hair around this area
so that the Bouvier appears to have neat and
round little feet rather than long-haired or
blocky.
The Bouvier sheds very little if he is properly
maintained and, while he is not a hypoallergenic
dog, he is said to cause fewer problems than
more common large breeds. These beautiful
canines only require bathing as necessary, or
they can be dry shampooed. Care should also be
taken to ensure that their toenails are kept
trimmed, so as to prevent pulled or split nails.
The Bouvier is a very quick learner and, once
he has been taught a trick, has an incredible
memory, allowing him to retain it. Most enjoy
learning new things and turn out to be very
willing pupils, though care must be made to
establish dominance at an early age. Never let
this willful breed think he’s top dog in the
house or he will always believe this and use it
to his full advantage.
Also important to note is that the Bouvier’s
body and mind to not finish maturing until he is
roughly 2-3 years in age. Even though he appears
an adult dog, he will still be prone to silly
puppy-like moments and stubborn teenage traits.
Obedience training at a young age will help to
quell some of these tendencies and ensure he
cooperates more with you.
Like any breed of dog, the Bouvier des
Flanders is subject to a variety of health
concerns. Your best bet is, when deciding to
choose a new Bouvier des Flanders puppy, check
around with several breeders and ask about the
various health issues that can affect these
beautiful little dogs. A reputable breeder
should be well-versed in the health concerns and
should be able to give you more details, as well
as showing you the sire and dam of your
potential puppy. Some of the health problems
that can affect Bouvier des Flanders Dogs
include:
- Hip dysplasia
- Elbow dysplasia
- Bloat
- Cancer
- Cataracts
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The Bouvier is a wonderful and loyal dog,
though he is not the pet for everyone. In fact,
many people find that he’s a bit more dog than
they bargained for; while they are very loyal,
they also have a tendency to run down smaller
animals and attack same-sex dogs if not properly
acclimated to them. They can also be very
suspicious and wary of strangers, resorting to
either barking or biting if they feel
threatened. It’s very important to establish
both dominance and obedience with these dogs at
an early age. If you don’t mind investing the
extra time and patience into this breed, they do
make wonderful pets and are well-known for their
usefulness, both as police dogs and as leader
dogs for the blind. Highly intelligent and very
powerful, they can be a handful for some but the
perfect dog for others. Perhaps the Bouvier des
Flanders is the perfect dog for you.
There are a wealth of resources online that can help you learn
more about the Bouvier des Flanders dog breed. We've compiled a list
of Bouvier des Flanders information sites to assist you in quickly
locating quality information about the Bouvier des Flanders dog
breed, while avoiding the "garbage" sites that are nothing more than
poor attempts to capitalize on the popularity of dog breeds in
general. If you know of a Bouvier des Flanders information site that
offers unique, quality information and photos of the Bouvier des
Flanders breed, please contact us with the URL and a brief
description so that our editors can consider it for inclusion in our
list below.
Bouvier des Flanderss are a very photogenic dog breed. By looking
at Bouvier des Flanders pictures, you can usually gain more insight
into what these dogs and puppies are like as a breed, and this can
help you decide if you really want to become a Bouvier des Flanders
owner. The following sites below offer pictures of Bouvier des
Flanders dogs, Bouvier des Flanders puppy photos, funny Bouvier des
Flanders photos and more. Enjoy!
Now that you have decided that the Bouvier des Flanders is the
right breed for you, it's time to start the process of finding a
responsible Bouvier des Flanders breeder from which to buy a
healthy, well-socialized puppy. Not all breeders are alike; there
are good breeders - and bad breeders. Don't be in a hurry to buy the
first Bouvier des Flanders puppy you find at the cheapest price
available! To buy a puppy from a responsible Bouvier des Flanders
breeder, you may need to pay more and wait longer. The additional
money and waiting time will be well worth it. Buy a puppy in haste
from a newspaper ad, pet store or "backyard breeder", and you'll
likely also purchase a great deal of additional expense and
heartache, since you will likely end up falling in love with a puppy
with health and behavioral problems that will likely need special
care, plenty of veterinary visits, regular medication - or even
euthanasia. But do your homework and find a responsible, caring
Bouvier des Flanders breeder who home-raises their puppies with
love, screens their breeding dogs for health problems, offers a
health guarantee and post sale support, and who genuinely loves the
Bouvier des Flanders breed and is in it for the love of the breed,
rather than profit, and you can be fairly well assured of getting a
healthy, happy, long lived and affectionate family companion that
will provide you and your family with many years of joy, laughter
and companionship.
Further information about choosing a responsible breeder...
Here are a few breeder directory sites that we recommend. These
sites attempt to screen advertisers to ensure that the breeders
listed are responsible and sell healthy, home-raised Bouvier des
Flanders puppies to carefully screened buyers. There are many, many
sites now online that advertise dog breeders - many are a Mecca for
puppy mills and backyard breeders. We recommend that you steer clear
of these resources in favor of sites that are more selective in the
breeders whom they allow to advertise.
We Highly Recommend:
Bouvier des Flanders clubs and rescues web sites can help you
learn even more about the Bouvier des Flanders dog breed, help you
locate a responsible Bouvier des Flanders breeder, or help you find
a Bouvier des Flanders dog or puppy in need of a second chance for a
loving, forever home. We've compiled the following list of Bouvier
des Flanders clubs and Bouvier des Flanders rescues web sites for
your convenience:
Choosing a name for your Bouvier des Flanders puppy can be a
daunting task! There are so many names to choose from that it can
take a lot of thought and research to find just the right name for
your Bouvier des Flanders. Usually, it's best to get to know your
puppy for a few days or weeks. Often your puppy's personality will
help you decide on just the right name to choose. Does he have a
sense of humor? A serious side? A goofy way of cocking his head to
one side? A strange love of cantaloupe? By observing your new
Bouvier des Flanders puppy over the first days or weeks, you should
at least have a clue about what type of name you want to give. There
are a ton of dog names and pet names web sites on the internet. Some
are wonderful information resources, while others, unfortunately,
are just "garbage" sites set up with the sole purpose of cashing in
on visitor hits for this popular subject.
We recommend the following sites to assist you in choosing a name
for your new Bouvier des Flanders puppy. These sites offer
inventive, unique, original and creative pet names suggestions that
have helped thousands of new puppy owners in selecting just the
right name for their new baby!
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