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Bouvier des Flandres Information
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The majority of early Bouvier breeders were either farmers, butchers or cattle merchants. They had little interest in breeding a pedigree dog, just a type of dog that would help in their work. In those times, dogs were not kept unless they could earn their way.
The first Bouvier's were not uniform at all in size, weight or color. They had enough in common to be recognized as the same breed though. The various forms had different names; Vuilbaard (dirty beard), koehond (cow dog), and toucher de boeuf (cattle driver).
The breed had made great progress until World War I. The areas that they were most popular were completely destroyed in war. Very few succeeded in keeping their dogs through the war, many were lost, abandoned or had died, and some were acquired by the Germans.
Americans imported Bouviers from Europe until World War II, and the breed was officially recognized by the AKC in 1929. After the war, more people became interested in the Bouvier, and the American Bouvier des Flandres Club was founded in 1963.
Thankfully, breeders haven't forgotten that the Bouvier is a hard working dog and have tried to keep that trait in the breed.
Bouvier's require well balanced training, and consistent training. Once they learn a command they will remember it for the rest of their life. It is very important that you remain the boss of this dog, without being hard on him. They must always keep the respect for you and follow your commands, or you will have a very large dog who literally walks all over you.
They are great family dogs, and tend to adore children. Keep in mind that due to their size, they may easily knock over small unstable children without intending to- simply by brushing by them. Supervision with young ones is always required around any dog.
If they are properly socialized from an early age they will do wonderful with other pets, even cats. If you're determined that you want more than one dog, it's best to have the other dog and then bring in your Bouvier puppy- bringing in another dog after the Bouvier has been a 'single dog' may cause problems, and your Bouvier can become aggressive.
Like many large breeds, Bouviers tend to mature very slowly. This means that you're going to have a large dog with the mind of a puppy, until he's about 4 years old. You should also be sure that you're feeding correctly for his growth- many breeders of large breeds recommend switching from puppy to adult food at around 6-8 months, and feeding a food formulated for large breeds. Consult with your breeder about the best feeding practices.
Bouviers can be reserved with strangers and even fairly suspicious of them. They're not at all like a Labrador Retriever who will welcome nearly everyone. They are very protective of their family as well as their land, and will defend it if needed.
Male Bouviers should be 24.5 - 27.5 inches tall at the shoulders, females 23.5 - 26.5 inches tall. They are very powerfully built, have strong bones and a great deal of muscle.
Their coat is a double coat that can tolerate the hardest work in the worst weather. The outer coat is very rough and hard, and the undercoat is fine and soft. Coloring can be fawn to black, passing through salt and pepper, gray and brindle. They require regular grooming every 4-6 weeks and should be done by a professional groomer who is familiar with the breed.
Bouvier health issues include atopic dermatitis, cancer, cataracts, cleft lip/cleft palate, elongated soft palate, deafness, entropion, ectropion, epilepsy, glaucoma, and Hip Dysplasia.
Be sure to find a breeder who tests for health issues prior to breeding and your Bouvier will be less likely to have the problems mentioned above.
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