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Bouvier Des Flandres Dog Breed Introduction
Bouvier des Flandres ( Bouvier for short) is a large-sized herding dog breed from Flandres, Belgium and northern hills of France. They were originally developed as all purpose farm dogs for cart pulling, sheep herding, cattle droving, and watchdogs. As of now, a Bouvier dog is used as a companion dog, police dog, and guard dog. One of the notable feature of Bouvier is the impressive head that is accentuated by a heavy mustache and beard.
Bouviers des Flandres are loyal, gentle, rational, and protective by nature which makes them great companion dogs and guard dogs. Despite its intimidating appearance, a Bouvier is gentle and calm. Although, if poorly trained these dogs can easily become inappropriately dominant towards humans. A Bouvier requires an experienced dog owner to curb over-protectiveness and dominance problems.
Bouvier Des Flandres Origin | History
Bouvier originated in Flandres during the medieval times when the area was a principality encompassing parts of modern day Belgium, France, and The Netherlands. For this reason, both Belgium and France claim Bouvier as a native breed. The progenitor of the modern Bouvier was bred by the monks at the Ter Duinen monastery from imports such as Scottish Deerhounds and Irish Wolfhounds with the local farm dogs. This bred was used by farmers to pull carts as well as guard and herd cattle.
Bouviers were able to tirelessly work due to their strength, temperament, and the thick double coat that enabled it to withstand the local weather conditions. By the beginning of the 20th century, Bouvier des Flandres was attracting the attention of dog fanciers internationally. Therefore, the breed’s Belgian club was formed and experts from Belgium and France drew up a written standard. Following the outbreak of World War I, this breed almost became extinct.
Although, the surviving dogs that were used as messenger and ambulance dogs were used to revive the breed by the Belgian Army. The same thing also happened after World War II. Fortunately, the breed was kept alive in America by European expatriates. The American breed club was formed in 1963.
Bouvier Des Flandres Lifespan
A Bouvier has a lifespan of 10 to 12 years.
Bouvier Des Flandres Grooming | Grooming Pattern
A Bouvier has a thick double coat that sheds at minimal levels. The loose hair is caught within the double coat causing matting. This breed requires regular brushing using a slicker brush and a comb to prevent matting. Bouvier Des Flandres that participate in a conformation show should have its coat trimmed every 3 to 5 weeks. The beard and mustache should also be wiped on a weekly basis using a damp clean washcloth.
Bouvier are relatively clean dogs that need a bath every 2 to 3 months unless they roll in something stinky. Always brush the coat before bathing the dog since the mats get messier when wet. Use a dog formulated shampoo and conditioner to bath and moisturize the coat. After a bath, thoroughly rinse off the grooming products from the coat to prevent skin irritation using lukewarm water. Trim the nails of a Bouvier every 2 weeks using nail clippers or grinders. Overly grown nails are painful for your pooch while walking or running.
Brush the teeth of a Bouvier at least twice a week if not daily using a tasty canine toothpaste and toothbrush to remove tartar buildup. Clean the ears on a weekly basis using cotton balls soaked in an ear cleanser solution to remove debris and wax buildup. While cleaning the ears, occasionally check out for signs of ear infection such as redness, dark discharge, or odor.
Bouvier Des Flandres Show Cut | Haircut
The coat of a Bouvier that is participating in a conformation show should be trimmed slightly only to accentuate the body line. Although, over trimming should be avoided since it alters the natural rugged coat. The coat is clipped to a length of about 2.5 inches. A coat that is too long or too short is considered a fault. Show dogs should be trimmed every 3 to 5 weeks.
Bouvier Des Flandres Face Cut
To groom the face, the hair on the top skull is clipped or hand stripped to a length of about 1/2 an inch. The top skull should always appear flat. The beard and eyebrows are also trimmed. However, they should look full and noticeable.
Bouvier Des Flandres Shaved | Short Hair
Pet Bouvier may be shaved to attain a short hair look by trimming the coat to a length of about 1 to 2 inches. However, this is not a cut for show dogs since the breed standard stipulates a Bouvier should have a coat length of 2.5 inches.
Bouvier Des Flandres Shed | Shedding
A Bouvier sheds all-year round at moderate levels all-year round contrary to the belief that they are non-shedding dogs.
Bouvier Des Flandres Coat
A Bouvier has a double layered coat. The top coat is rough and harsh while the undercoat is soft, fine, and dense.
Bouvier Des Flandres Hypoallergenic
Although Bouvier des Flandres sheds, it is considered hypoallergenic. It has a thick double coat that traps the dead hair instead of releasing it into the environment. However, owners should spend lots of time with a Bouvier they want to adopt to ensure the dog does not trigger their allergies.
Bouvier Des Flandres Training
A Bouvier is an intelligent, loyal, rational, even-tempered, and excellent watchdog that is easy to train. It also learns the commands pretty fast. Although, a Bouvier easily get bored and learn best when the repetition is limited. Therefore, this breed requires a well-balanced training that is patient and consistent in nature. Owners should assume pack leadership without use of harsh correction methods to let the dog know who is in control.
A functional pecking order allows a Bouvier to attain its full potential since it knows it is under the leadership of a loving, trusted, and respected leader who will make decisions for the well-being of the entire pack. If poorly trained, this breed can become dominant towards humans. Socialization training is key to raising a well-mannered, well-adjusted companion dog. The training starts from the age of 3 weeks until the age of 16 weeks.
Normally, pooch owners take their pets home from the age of 8 weeks. Although, socialization may be a life-long process to ensure the pet matures to have a well-rounded temperament. Socialize a Bouvier by exposing it to a wide variety of people, surfaces, animals, places, situations, smell, experiences, sight, and sounds such as baby crying sounds, lawn mowers, sirens, door bells, washing machine, whistles, and vacuum cleaners. Enrolling Bouviers in a puppy class will also serve as a form of socialization. Puppy classes create a controlled environment where puppies interact with each other.
A puppy class also enables the parent to have access to training information and assistance. Poorly socialized Bouviers may become fearful of new stimuli and pose a problem(especially when introduced to new situations) in which they do not feel comfortable. Socialization training helps a Bouvier to avoid suspiciousness, shyness, and being overly reserved with strangers. Although, protecting the family when danger is present is not something that a Bouvier needs to learn or is it something that it can be trained out of them. When danger is present, this breed rises to the occasion if needed. Dominant Bouviers may be dog-aggressive if the owners are not assertive or communicate that fighting is not desirable.
Use positive reinforcements methods to encourage positive behaviors through the use of treats, playtime, toys, food, verbal praise, petting, and playtime. Avoid use of harsh correction methods such as yelling, beating kicking, shoving, and use of choke or prong collars. Keep the training sessions short for a span of 5 to 10 minutes distributed throughout the day. Start teaching basic commands words immediately the dog joins you home from the age of 8 weeks. Train one command at a time to avoid overwhelming the dog. Effectively housebreak a Bouvier through crate training, potty training, and creating a feeding schedule.
Bouvier Des Flandres Temperament | Characteristics
- Fearless.
- Intelligent.
- Alert.
- Protective.
- Watchful.
- Strong-willed.
- Loyal.
- Calm.
- Gentle.
- Rational.
- Obedient.
- Even-tempered.
- Enthusiastic.
Bouvier Des Flandres Exercise
This is a working dog that is happiest if it has something to do. A Bouvier is an excellent fit for an active household with an owner who jogs, bikes, or hikes. This breed also needs a large and enclosed exercise area where it can play and romp preferably with kids or other dogs that will keep the dog in a good condition both physically and mentally. However, heavy exercise should be limited to growing pups until the age of 18 months.
Bouvier Des Flandres Height
A Female Bouvier has a height of 23.5 to 26.5 inches ( approx. 60 to 67 cm ) while the male Bouvier has a height of 24.5 to 27.5 inches ( approx. 62 to 70 cm ).
Bouvier Des Flandres Weight
A mature Bouvier has a weight of 70 to 110 pounds ( approx. 32 to 50 kg).
Bouvier Des Flandres Size
A Bouvier is a large-sized herding dog that has a weight of 70 to 110 pounds ( approx. 32 to 50 kg) and a height of 23.5 inches to 27.5 inches ( approx. 60 to 70 cm ).
Bouvier Des Flandres Bite Force
A Bouvier has a bite force of at least 200 PSI.
Bouvier Des Flandres Health Issues
A Bouvier is a relatively healthy dog. However, it may suffer from certain health issues such as eye disorders like cataracts, glaucoma, ectropion, and entropion, elbow dysplasia, hypothyroidism, Cushing’s disease, Addison’s disease, hip dysplasia, ectopic ureters, deafness, portosystemic shunt, megaesophagus, gastric torsion, subaortic stenosis, and laryngeal paralysis.
Apart from Bouvier Des Flandres, other dog breeds include:
Bouvier Des Flandres Feeding | Food
The amount of food that Bouviers feed on depends on their age, metabolism, size, activity level, and body build. Bouvier puppies have a high metabolism rate as compared to adults or senior dogs. Therefore, a puppy should feed 3 or 4 times a day immediately they start weaning until the age of 6 months. From the age of 6 months, Bouviers feed a total of two meals for life with snacks in between.
Like other dogs, Bouviers should feed on the right amount of minerals, protein, amino acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, water, and fats to maintain a healthy bone structure and weight. Depending on the budget and the time of preparation needed, parents may feed Bouviers with dry food, wet food, home made meals, or a raw diet. Owners who prefer commercial dry or wet food should ensure the first three ingredients that are listed are proteins from a known source.
Commercial food should be free of fillers, chemicals, meat by-products, additives and preservatives. The same goes to the snacks given to the dogs. Dry or wet food should also be formulated for large-sized puppies, adults, and senior depending on the age of your Bouvier. Make a habit of checking the physique of your pet to tell whether it has an ideal weight or it is overfeeding.
The pooch is underweight if the ribs are visible. However, if the ribs are not visible but can be felt without pressing hard, a Bouvier has an ideal weight. Although, if the ribs cannot be felt after pressing, a Bouvier is overweight and should be exercised. Pooch parents that would like to switch to another brand of dog food should gradually do this over a period of one month. Each week they should mix old food with new food. As the week progresses, the amount of old food decreases as the amount of the new food increases until the Bouvier is only feeding on the new food.
Bouvier Des Flandres Colors | Brindle
A Bouvier may have a black, fawn, salt and pepper, brindle, or gray coat color. A white star marking is permissible on the chest.
Does Bouvier Des Flandres Shed
Yes. Bouviers shed at moderate levels all-year round. Although, they have a thick double coat that traps the shed hair hence barely noticeable.
Are Bouvier Des Flandres Hypoallergenic
Yes. Bouvier Des Flandres are regarded hypoallergenic. They have a thick double coat that traps the loose hair instead of releasing it into the environment to aggravate allergies. However, there is no 100% hypoallergenic breed. Owners should spend lots of time with a particular dog before adopting to ensure it does not trigger their allergies.
Bouvier Des Flandres Quick Facts
- A Bouvier has an impressive head that is accentuated by a heavy mustache and beard.
- Although a Bouvier looks intimidating, it is a gentle and calm dog.
- It takes a Bouvier 2 to 3 years before it is fully mature mentally and physically.
