American Kennel Club Breed Standard
BOUVIER DES FLANDRES
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 24 1/2
to 27 1/2 inches; bitches, from 23 1/2 to 26 1/2 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 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. Over trimming 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 2 1/2 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 February 23, 2000
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