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General Appearance
The Bouvier des Flandres is a powerfully built, compact, short-coupled,
rough-coated dog of notably rugged appearance. He gives the impression of great
strength without any sign of heaviness or clumsiness in his overall makeup. He
is agile, spirited and bold, yet his serene, well behaved disposition denotes
his steady, resolute and fearless character. His gaze is alert and brilliant,
depicting his intelligence, vigor and daring. By nature he is an equable dog.
His origin is that of a cattle herder and general farmer's helper, including
cart pulling. He is an ideal farm dog. His harsh double coat protects him in all
weather, enabling him to perform the most arduous tasks. He has been used as an
ambulance and messenger dog. Modern times find him as a watch and guard dog as
well as a family friend, guardian and protector. His physical and mental
characteristics and deportment, coupled with his olfactory abilities, his
intelligence and initiative enable him to also perform as a tracking dog and a
guide dog for the blind. The following description is that of the ideal Bouvier
des Flandres. Any deviation from this is to be penalized to the extent of the
deviation.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Size--The height as measured at the withers: Dogs, from 24½ to 27½
inches; bitches, from 23½ to 26½ inches. In each sex, the ideal height is the
median of the two limits, i.e., 26 inches for a dog and 25 inches for a bitch.
Any dog or bitch deviating from the minimum or maximum limits mentioned shall be
severely penalized. Proportion--The length from the point of
the shoulder to the tip of the buttocks is equal to the height from the ground
to the highest point of the withers. A long-bodied dog should be seriously
faulted. Substance--Powerfully built, strong boned, well muscled,
without any sign of heaviness or clumsiness.
Head
The head is impressive in scale, accentuated by beard and mustache. It is in
proportion to body and build. The expression is bold and alert.
Eyes neither protrude nor are sunken in the sockets. Their shape is oval
with the axis on the horizontal plane, when viewed from the front. Their color
is a dark brown. The eye rims are black without lack of pigment and the haw is
barely visible. Yellow or light eyes are to be strongly penalized, along with a
walleyed or staring expression. Ears placed high and alert. If cropped,
they are to be a triangular contour and in proportion to the size of the head.
The inner corner of the ear should be in line with the outer corner of the eye.
Ears that are too low or too closely set are serious faults. Skull well
developed and flat, slightly less wide than long. When viewed from the side, the
top lines of the skull and the muzzle are parallel. It is wide between the ears,
with the frontal groove barely marked. The stop is more apparent than
real, due to upstanding eyebrows. The proportions of length of skull to length
of muzzle are 3 to 2. Muzzle broad, strong, well filled out, tapering
gradually toward the nose without ever becoming snipy or pointed. A narrow,
snipy muzzle is faulty. Nose large, black, well developed, round at the
edges, with flared nostrils. A brown, pink or spotted nose is a serious fault.
The cheeks are flat and lean, with the lips being dry and tight fitting. The
jaws are powerful and of equal length. The teeth are strong, white and healthy,
with the incisors meeting in a scissors bite. Overshot or undershot bites are to
be severely penalized.
Neck, Topline, and Body
The neck is strong and muscular, widening gradually into the shoulders.
When viewed from the side, it is gracefully arched with proud carriage. A short,
squatty neck is faulty. No dewlap. Back short, broad, well muscled with
firm level topline. It is supple and flexible with no sign of weakness. Body
or trunk powerful, broad and short. The chest is broad, with the
brisket extending to the elbow in depth. The ribs are deep and well sprung. The
first ribs are slightly curved, the others well sprung and very well sloped
nearing the rear, giving proper depth to the chest. Flat ribs or slabsidedness
is to be strongly penalized. Flanks and loins short, wide and
well muscled, without weakness. The abdomen is only slightly tucked up. The
horizontal line of the back should mold unnoticeably into the curve of the rump,
which is characteristically wide. A sunken or slanted croup is a serious fault. Tail
is to be docked, leaving 2 or 3 vertebrae. It must be set high and align
normally with the spinal column. Preferably carried upright in motion. Dogs born
tailless should not be penalized.
Forequarters
Strong boned, well muscled and straight. The shoulders are relatively
long, muscular but not loaded, with good layback. The shoulder blade and humerus
are approximately the same length, forming an angle slightly greater than 90
degrees when standing. Steep shoulders are faulty. Elbows close to the
body and parallel. Elbows which are too far out or in are faults.
Forearms viewed either in profile or from the front are perfectly
straight, parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground. They are well
muscled and strong boned. Carpus exactly in line with the forearms.
Strong boned. Pasterns quite short, slightly sloped. Dewclaws may be
removed. Both forefeet and hind feet are rounded and compact turning neither in
nor out; the toes close and well arched; strong black nails; thick tough pads.
Hindquarters
Firm, well muscled with large, powerful hams. They should be parallel with the
front legs when viewed from either front or rear. Legs moderately long,
well muscled, neither too straight nor too inclined. Thighs wide and
muscular. The upper thigh must be neither too straight nor too sloping. There is
moderate angulation at the stifle. Hocks strong, rather close to the
ground. When standing and seen from the rear, they will be straight and
perfectly parallel to each other. In motion, they must turn neither in nor out.
There is a slight angulation at the hock joint. Sickle or cow-hocks are serious
faults. Metatarsi hardy and lean, rather cylindrical and perpendicular
to the ground when standing. If born with dewclaws, they are to be removed.Feet
as in front.
Coat
A tousled, double coat capable of withstanding the hardest work in the most
inclement weather. The outer hairs are rough and harsh, with the undercoat being
fine, soft and dense. The coat may be trimmed slightly only to accent the body
line. Overtrimming which alters the natural rugged appearance is to be avoided.
Topcoat must be harsh to the touch, dry, trimmed, if necessary, to a length
of approximately 2½ inches. A coat too long or too short is a fault, as is a
silky or woolly coat. It is tousled without being curly. On the skull, it is
short, and on the upper part of the back, it is particularly close and harsh
always, however, remaining rough. Ears are rough-coated. Undercoat
a dense mass of fine, close hair, thicker in winter. Together with the topcoat,
it will form a water-resistant covering. A flat coat, denoting lack of undercoat
is a serious fault. Mustache and beard very thick, with the
hair being shorter and rougher on the upper side of the muzzle. The upper lip
with its heavy mustache and the chin with its heavy and rough beard gives that
gruff expression so characteristic of the breed. Eyebrows, erect hairs
accentuating the shape of the eyes without ever veiling them.
Color
From fawn to black, passing through salt and pepper, gray and brindle. A small
white star on the chest is allowed. Other than chocolate brown, white, or parti-color,
which are to be severely penalized, no one color is to be favored.
Gait
The whole of the Bouvier des Flandres must be harmoniously proportioned to allow
for a free, bold and proud gait. The reach of the forequarters must compensate
for and be in balance with the driving power of the hindquarters. The back,
while moving in a trot, will remain firm and flat. In general, the gait is the
logical demonstration of the structure and build of the dog. It is to be noted
that while moving at a fast trot, the properly built Bouvier will tend to
single-track.
Temperament
The Bouvier is an equable dog, steady, resolute and fearless. Viciousness or
shyness is undesirable.
Approved January 10, 2000
Effective Febraury 23, 2000
For More information visit AKC.org