Bouvier Des Flandres

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Bouvier des Flandres is not a breed that can be put aside until the mood strikes to play with it. It needs daily exercise and daily interaction, and a lot of both. It loves the chance to herd, but its requirements can also be met with a good jog, a very long walk or a vigorous play session. It can live outdoors in temperate to cool climates. It makes a good house dog, however, and would prefer access to both house and yard. Its harsh coat needs combing once or twice weekly, plus scissoring and shaping (clipping for pets and stripping for show dogs) every three months.

This is a versatile breed able to perform a variety of functions, including cattle herder, draft dog and guard. As such, it combines great strength with agility and endurance. The Bouvier is a compact, short-coupled dog, of square proportion and rugged appearance. Its gait is free, bold and proud. Its weatherproof coat is tousled and double, with a fine undercoat and a harsh, dry outer coat. It is trimmed (if necessary) to a length of about 2.5 inches. The head is accentuated by a beard and mustache, which adds to the dog's bold and alert expression.

Color

The Bouvier des Flandres can have all shades of fawn, black, salt and pepper or gray and brindle.

Coat

Personality

The Bouvier des Flandres is a very good family dog as it is calm, gentle, smooth and excellent with children. Very loyal and alert, they tend to be very protective of their family and territorial. This is an enthusiastic dog who takes it a long time to get to maturity. Extremely intelligent, they need a lot of mental stimulation not to get bored. As they are very loving, Bouviers always want to be close to the family. On the other hand, they tend to be suspicious with strangers. This breed is very adaptable to all kind of new situations.

Care

They need a lot of grooming. Brush the long coat regularly and bathe or dry shampoo only when necessary. The Bouvier des Flanders needs to be trimmed at least three times a year. Between trims remove any excess hair inside the ears and trim hair between the pads of the feet. Do not let the hair grow too long close to the feet but trim it so that the Bouvier has nice round feet. A well-groomed Bouvier sheds very little hair in the home. Some Bouvier owners have reported the Bouvier to be good for allergy sufferers.

Training

Early socialization and obedience training is recommended for these breeds. A firm, fair and consistent trainer is needed. They will not respond to harsh methods but with positive reinforcement. It is important to keep training fun and enjoyable to keep them interested with the routines. They are averagely intelligent so training them will not be hard.

Activity

The Bouvier des Flanders will do okay in an apartment if it is sufficiently exercised. It is relatively inactive indoors and will do best with at least a large yard. During the growing stage, exercise should be carefully regulated to only the walk, so that growing bones, muscles and joints are not too strenuously stressed. The dog requires all its energy to build a strong, healthy frame. They are energetic and active dog that has an average demand for exercise. It needs to go out with you for long, brisk walks or running alongside a bike. When walking this dog make him heel on the lead. Do not allow him to walk out in front as instinct tells a dog pack leader goes first.