Bouaier Des Flamdres

A gentle giant of a dog whose messy coat, powerful size, and bushy, eyebrowed appearance belie its calm, even temperament.

History:

The origins are thought to have been either a cross between a Beauceron and a Griffon breed, or a cross between the Berger Picard and Deerhound. Although this breed has had many names in its past, its current one most accurately describes it: Bouvier means cowherd or ox drover; des Flandres refers to the regions of the east and west provinces of Flanders covering parts of the Netherlands, France, and present Belgian provinces.

The breed is one of the finest of the European cattle dogs of the last and present centuries. The Bouvier des Flandres has exceptional scenting abilities and is brave and strong, and as a result were used during the First and Second World Wars to help army medical units locate wounded soldiers. This practice nearly wiped out the breed until Flemish breeders worked on regenerating the breed from the few surviving dogs.

Physical characteristics:

A powerful, stocky, and strong dog. Height: 24.5 - 26.5 in (62 - 68 cm) for the dog and 23.5 - 25.5 in (59 - 65 cm) for the bitch. Weight: 77 - 88 lb (35 - 40 kg) for the dog and 59.5 - 77 lb (27 - 35 kg) for the bitch. The head is well-sculptured and has a solid appearance, emphasized by the beard and moustache. The stop is shallow and the muzzle is broad, tapering towards the nose, which is black with open nostrils. The jaws are well-developed and the bite is scissor.

The eyes are dark, slightly oval, and have an open, alert expression. The ears are set high and are very flexible. The neck and body are strong and muscular, with curved ribs. The loin is short, the shoulders are long, and both are muscular. The coat of the Bouvier des Flandres is abundant (2 in) (5 cm) long, rough, and untidy. It is shorter on the head, and rough down the neck and body. The undercoat is fine and dense. The coat color can be fawn through to black, sometimes brindled or shaded.

Behavior:

The Bouvier des Flandres is a marvelous working dog originally bred for herding cattle. This dog needed to be both brave and very determined in order to move sometimes obstinate cattle. Although it is now mainly used as a companion animal, the Bouvier des Flandres still retains many of its original breed characteristics. This dog enjoys the company of other dogs but if it is allowed to go unchecked, it can become bossy with people as it matures. The Bouvier des Flandres makes an excellent watch-dog.

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