Breed Profile

DESCRIPTION

The Bouvier is a powerful, imposing dog with a massive and heavily coated head with a thick beard, mustache and shaggy eyebrows, which gives the dog a very distinctive appearance. It looks intimidating, but is actually calm and gentle. The Bouvier is highly intelligent and obedient. It makes an excellent guard and watchdog that is easy to train. It makes a good family dog, and is excellent with children.

TEMPERAMENT

The Bouvier is an enthusiastic, responsible and obedient dog breed with a pleasant nature. It is excellent at learning and once the dog learns a command it will remember it for the rest of its life. This breed requires well-balanced obedience training. It is very important to make the dog aware, without being too hard with it, that you are and will remain the boss. In order to avoid over-protectiveness and shyness, socialization at an early age is a must. The Bouvier needs an experienced owner to prevent dominance problems. It makes an excellent companion to children. This dog's loyalty is world famous. It is usually good with other dogs if they are raised together from puppy hood, but be careful with non-canine pets. Dominant individuals may be dog aggressive. The Bouvier does not fully mature until the dog reaches the age of 2-3 years, it is slow to mature both in body and mind. It can be suspicious and reserved with strangers and protective of its family.

GROOMING

This breed has a double coat. The rough, shaggy-looking outer coat is harsh and dry to the touch. It is well suited to various climatic conditions including the cold and the rain. Bouvier requires regular brushings and must be trimmed three times a year. A well-groomed Bouvier sheds very little.

HEALTH

Hip and elbow dysplasia, glaucoma. Other health concerns include autoimmune disorders, cancer, hypothyroidism, subaortic stenosis, and bloat. Bloat is a health issue to most dogs, being the second largest killer of dogs other than cancer, but Bouvier des Flandres can be particularly susceptible to it because of their deep chests. Ears are often clipped to create a fiercer look.

EXERCISE

The Bouvier des Flandres needs plenty of exercise, but be careful not to jog with them over long distances as they are heavy in structure and are predisposed to hip problems. Ample space is necessary. Bouviers need to be put to work and have their minds kept active with mental stimulation. A vigorous play session will do fine for exercise.

TRAINING

This breed learns commands relatively fast, though not quite as fast as other breeds. They require well-balanced training which remains consistent in nature. Once they learn a command they will remember it for the rest of their life. It is important to consistently make the dog aware, without being harsh or rough, that you are and will remain the boss. This breed needs an experienced owner to prevent dominance and over-protectiveness problems. He should be socialized well preferably starting at an early age to avoid shyness, suspiciousness, and reserved with strangers